Physical education grades as markers of hedonic motivation to move: affective experiences from PE in adolescent girls and boys
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Physical education (PE) grades represent one educational indicator routinely available within many school systems. Because PE unfolds in a highly visible and embodied context, grades may also reflect affective-motivational processes. Understanding the information they contain is therefore practically relevant. This study explored whether PE grades are associated with students' hedonic motivation (antipathy–attraction) toward PE, sport, and exercise, and whether these associations differ between girls and boys. Methods A total of 547 German school students (297 girls, 250 boys; 10–19 years old) completed a PE-specific version of the Affective Exercise Experiences Questionnaire (AFFEXX-PEG) and reported their two most recent PE grades. A linear mixed-effects model examined associations between grades and antipathy–attraction. Results Better PE grades were associated with higher antipathy–attraction scores among both girls [ b = 0.38, 95% CI (0.33, 0.44)] and boys [ b = 0.26, 95% CI (0.19, 0.32)]. Boys reported higher antipathy–attraction scores than girls [ b = 0.84, 95% CI (0.65, 1.03)]. The association between grades and antipathy–attraction was stronger among girls than among boys [ b = −0.13, 95% CI (−0.21, −0.04)]. Boys tended to report positive antipathy–attraction scores even with modest PE grades, whereas among girls, predicted motivation typically shifted into the positive range only at better grades. Conclusion The findings suggest that PE grades may function not only as indicators of students' standing in PE but also as markers of their affective motivation toward PE, sport, and exercise. Used reflectively, grades may therefore provide a prompt for teachers to explore and address this motivational dimension more directly, particularly among girls.
Authors: Jona Kunz, Ralf Brand
Institution: University of Potsdam
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W7221751106