Extra physical education lessons, motivation and motor self-efficacy in adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a school-based intervention with extra physical education (PE) lessons per week on intrinsic motivation and perceived motor self-efficacy among Spanish secondary school students. The study sample was comprised of 375 participants, first-year secondary school students from state schools located in Madrid. A quasi-experimental design was used in the study. Three control and three experimental schools were selected. Students from the control group (n=109) had two PE lessons per week while students from the experimental group (n=266) had four. The longitudinal study lasted five months and both groups were pre and post-tested. The results show that students from the experimental group had higher motivation for PE after the intervention and lower loss of perceived motor self-efficacy over time than those from the control group. The difference between groups was particularly obvious among girls.