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Teachers’ perception of classes’ engagement, observed motivating teaching practices, and students’ motivation: A mediation analysis

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Abstract

Based on self-determination theory, this study examines the relations between teachers’ perception of classes’ engagement, their motivating teaching practices, and students’ motivation. Fifty-two physical education (PE) teachers and their 1,040 students from 52 classes participated in this study. Teachers’ perception of classes’ engagement was self-reported one week before their motivating teaching practices were observed. At the end of the observed lesson, students completed a questionnaire assessing their situational motivation toward PE. Results indicated that teachers’ perception of class engagement predicted different dimensions of students’ self-determined motivation, and that these relations were fully mediated by teachers’ behaviors. More specifically, the more teachers reported high scores in class engagement, the more they displayed need-supportive behaviors that were, in turn, related to positive students’ motivational outcomes. These results suggest that teachers’ perception of class engagement could exacerbate motivational differences between classes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of teacher education, University of Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France

    Amael André

  2. Department of teacher education, University Grenoble Alpes France, Saint-Martin-d’Hères, France

    Damien Tessier

  3. Department of sport, University of Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France

    Benoit Louvet

  4. Department of teacher education, University of Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France

    Edwin Girard

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  1. Amael André
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  2. Damien Tessier
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  3. Benoit Louvet
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  4. Edwin Girard
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Correspondence to Amael André.

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André, A., Tessier, D., Louvet, B. et al. Teachers’ perception of classes’ engagement, observed motivating teaching practices, and students’ motivation: A mediation analysis. Soc Psychol Educ 26, 1527–1542 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-023-09805-y

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