How can Physical Education teachers’ high directiveness impact students’ experiences of enjoyment and boredom?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Based on Self-Determination Theory, a recent theory in the educational context introduces an integrative and detailed circumplex model that categorizes teaching styles into eight (de)motivating approaches, depending on their level of directiveness and support or threat to students’ needs. However, the evidence so far on how high directiveness approaches (i.e., guiding, clarifying, demanding, domineering) is limited regarding its potential connection to various (mal)adaptive outcomes in Physical Education, given that Physical Education teachers can adopt different high directiveness approaches for optimal classroom management. The present study aims to examine the differential impact of high directiveness leadership: structuring style (i.e., guiding and clarifying) versus controlling style (i.e., demanding and domineering), on students’ affective outcomes (i.e., enjoyment and boredom). A convenience sample of 697 students (51% girls; Mage = 14.52; SD = 1.45), aged between 12 and 17 years, participated in this cross-sectional study. The results show that enjoyment during Physical Education lessons was positively and significantly predicted by the guiding and clarifying approaches. In contrast, boredom was negatively and significantly predicted by the guiding approach, while the domineering approach positively and significantly predicted boredom. The results emphasized the importance of Physical Education teachers adopting structuring approaches (i.e., guiding and clarifying) and avoiding controlling approaches (i.e., demanding and domineering) to promote adaptive affective outcomes in students.
Source: Psychology Society & Education
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
Awards: G1534226580, G5008089666, G5698939768
OpenAlex ID: W4407020161