نوع مقاله : مطالعه پژوهشی اصیل
نویسندگان
1 گروه آموزش تربیت‌بدنی، دانشگاه فرهنگیان، تهران، ایران
2 گروه تربیت بدنی، واحد ارومیه، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، ارومیه، ایران.
3 گروه تربیت بدنی، دانشگاه فرهنگیان، گرگان، ایران.
4 گروه تربیت بدنی، واحد مشهد، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، مشهد، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژه‌ها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Background and Purpose
Research has shown that engaging in physical activity has numerous benefits for mental and physical health, such as improving cardio-muscular function, physical fitness, cognitive and mental functions, and reducing depression, anxiety, and obesity (Collins & Staples, 2017; Gerber et al., 2021; Lahart et al., 2019; Marker et al., 2018; Poitras et al., 2016; Schwartz et al., 2019). Several studies have indicated that adults worldwide do not engage in regular physical activity and fail to meet the WHO guidelines of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day (Sallis, 2016). According to the theory of self-determination, there are specific psychological and social goals that, when met, can enhance a person's growth, integration, and well-being. These goals, known as basic psychological needs, include "autonomy," "competence," and "relatedness" (Deci & Ryan, 2000). This study aimed to contribute to the existing knowledge on the impact of autonomy support on the motivation and participation of adults in physical activity.
Materials and Methods
This study employed a causal-comparative (pre-test and post-test) research design conducted in the field. The participants were 60 male and female student teachers from Farhangian University of Sistan and Baluchistan, aged between 19 and 21 years (average age 19.84 years). Participants were purposefully assigned to two groups: "choice" (exercise with autonomy) and "no choice" (exercise without autonomy), each consisting of 30 individuals (15 men and 15 women).
Modern accelerometers (ActiGraph wGT3X-BT, ActiGraph LLC, Pensacola, FL, USA) were used to measure physical activity, with a focus on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) to assess the subjects' activity levels. The research protocol comprised pre-test, intervention, and post-test stages. In the pre-test (one week before the intervention), participants wore an accelerometer device on their right hip for a week. Subsequently, the autonomy and non-autonomy groups engaged in the research protocol during physical education classes for three months. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26 statistical software, with mean and standard deviation calculated for data description.
Results
Regarding internal motivation, both groups exhibited similar levels in the pre-test (t=0.55, p=0.92). However, in the post-test, the choice group demonstrated significantly higher intrinsic motivation than the no-choice group (t=6.61, p=0.000). Analysis of variance revealed a significant increase in internal motivation from pre-test to post-test in the choice group, but no change in the no-choice group. In terms of identified regulation, both groups showed comparable levels in the pre-test (t=0.67, p=0.61). Yet, in the post-test, the choice group displayed significantly higher identified regulation than the no-choice group (t=9.22, p=0.000), with a notable increase observed in the choice group from pre-test to post-test. Regarding internal regulation, both groups had similar levels in the pre-test (t=0.82, p=0.79). A significant decrease in internal regulation was noted in the choice group from pre-test to post-test, while no change was observed in the no-choice group. For external regulation, both groups had similar levels in the pre-test (t=0.76, p=0.86). However, in the post-test, the choice group exhibited significantly lower external regulation than the no-choice group (t=4.61, p=0.000), with a decrease observed in the choice group from pre-test to post-test. Regarding lack of motivation, a significant decrease was noted in the choice group from pre-test to post-test, but no change was observed in the no-choice group. Analysis of variance also revealed a significant increase in MVPA in the choice group from pre-test to post-test, while no change was observed in the no-choice group.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study explored the impact of an autonomy support intervention in a physical education classroom on motivation and objective physical activity levels among college students. The results indicated that implementing autonomy-based teaching strategies was effective in enhancing autonomous motivation and physical activity while reducing controlled motivation in students. These findings suggest that self-determination theory principles can be applied to students. Despite students not meeting the WHO guidelines for daily MVPA, exposure to autonomy support interventions led to increased participation in MVPA compared to traditional instructional methods. This highlights the positive impact of teaching styles rooted in self-determination theory. Therefore, university physical education instructors can utilize these teaching approaches to enhance students' health-oriented physical activity levels, aligning with the primary objective of general physical education courses.
FundingThe present study received no financial support from any institution or organization.
Authors' contributions
First and Third author: Data collection and data analysis; Second and Third author: conceptualization and presentation of the idea, Fourth author: authorship of the introduction, discussion and methodology. All authors contributed equally to the writing and revision of the article.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
We sincerely thank and appreciate all the students who cooperated in the present research.
کلیدواژه‌ها [English]
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(16)30581-5
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09518-3
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-019-09818-1
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