Sex and age of the students on goal orientations and motivation in Physical Education

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of interaction between sex and age in relation to goal orientation, motivational environment, and self-determined motivation in physical education (PE) of 1298 high school students from the provinces of Almería, Granada and Málaga, aged between 12 and 19 years. As instruments we used the Spanish version adapted to the PE: Perception of Success Questionnaire, Learning and Performance Orientations in Physical Education Classes Questionnaire and Sport Motivation Scale; as well as, the descriptive and multivariate analyzes (MANOVA 2x3). Results show significant differences based on gender and age. We conclude that the teacher should design his/her classes with a task-oriented motivational environment, granting an ideal environment for improved learning and an increased engagement of students in PE classes.