Transformational Teacher Leadership and Physical Education Students’ Intention to be Active: The Mediating Roles of Motor Self-Efficacy and Enjoyment

Previous research has highlighted positive associations between physical education (PE) teachers’ transformational leadership and their adolescent students’ intentions to be active. However, no prior investigators have addressed mediating variables of students’ motor self-efficacy and enjoyment. Our aim in this study was to re-analyze the relationships between teachers’ transformational leadership style and PE students’ intentions to be active, while also examining the roles of motor self-efficacy and enjoyment as potential mediators in these relationships. The 429 adolescents in our sample were aged 14–16 years ( M = 14.97, SD = 0.85). To assess these variables, we used the Transformational Teaching Questionnaire (TTQ), the Motor Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES), the Intrinsic Satisfaction in Sport Instrument (SSI-EF), and the Intention of Being Physically Active Scale (MIFA). A structural equation model revealed significant and positive relationships between all these variables. Indirect effects were found between a transformational teacher leadership style and students’ intentions to be active, through the students’ motor self-efficacy and enjoyment as mediator variables, with enjoyment the most important mediating variable. Motor self-efficacy and enjoyment mediated the relationship between the teacher’s transformational leadership and the intention to be active, as when students enjoyed themselves and felt capable of successfully performing an activity, they were more inclined to continue practicing that physical activity. This was likely the result of the support and individualized attention the teacher provided through transformational leadership. This type of leadership fosters an environment where students feel valued and motivated, increasing their positive experiences in physical education. Therefore, in this context, it is more likely that they will develop a stronger desire to remain physically active in the future. Thus, teachers might apply transformational leadership to promote students’ increased self-efficacy and enjoyment as a means of influencing their future adherence to active leisure time behaviors.