Relationship between Perceived Competence and Enjoyment in Physical Activity Inside and Outside of School: The Moderating Role of Gender

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Physical Education, Islamic Azad University, Chalous Branch, Mazandaran, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived competence and enjoyment in physical activity inside and outside of school, and to investigate the moderating role of gender among middle school students.
Methods: This applied research employed a descriptive-correlational design. The participants consisted of 350 students (boys and girls) from the 8th and 9th grades in Chalous city, who were selected equally from both genders. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires: the Scrabis-Fletcher and Silverman (2010) Perceived Competence scale, an Enjoyment scale, and a Physical Activity assessment scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.
Results: The findings revealed no significant relationship between perceived competence and physical activity (both inside and outside of school) for either girls or boys. However, among boys, a significant positive relationship was found between enjoyment in physical education class and physical activity outside of school, as well as between perceived competence and enjoyment. These relationships were not significant for girls. Furthermore, boys reported significantly higher scores than girls in all study variables (perceived competence, enjoyment, and physical activity levels in both settings).
Conclusion: The results indicate that the motivational patterns for physical activity differ between adolescent boys and girls. For boys, enjoyment in physical education plays a key role in sustaining physical activity outside of school, and this enjoyment is linked to their perceived competence. For girls, however, factors beyond the individual variables examined may determine sports participation. The findings underscore the necessity of designing differentiated and gender-sensitive educational programs in physical education classes, focusing on enhancing enjoyment and strengthening perceived competence, especially among girls, to promote sustained participation in physical activity.
 

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 10 June 2019
  • Revise Date: 05 September 2019
  • Accept Date: 22 November 2019

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