Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine the relations of students’ intrinsic motivation in physical education lessons with factors such as perceived locus of causality, perceived competence and outcome expectancies. Five hundred sixteen students of grades 7–12 participated in the study. The students were randomly selected from three schools located in a medium sized town in Greece. Perceived locus of causality was examined using Ryan and Connell’s (1989) motivational orientation scales, while intrinsic motivation was assessed by means of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (Ryan, 1982). Outcome expectancies for ten possible outcomes of school physical education were assessed by means of two different scales, namely outcome evaluation and outcome likelihood. Causal modelling analysis showed that intrinsic motivation was mainly influenced by perceived usefulness which in turned was influenced by outcome expectations. Moreover, outcome expectations also influenced perceived locus of causality. These results show that students’ outcome expectancies for their participation in school physical education is an important factor influencing their intrinsic motivation.
Résumé
Le but de cette étude presente était d’examiner les rapports entre la motivation intrinsèque pour l’éducation physique et des facteurs comme le locus de causalité, la competence perçue, et l’attente de résultat. Cinq cent seize étudiants des grades 7–12 ont participés à la recherche. Les étudiants ont été choisis au hasard dans trois écoles d’une ville grecque de grandeur moyenne. Le locus de causalité a été établi à l’aide du questionnaire d’orientation motivationnelle de Ryan et Connell (1989) tandis que la motivation intrinsèque a été estimée par le questionnaire de Motivation Intrinsèque (Ryan, 1982). L’attente de résultat concernant dix résultats possibles en éducation physique scolaire a été éxaminée par deux echelles differentes: évaluation de résultat et probabilité de résultat. L’analyse des relations de causalité a revelé que la motivation intrinsèque a été surtout affectée par l’utilité perçue et que l’utilité perçue a été affectée par l’attente de résultat. De plus, l’attente de résultat a affecté aussi le locus de causalité. Ces résultats ont révélé que l’attente de résultats des étudiants en ce qui concerne leur participation à l’éducation physique scolaire est un facteur important qui affecte leur motivation intrinsèque.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armstrong, N., & Biddle, S. (1992). Health-related physical activity in the national curriculum. In N. Armstrong (Ed.),New directions in physical education, Vol. 2: Towards a national curriculum (pp. 71–110). Champaign, JL: Human Kinetics.
Bentler, P.M. (1993).EQS: Structural equations program manual. Los Angeles, CA: BMDP Statistical Software.
Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (1985).Intrinsic motivation and self-determinantion in human-behavior. London: Plenum.
Deci, E.L., Vallerand, R.J., Pelletier, L.G., & Ryan, R.M. (1991). Motivation and education: The self-determination perspective.Educational Psychologist, 26, 325–346.
Eccles, J. (1983). Expectancies, values, and academic behaviors. In J.T. Spence (Ed.),Achievement and achievement motives (pp. 75–146). San Francisco: Freeman.
Gottfried, A.E. (1985). Academic intrinsic motivation in elementary and junior high school students.Journal of Educational Psychology, 77, 631–645.
Goudas, M. (1994).Goal orientations and intrinsic motivation in physical education. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
Goudas, M., Biddle, S., & Fox, K. (1994). Perceived locus of causality, goal orientations, and perceived competence in school physical education classes.British Journal of Educational Psychology, 64, 453–463.
Goudas, M., Biddle, S., & Underwood, M. (1995). A prospective study of the relationships between motivational orientations and perceived competence with intrinsic motivation and achievement in a teacher education course.Educational Psychology, 15, 89–96.
Goudas, M., Biddle, S., Fox, K.R., & Underwood, M. (1995). It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it! Teaching style affects children’s motivation in track and field lessons.The Sport Psychologist, 9, 254–264.
Gustafsson, J.E. (1994). Hierarchical models of intelligence and educational achievement. In A. Demetriou & A. Efklides (Eds.),Intelligence, mind and reasoning: Structure and development (pp. 45–69), Amsterdam: New Holland.
