The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of an intervention to support the basic psychological needs on the satisfaction of these needs, intrinsic motivation, intention to be physically ...active and some enjoyment-related outcomes in Physical Education. The present study incorporated strategies presented by
in a previous study. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with two groups (n
= 30; n
= 23) of 2nd year Secondary Education students aged between 13 and 15 (M = 13.35, SD = .62) by delivering 24 physical education classes. The teacher in the experimental group underwent prior and continual training. The results revealed that the students from the experimental group showed a significant increase in the perception of autonomy and competence. Furthermore, the experimental group showed a greater perception than the control group in the enjoyment related to learning and contents. These results provide information about the efficacy of an intervention programme based on the strategies presented by
to foster satisfaction of basic psychological needs and facilitate support for basic psychological needs to promote the development of positive learning-related outcomes.
This study aims to analyse the influence of the mirror and/or partner constraints on the motor creativity of women without specific training in dance during improvisation tasks, in order to ...contribute to the knowledge of creativity in the field of sports science and movement-based practices. We studied the exploratory behaviour and emerging movement patterns of 12 women who performed four improvisations under the following situations: individual without mirror; individual with mirror; partner without mirror; and partner with mirror. The dynamic overlap
was calculated to identify the exploratory dynamics composed of the exploratory amplitude and the rate of change between movement configurations. To determine emerging movement patterns, a principal component analysis was carried out by
routines prepared. A mixed linear model was performed to find out the influence of the different constraints on the exploratory behaviour. The results indicate that the presence of the mirror seems to provoke a decrease in the exploratory behaviour. In addition, partner improvisation favoured coupling and imitation dynamics among the participants. Likewise, the most recurrent emergent movement pattern was walking while moving the arms. It would be advisable to take the influence of these constraints into consideration depending on the improvisation purpose and the experience level of female participants.
Prenatal anxiety and depressive symptoms have significantly increased since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic In addition, home confinement regulations have caused a drastic increase ...in time spent sedentary. Online group fitness classes may be an effective strategy that can increase maternal physical activity levels and improve mental health outcomes by providing an opportunity for social connectedness. The present study explores the experiences of pregnant women who participated in an online group exercise program during the pandemic and identifies relationships with maternal mental health and well-being. In addition, we present person-informed recommendations on how to improve the delivery of future online prenatal exercise programs.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pregnant women (8-39 weeks of pregnancy) who participated in an online group exercise program, from March to October 2020 in Spain. A phenomenological approach was taken, and open-ended questions were asked to understand women's experiences throughout the pandemic and the role the online exercise classes may have had on their physical activity levels, mental health, and other health behaviours such as diet. A thematic analysis was performed to evaluate data. In addition, women completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and these data supplemented qualitative findings.
Twenty-four women were interviewed, and the anxiety scores were on average 32.23 ± 9.31, ranging from low to moderate levels. Thematic analysis revealed that women felt safe exercising from home, an increased availability of time to schedule a structured exercise class, and consequently an improvement in their adherence to the program and other behaviours (i.e., healthier diet). Women emphasized feeling connected to other pregnant women when they exercised online together, and overall, this had a positive effect on their mental well-being. Women suggested that future online exercise programs should include flexible options, detailed instructions and facilitation by a qualified exercise professional.
Pregnant women are receptive to online group exercise classes and expressed that they are an accessible option to accommodating physical activity during the pandemic. In addition, the online group environment provides an important sense of connectivity among pregnant women exercising together and this may mitigate the detrimental effect of COVID-19 on maternal mental health.
Teachers' behaviors can affect students' engagement in the Physical Education (PE) setting. According to self-determination theory, teachers can rely on either a need-supportive or a controlling ...teaching behavior, and these behaviors will differently affect students' outcomes. The main objective of this research was to analyse how teaching behaviors and some contextual variables influence students' engagement in PE classes. The present study adds to the existing literature through an observation-based design in which real-life examples of need-supportive and thwarting teaching behaviors, as well as students' engagement behaviors, have been identified. Thirty-seven different PE lessons were coded for 5-min intervals to assess the occurrence of 36 teaching behaviors and five students' behaviors. Stepwise regression revealed that both structure during activity and relatedness support could predict student engagement in a positive way. Surprisingly, cold teaching also emerged as a direct predictor in the last step of the analysis. On the other hand, controlling and structure before activity behaviors inversely predicted students' engagement. These four variables explained 39% of the variance in student engagement, whereas autonomy support did not correlate with student engagement. These new findings in the field not only confirm the known relevance of teaching behavior for students' outcomes but also suggest an unexpected lack of influence of autonomy support on students' engagement as well as an association between cold teaching and students' engagement. Results are discussed in the light of new approaches, and some practical implications are provided.
