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Topic

A cross-sectional examination of Costa Rican adolescents’ motivation toward physical education

School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education

Date & location

• Tuesday, November 4, 2025
• 10:30 A.M.
• Clearihue Building, Room B007

Examining Committee

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Viviene Temple, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, ӣ��Ӱ�� (Supervisor)
• Dr. Jennifer Gruno, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, UVic (Member)

External Examiner

• Dr. Stephanie Field, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Leslee Francis Pelton, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, UVic

Abstract

Background: Adolescents are becoming less physically active around the world. Physical Education can support students’ physical activity levels and encourage active lifestyles both in school and throughout life. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has been widely used in physical education research to understand students’ motivation toward physical education as well as their basic psychological needs in physical education settings. However, previous research on Costa Rican adolescents’ motivational profiles in physical education remain limited. The primary aim of this study was to examine grade 9 Costa Rican students’ motivation toward physical education and how their basic psychological needs influenced their intrinsic motivation in physical education. The secondary aim was to understand students’ leisure time physical activity levels, personal experiences in physical education and whether motivation and psychological basic needs satisfaction predicted participation in physical activity outside of school.

Method: Grade 9 Costa Rican (n = 118) students in the Guápiles region participated in this mixed-method study. Quantitative data were collected using the Physical Education Motivation Scale (PEMS), the Physical Education Autonomy, Relatedness and Competence Scale (PE-ARCS); the Physical Activity subsection of the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Qualitative data were collected from one of the two-part open-ended question included in the PEMS and from students’ responses to a checklist of preferred physical education activities included in the PE-ARCS.

Results: Descriptive statistics demonstrated that students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation levels were relatively strong, and amotivation was low. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that boys were significantly more intrinsically and less extrinsically motivated than girls. A second MANOVA showed that there were no gender-based differences in autonomy, competence, or relatedness. Students’ perceived competence predicted intrinsic motivation toward physical education. A small proportion of students met the guidelines for MVPA (11.0%), strength (40.7%), sleep (39.8%) and sedentary time (32.2%). Only one student met all four guidelines, and 37 students did not meet any guidelines. Linear regression revealed that perceived competence was a significant positive predictor of days of MVPA per week, while extrinsic motivation was a significant negative predictor. Two major themes emerged from the qualitative analysis. The first was that “Students’ Experience in Physical Education Could Be Better” and the second theme was that “The Physical Environment Undermines Experiences in Physical Education”.

Conclusions: Students showed positive motivation levels, their levels of amotivation were low and no gender-based differences in their basic psychological needs for physical education were found. While girls were more extrinsically motivated, boys showed lower extrinsic motivation and higher intrinsic motivation toward physical education. The more competent students felt in physical education, the more intrinsically motivated they felt toward physical education. A large proportion of students did not meet the minimum requirements of MVPA, sleep, strength and sedentary time for individual 24-hour movement behaviours guidelines or combinations of these behaviours. Students who focused more on achieving good grades and being liked by their physical education teacher were likely to engage in lower levels of MVPA outside of school. Students’ perceptions of their competence was the only positive predictor of the number of days of MVPA outside of school. In general, findings from this study highlight the importance of fostering students’ perceptions of their competence not only to improve their intrinsic motivation toward physical education, but also to help promote levels of MVPA outside of school.