Relationships between physical education students’ motivational profiles, enjoyment, state anxiety, and self-reported physical activity

The purpose of this study was to analyze motivational profilesbased on the self-determination theory (deci and ryan, 2000)and how these profiles are related to physical education students’enjoyment, state anxiety, and physical activity. the participants,429 sixth grade students (girls = 216; boys = 213)completed sms, sport enjoyment scale, pesas, and physicalactivity scale. cluster analyses identified two motivationalprofiles: 1) the “high motivation profile”, in which the studentshad high intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and low levels ofamotivation, and 2) the “low motivation profile”, in which thestudents had low intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and lowlevels of amotivation. the students in the first cluster enjoyedphysical education more and were physically more active. theresults revealed that students may be motivated towards physicaleducation lessons both intrinsically and extrinsically, and stillexperience enjoyment in physical education.