Children's motivation in elementary physical education: a longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Sport Pedagogy
• Child Development

Background:

• Understanding student motivation is crucial for effective physical education.
• Achievement goal theory and expectancy-value model offer frameworks for motivation.
• Longitudinal data on these constructs in elementary physical education is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine relationships between achievement goals, expectancy-value beliefs, and motivation in elementary physical education.
• To investigate changes in these motivational variables over a two-year period.
• To assess the predictive power of these variables on future physical education participation.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study with 207 elementary students over two years (grades 2-3 and 4-5).
• Participants completed questionnaires assessing achievement goals, expectancy-value beliefs, and intention for future participation.
• Analysis of mean-level changes and relationships among motivational variables.

Main Results:

• Achievement goals, expectancy beliefs, and subjective task values were interrelated.
• These motivational factors predicted children's intention for future physical education participation.
• Subjective task values in physical education decreased over time; motivation was higher in younger cohorts.

Conclusions:

• Integrating achievement goal theory and expectancy-value model provides a comprehensive understanding of student motivation in physical education.
• Interventions should address declining task values and support motivation across elementary grades.
• Early elementary motivation for physical education may be stronger than in later elementary years.