MOTIVATING THE YOUTH: UNCOVERING THE ATTITUDES AND MOTIVATION BEHIND SCHOOL SPORTS ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between attitudes, motivation, and school sports engagement frequency, using the newly constructed Attitudes and Motivation Toward School Sports Questionnaire (AMTSSQ) inventory as a tool for assessment. The study found a significant effect of attitudes (F = 11.96, p < .001, np² = 0.02) and motivation (F = 19.63, p < .001, np² = 0.03) with strong positive correlation coefficients (r = 0.71) between attitudes, motivation, and school sports engagement frequency. However, Bayesian analyses supported the null hypothesis with moderate to strong evidence (Bayes Factor < 0.33), and credible intervals for effect size and R2 were relatively narrow. Additionally, school sports engagement frequency is not significantly related to motivation (b = -0.08 to 0.03, p > .05), and the highest order unconditional interaction of school sports engagement frequency and attitudes was not significant (F = 1.18, p = .315). However, attitudes were strongly related to motivation (R2 = .99), suggesting that students who viewed school sports as important and developed had higher motivation toward school sports. Hence, we can conclude that the AMTSSQ reliably and validly assesses students’ attitudes and motivation toward school sports, and we found positive associations between attitudes and motivation. The findings suggest that attitudes towards school sports, like the perceived importance and developmental benefits, are significant predictors of motivation and may influence engagement in school sports. However, school sports engagement frequency did not moderate the relationship between attitudes and motivation. These findings have implications for promoting physical activity and student-school sports participation.