Hall, H., Humphrey, E., & Kerr, A. (1997). Understanding and enhancing children’s intrinsic motivation in sport: Adopting the tenets of Eccles’ expectancy-value model. In R. Lidor & M. Bar-Eli (Eds.),Innovations in sport psychology: Linking theory with practice. Proceedings of the IX World Congress on Sport Psychology (pp. 309–311) Tel-Aviv: Zinman College
Haywood, K.M. (1991). The role of physical education in the development of active lifestyles.Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 62, 151–156.
Kaplan, H., & Assor, A. (1998). The meaning and consequences of autonomy-related teachers’ actions for students: A developmental perspective. Paper presented at the 6th Workshop of Achievement and Task Motivation. March 28–30, Thessaloniki.
Krapp, A. (1999). Interest motivation and learning: An educational-psychological perspective.European Journal of Psychology of Education, 34, 23–40.
Krapp, A., Hidi, S., & Renninger, K.A. (1992). Interest, learning and development. In K.A. Renninger, S. Hidi, & A., Krapp (Eds.),The role of interest in learning and development (pp. 398–428), Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Nicholls, J.G. (1989).The Competitive ethos and democratic education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Papaioannou, A. (1992).Students’ motivation in physical education classes which are perceived to have different goal perspectives. Unpublished doctoral dissertation., University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Papaioannou, A. (1994). Development of a questionnaire to measure achievement orientations in physical education.Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 65, 11–20.
Papaioannou, A., & Theodorakis, Y. (1996). A test of three models for the prediction of intention for participation in physical education lessons.International Journal of Sport Psychology, 27, 383–399.
Patrick, B.C., Skinner, E.A., & Connell, J.P. (1993). What motivates children’s behavior and emotion? Joint effects of perceived control and autonomy in the academic domain.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 781–791.
Pate, R.R., & Hohn, R.C. (1994).Health and fitness through physical education. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Rodgers, W.M., & Brawley, L.R. (1991). The role of outcome expectancies in participation motivation.Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13, 411–427.
Ryan, R.M. (1982). Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of cognitive evaluation theory.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43, 450–461.
Ryan, R.M., & Connell, J.P. (1989). Perceived locus of causality and internalisation: Examining reasons for acting in two domains.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 749–761.
Ryan, R.M., Connell, J.P., & Deci, E.L. (1985). A motivational analysis of, self-determination and self-regulation in education. In C. Ames & R. Ames (Eds.),Research on motivation in education, Vol. II: The clasroom milieu (pp. 13–51). London: Academic Press.
Ryan, R.M., & Grolnick, W.S. (1986). Origins and pawns in the classroom: Self-report and projective assessments of individual differences in children’s perceptions.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 550–558.
Ryan, R.M., Koestner, R., & Deci, E.L. (1991). Ego-involved persistence: When free choice behavior is not intrinsically motivated.Motivation and Emotion, 15, 185–205.
Sansone, C., Sachau, D.A., & Weir, C. (1989). Effects of instruction on intrinsic interest: The importance of context.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 819–829.
Schiefele, U. (1991). Interest, learning and motivation.Educational Psychologist, 26, 299–323.
Schiefele, U., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1994). Interest and the quality of experience in classrooms.European Journal of Psychology of Education, 9, 251–270.
Vallerand, R.J., & Bissonnette, R. (1992). Intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivational styles as predictors of behavior: A prospective study.Journal of Personality, 60, 599–620.
Whitehead, J.R., & Corbin, C.B. (1991). Youth fitness testing: The effect of percentile-based evaluative feedback on intrinsic motivation.Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 62, 225–231.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was funded by a grant (code no 2156) from the Research Committee, University of Thessaly.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Goudas, M., Dermitzaki, I. & Bagiatis, K. Predictors of students’ intrinsic motivation in school physical education. Eur J Psychol Educ 15, 271–280 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173179
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173179