Effects of Interventions Based on Achievement Goals and Self-Determination Theories on the Intention to Be Physically Active of Physical Education Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The aim was to review the effects of interventions based on self-determination theory and achievement goals theory on intention to be physically active in the future in physical education students, as well as to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the overall effect size of these interventions. PRISMA guidelines were followed to conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis. Three scientific electronic databases were used: Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, and SportDiscus. A total of eleven studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Effect size for intention to be physically active of each study was calculated using the means and standard deviations before and after the intervention. The overall effect size for intention was moderate (standardized mean difference = 0.47 with 95% CI from 0.28 to 0.67), while the heterogeneity was large. Seven of the eleven studies reported significant within-group improvements in intention after the intervention. Eight studies showed significant between-group differences in favor of the experimental group. The findings showed that teaching strategies, family involvement, and the use of videos related to physical activity participation may be relevant factors that must be considered by educators and researchers to conduct future effective interventions. Interventions based on self-determination theory and achievement goals theory could be useful in the process of the promotion of physical activity. However, given the large heterogeneity, these findings must be taken with caution.