Motivational Processes in Physical Education

Abstract Physical education (PE) classes present an opportunity to counteract insufficient levels of physical activity in children and potentially stimulate active lifestyles outside of school and across the lifespan. Facilitating adaptive motivation within PE classes is commonly viewed as an essential step in achieving these aims. Therefore, it is unsurprising that self-determination theory (SDT) has been widely employed to study motivational dynamics, behavior, and student outcomes in PE. This chapter will first provide an overview of measurement and operationalization issues within SDT-based PE research. It will subsequently describe and evaluate intervention work that has aimed to satisfy PE students’ psychological needs, facilitate autonomous motivation, and promote a range of adaptive outcomes. Research that has investigated teacher motivation and their motivational styles from an SDT perspective will also be examined. Finally, the chapter will outline some potential future research directions, including an alternative approach to employing SDT in PE classes to develop psychologically need-satisfying experiences and inspire physical activity across the lifespan.