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Observing physical education teachers’ motivating and demotivating teaching styles using a circumplex approach : how does it relate to students' outcomes?

Book Contribution - Book Abstract Conference Contribution

Introduction and Aims. Self-Determination Theory-based studies showed the importance of developing teachers' motivating style (i.e. being autonomy-supportive and providing structure) while minimizing their demotivating style (i.e. being controlling and chaotic), since teachers’ motivating style is associated with various positive students’ outcomes, whereas a teacher’s demotivating style is related to negative students’ outcomes (e.g. Haerens et al., 2016). However, most research relied on self-reported measures. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to develop an observation tool that allows to assess teachers’ (de-)motivating style by using observations. A second objective is to rely on observations to refine the known relation between teachers’ (de-)motivating style and students’ outcomes (i.e. students’ motivation and need-based experiences). Methods. The study sample consisted of 65 PE-teachers (M age = 40,15 (11,50) years) and 904 students (M age = 13,23 (1.18) years). One PE lesson of each teacher was video- and audiotaped. At the end of each lesson, students completed questionnaires on their motivation and need-based experiences. Experts used a newly-developed observation tool to rate teachers’ (de)motivating style (41 items). Reliability (intrarater-, interrater-reliability, and internal consistency) and (internal) validity of the tool were assessed. Multilevel analyses were performed to examine the relations between teachers’ observed (de-)motivating style and students’ outcomes. Results. The observation tool showed good reliability and validity, with observations confirming the circular structure of PE teachers’ (de-)motivating style that was also previously found based on questionnaires (Escriva-Boulley et al., 2021). Teachers’ observed autonomy-supportive, structuring, and chaotic style were significantly related to students’ autonomous motivation and amotivation. Teachers’ observed controlling style showed a trend towards a significant negative relation with controlled motivation (p = 0.07). Teachers’ observed autonomy-supportive style was also positively related to students’ need satisfaction and was negatively related to students’ need frustration. Conclusion. In conclusion, this study extends previous SDT-based studies and gives a more refined insight into the relation between teachers’ (de)motivating style and students’ outcomes. First, we managed to create an observation tool that allows to assess PE teachers (de)motivating style in a comprehensive manner, with observations of autonomy-support, structure, control and chaos being depicted in a circular model. Second, the findings revealed that students indeed value and enjoy PE lessons more if their teachers are observed as more autonomy-supportive and structuring, and less chaotic.
Book: AIESEP World Congress 2022, Abstracts
Number of pages: 1
Publication year:2022