Damien Tessier

The Effects of an Experimental Programme to Support Students' Autonomy on the Overt Behaviours of Physical Education Teachers.

Although the benefits of autonomy supportive behaviours are now well established in the literature, very few studies have attempted to train teachers to offer a greater autonomy support to their students. In fact, none of these studies has been carried out in physical education (PE). The purpose of this study is to test the effects of an autonomy-supportive training on overt behaviours of teaching among PE teachers. The experimental group included two PE teachers who were first educated on the benefits of an autonomy supportive style and then followed an individualised guidance programme during the 8 lessons of a teaching cycle. Their behaviours were observed and rated along 3 categories (i.e., autonomy supportive, neutral and controlling) and were subsequently compared to those of three teachers who formed the control condition. The results showed that teachers in the experimental group used more autonomy supportive and neutral behaviours than those in the control group, but no difference emerged in relation to controlling behaviours. We discuss the implications for schools of our findings.RésuméSi les bienfaits des comportements soutenant l’autonomie sont désormais clairement identifiés dans la littérature, peu de travaux ont tenté de modifier le style des enseignants dans le sens d’un meilleur soutien de l’autonomie des élèves, et aucun ne s’est intéressé au domaine de l’éducation physique (EP). L’objectif de cette étude était de tester l’intérêt d’un programme de formation visant à sensibiliser les enseignants d’EP aux bienfaits d’un style soutenant l’autonomie. Deux enseignants formant le groupe expérimental ont d’abord été sensibilisés à ce style d’enseignement, puis ont bénéficié d’un suivi individualisé pendant la durée d’un cycle d’enseignement de 8 leçons. Au cours de celui-ci, leurs comportements ont été observés et codés en 3 catégories (i.e., soutenant l’autonomie, neutres et contrôlants) afin d’être comparés à ceux de 3 enseignants témoins. Les résultats montrent que les enseignants du groupe expérimental ont utilisé davantage de comportements soutenant l’autonomie et neutres que leurs collègues du groupe témoin, mais qu’aucune différence significative n’est apparue concernant les comportements contrôlants. La discussion se focalise sur l’interprétation et les implications scolaires de ces résultats.

The effects of teachers’ expectations about students’ motivation on teachers’ autonomy‐supportive and controlling behaviors

Abstract Previous studies in both educational and sport settings have examined the relationship between teachers’ and coaches’ expectations and behaviors towards students and athletes. The purpose of the present study was to extend this line of research by examining the effects of teachers’ expectations about students’ motivation on the frequency of controlling and autonomy‐supportive behaviors. Following the assessment of teachers’ expectations about students’ motivation and the assessment of students’ self‐determined motivation at the end of the first lesson, the interactions between PE teachers from nine classes and 172 students were videotaped and systematically coded during the six following gymnastics courses. Analyses revealed that (1) teachers’ expectations were not related to students’ initial self‐determined motivation, (2) overall, teachers interacted less frequently with students that they expected to be more motivated, and (3) teachers were much more controlling with students that they believed to be not motivated. The results are discussed in terms of the consequences of this differentiated treatment for students’ autonomous motivation

The effects of persuasive communication and planning on intentions to be more physically active and on physical activity behaviour among low-active adolescents

The purpose of the present study was to examine, using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) combined with a self-regulatory behaviour change approach, whether persuasive communication based on adolescents’ salient beliefs (SBCondition) and planning (PCondition) could promote the intention and physical activity (PA) behaviour of low-active adolescents participating in less than 1 h/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The protocol tested the effectiveness of two strategies used separately (i.e. SBC or PC) or in combination (i.e. CC = NSBC-SBC-PC) compared to a group receiving a message based on non-salient beliefs (NSBCondition). The 116 low-active students from ten 10th and 11th grade classes were assigned, using a cluster randomisation, into one of the four conditions (i.e. NSBC, SBC, PC and CC). Baseline data were collected two weeks before the intervention. The post-test data collection occurred directly after the intervention, and the follow-up took place two weeks later. Results showed that (1) the NSBC was the least effective strategy, (2) the SBC had no significant effect on PA behaviour and the TPB variables, (3) the PC had no significant effect on PA behaviour but increased the intention and perceived behavioural control and (4) the effects of the PC and the CC were not significantly different.

Need-Supportive Professional Development in Elementary School Physical Education: Effects of a Cluster-Randomized Control Trial on Teachers’ Motivating Style and Student Physical Activity.

This cluster-randomized controlled trial investigated the efficacy of a teacher professional development (TPD) program, grounded on self-determination theory, to increase elementary school teachers’ need-supportive motivating style and consequently their students’ physical activity (PA) during physical education (PE) lessons. Participants were 15 elementary school teachers and their 293 students. Teachers in the treatment condition received a sports-related notebook and attended four 3-hr workshops over 1 school year; teachers in the control condition received only the notebook. Students’ PA and teachers’ motivating style were assessed on four occasions via accelerometers and observations, respectively. Results showed that teachers in the treatment condition increased support of their students’ psychological needs for the majority of the school year, but there was a slight decrease in the fourth wave of measurement. Students in the treatment condition increased their time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), independently of the sport taught, whereas their counterparts from the control condition decreased their MVPA. This is the first study to provide elementary school teachers with a PE teacher professional development program grounded in self-determination theory and demonstrate the potential of such a program to improve teachers’ motivating style and student MVPA in PE.