The present study firstly establishes physical education (PE) teachers’ motivational profiles based on their autonomous motivation, controlled motivation and amotivation and, secondly, investigates ...how different PE teachers’ motivational profiles differ in terms of certain maladaptive antecedents (i.e. psychological need frustration, pressures perceived at work and burnout). It also addresses the differences in their students’ perception of autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction and autonomous motivation. A total of 105 PE teachers and their 2164 students completed validated questionnaires. Four profiles were retained in the cluster analysis. Results showed that teachers who were high on autonomous motivation displayed the most optimal pattern of outcomes, whereas teachers who were high on amotivation showed the opposite pattern. Analysis of the established profiles suggested that the experience of controlled motivation was linked with maladaptive outcomes among both teachers and students. Implications for educational policy and practice are discussed.
•Physical education teachers’ motivational profiles might provide interesting insights as for teachers’ dark-side variables.•105 physical teachers and 2164 students taught by these teachers participated in the study.•More motivation is not always better: the relevance of a qualitative view.•Students seem to differ in terms of motivational outcomes according to their physical education teachers’ profiles.
Work-related pressures perceived by PE teachers have been suggested to affect their motivation and behaviour. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature on this topic. Through two ...different objectives. First, the role of perceived pressures in the prediction of teachers’ motivation and, in turn, on their feasibility beliefs to implement motivational strategies is tested through a SEM. Secondly, PE teachers’ profiles according to the different types of perceived pressures are established and compared in terms of motivational outcomes and feasibility beliefs. A total of 217 PE teachers completed validated questionnaires. Results showed that, as hypothesized, pressures negatively predicted needs satisfaction, which, in turn, positively predicted feasibility beliefs. Three profiles emerged in the cluster analysis. Regarding to these profiles, teachers who were low on perceived pressures displayed the most adaptive pattern; teachers who reported high time constraints pressures underline the detrimental role that this type of pressure plays on both teacher and teaching outcomes. Implications for educational policy and practice are discussed.
•This study increases the understanding of the interplay between different types of perceived pressures among PE teachers.•It represents a novel approximation from a variable- and person-centered approach.•Work perceived pressures have a detrimental effect on PE teachers’ autonomy and competence satisfaction.•Teachers perceiving higher pressures find motivational strategies more feasible to implement than those perceiving time constraints.
Students' engagement in Physical Education has been linked to several adaptive consequences. Even though the existing literature suggests that perceived autonomy support can predict engagement, ...research is scarce on how teachers' antecedents might influence this behavioural outcome. This study sought to compare the influence of teachers' basic psychological needs' satisfaction and basic psychological needs' thwarting on students' behavioural engagement and on the relationship between perceived autonomy-support and the students' behavioural engagement. The sample included 29 Physical Education teachers and 644 students who were taught by the participants teachers. Data were collected using both paper and online surveys and they were analysed using multilevel modelling techniques. The results revealed that, while teachers' autonomy satisfaction might be significant in the explanation of students' engagement (β = 0.33,
< 0.01), it seems that needs thwarting could be a better predictor of this outcome (β autonomy thwarting = -0.17,
< 0.01; β competence thwarting = -0.06,
< 0.05). These findings suggest the impact of certain external pressures on teachers' practices which, in turn, might affect students' behavioural outcomes.
The situation caused by COVID-19 has led to movement restrictions for the majority of the population due to the confinement established by the health authorities. This new situation has changed ...people's habits and significantly affected the pregnant population. Decreased exercise and increased psychophysical stress are associated with excessive weight gain, diabetes, and gestational cardiovascular complications that affect the mother, fetus, and newborn. Recent research shows that the dynamics of maternal blood pressure is one of the most important control factors during pregnancy. Thus, prevention of these type of pathologies through interventions without maternal-fetal risks is important.
To examine the influence of a virtual exercise program on maternal blood pressure during pregnancy.
A randomized clinical trial design was used (NCT04563065). Data from 72 pregnant women without obstetric contraindications under confinement conditions in the Madrid area were collected. Women were randomly assigned to the intervention (IG) or control group (CG). They previously signed informed consent forms. A moderate exercise program was performed as an intervention from 8-10 to 38-39 weeks of pregnancy. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) maternal blood pressure were measured during the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy, as well as before and immediately after delivery in both study groups.
No differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the first, second and third trimesters were found between groups. Significant differences in SBP were found immediately before delivery (IG = 119.83 ± 10.16 vs. CG = 125.6 ± 10.91;
= 0.047) and immediately after delivery (IG = 115.00 ± 11.18 vs. CG = 122.24 ± 15.71;
= 0.045).
Results show lower SBP values for the IG during delivery than CG. A virtual exercise program throughout pregnancy during COVID-19 confinement can help to control systolic blood pressure before and immediately after delivery in healthy pregnant women.
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