Effects of a brief one-day autonomy-supportive intervention on improving basic psychological needs, motivation, and behaviours of physical activity among middle-school students: A multidimensional approach
Download this article Henri Tilga, Hanna Kalajas-Tilga, Vello Hein, Lennart Raudsepp and Andre Koka
University of Tartu
Citation
Tilga, H., Kalajas-Tilga, H., Hein, V., Raudsepp, L., Koka, A. (2025). Effects of a brief one-day autonomy-supportive intervention on improving basic psychological needs, motivation, and behaviours of physical activity among middle-school students: A multidimensional approach. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 56(3), 266-286. doi:10.7352/IJSP.2025.56.266
Abstract
Most of the previous self-determination theory based autonomy-supportive interventions have considered autonomy-supportive and controlling behaviours as unidimensional constructs. In this study, an intervention program for physical education (PE) teachers was conducted to test whether it would lead to changes in their students’ perceptions of multidimensional autonomy-supportive (i.e., cognitive, organisational and procedural) and controlling behaviours (i.e., intimidation, negative conditional regard, controlling use of grades), psychological need satisfaction and frustration, identified regulation and intrinsic motivation, and self-reported leisure-time physical activity. Forty two middle-school PE teachers (15 men and 27 women) and their 415 students (221 boys and 194 girls) were randomly assigned into either an experimental or control group. Teachers aged between 23 and 68 years (Mage = 44.76, SD = 13.69) and students aged between 12 and 15 years (Mage = 13.16, SD = 0.80). Experimental group teachers participated in a brief one-day 8-hour Autonomy-Supportive Intervention Program for Physical Education (ASIP-PE). We found that the ASIP-PE significantly increased students’ perceptions of their PE teachers’ cognitive and procedural autonomy support, and experiences of need satisfaction for autonomy and competence. Also, a significant decrease was found for students’ perceptions of their PE teachers negative conditional regard, intimidation and need frustration for autonomy. These findings suggest that ASIP-PE was partly effective to change students’ perceptions.
Keywords: Autonomy support, Controlling behaviour, psychological needs, motivation, physical activity