Exploring common stressors in physical education

Daily stressors, or hassles, refer to the everyday environmental demands that constitute a threat or challenge, or exceed an individual’s biological or psychological capacities (Cohen et al., 1995). Increasing evidence suggests that daily stressors have a significant impact on adolescents’ educational outcomes, for example, performance, wellbeing and negative attitudes toward school, however there is limited research examining the concept of common stressors in PE lessons. As early-adolescence is a developmental period associated with decreased engagement in PE, it is important to identify the environmental stressors that may be associated with increased disengagement. The study comprised 54 secondary school students and six PE teachers from five schools in the English Midlands. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted and a thematic analysis was applied to interview transcripts. Three higher order themes were identified from the data: the social environment, the physical and organisational environment, and the performance environment. Common stressors within the social environment included, interpersonal transactions between peers, differences in effort levels during PE, and working outside one’s peer group. Stressors within the physical and organisational environment consisted of, environmental situations within the changing facilities and the availability of activities. Finally, performance environment stressors included, situations involving the difficult acquisition of physical skills, and situations where physical appearance and physical competencies were exposed. The study extends previous findings by identifying potentially threatening and frustrating, environmental demands that have not been identified in the previous literature. The current study is the first to explore the typical stressors that are experienced by students in PE

A Motivational Model of Physical Education and Links to Enjoyment, Knowledge, Performance, Total Physical Activity and Body Mass Index

The present paper examined the full sequence of the HierarchicalModel of Motivation in physical education (PE) includingmotivational climate, basic psychological needs, intrinsicmotivation, and related links to contextual enjoyment,knowledge, performance, and total moderate to vigorous physicalactivity (MVPA). Gender differences and correlations with bodymass index (BMI) were also analyzed. Cross-sectional data wasrepresented by self-reports and objective assessments of 770middle school students (52% of girls) in North-East Finland. Theresults showed that task-involving climate in girls’ PE classes wasrelated to enjoyment and knowledge through physicalcompetence and intrinsic motivation, whereas task-involvingclimate was associated with enjoyment and knowledge viacompetence and autonomy, and total MVPA via autonomy,intrinsic motivation, and knowledge within boys. This mayindicate that girls and boys perceive PE classes in a different way.Graded PE assessments appeared to be essential in motivatingboth girls and boys to participate in greater total MVPA, whereasBMI was negatively linked with competence and socialrelatedness only among girls. Although, the current and previousempirical findings supported task-involving teaching methods inPE, in some cases, ego-involving climate should be considered.Therefore, both task- and ego-involving teaching practices can beuseful ways of developing preferred behaviors in PE classes

The associations and development of motivational climate, achievement goals, and physical functional skills in young floorball players

The present study examined the associations and development ofmotivational climate, achievement goals, and physical functional skills inyoung floorball players, as simultaneous antecedents and outcomes ofachievement goals and the game of floorball warrant further studies. Atotal of 283 male players with a mean age of 11.49 (± .27) years in thebeginning of the data collection were followed across two measurementphases, separated by a 12 months interval. Players completed physicalfunctional skill tests and self-report questionnaires. The findings showedthat the perceptions of task-involving coaching practices that encouragelearning and effort over competition were moderately related withmastery-approach, whereas perceptions of ego-involving climate weremoderately linked with performance-approach and performance avoidance.Higher mastery-avoidance was also linked with weaker aerobic endurance.Finally, performance-approach, mastery-approach, performance-avoidance,running speed, aerobic endurance, and lower limb strenght improved overtime. To reduce negative perceptions of mastery-avoidance and developyoung floorball players’ physical functional skills, it could be important thatcoaches promote appealing aerobic endurance activities. For instance, byproviding opportunities to design or lead an activity or through formulatingoptions representing a wide range of endurance training activities,especially among players with higher perceptions of mastery-avoidance

Longitudinal associations among cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, motor competence and objectively measured physical activity

Objectives. This study aimed to investigate cross-lagged associations in motor competence, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness and accelerometer-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) engagement. Design. One-year prospective follow-up study. Method. A sample was 491 (275 girls;M at baseline = 11.27, SD = .32) Finnish physical education students. Students’ motor competence was assessed by 1) two-legged jumping from side to side test, 2) throwing-catching combination test and 3) 5-leaps test. Their cardiorespiratory fitness was analyzed by a 20-meter shuttle run test and muscular fitness by curl-up and push-up tests. Additionally, students’ MVPA was measured objectively by hip-worn accelerometers. Results. Results demonstrated that: 1) cardiorespiratory fitness measured at Grade 5 was the only significant predictor of later MVPA and this association appeared only in the boys’ group, 2) MVPA assessed at Grade 5 significantly predicted cardiorespiratory fitness in the girls’ group, 3) cardiorespiratory fitness collected at Grade 5 associated with muscular fitness, locomotor and stability skills in both girls and boys, and 4) locomotor skills measured at Grade 5 predicted significantly muscular fitness, locomotor and manipulative skills in both sex groups. Conclusions. Elementary school years are important in providing students with experiences in physical activity (PA) which leads to improvements s in cardiorespiratory health. Additionally, this study showed that cardiorespiratory fitness collected at Grade 5 associated with later muscular fitness, and locomotor and stability skills in both sex groups. These findings are noteworthy because muscular fitness in youth has several health-related benefits and motor competence in childhood and adolescence has positive association with later PA engagement.peerReviewe