Cowan_etal.ppt

Attitude toward Physical Activity as Influenced by Motivational Climate : 

Attitude toward Physical Activity as Influenced by Motivational Climate Presented by Dr. Wendy Cowan, Dr. Prentice Chandler, Dr. Yvette Bolen, and Debbie Phillips Athens State University Athens, Alabama

Introduction : 

Introduction

Slide 3: 

How do physical educators motivate students? Does attitude about physical activity for health and fitness, enjoyment, socialization, and choice affect participation? Does motivational climate influence physical activity attitudes?

Slide 4: 

Goal theory asserts that a mastery-oriented climate is associated with adaptive behavior patterns. A performance-oriented climate is associated with maladaptive patterns. Ames (1992a), using the acronym TARGET (Epstein, 1989), conceptualized the broad constellation of classroom processes that contribute to a mastery- or performance-focused learning environment (Midgley, Anderman, & Hicks, 1995). Research utilizing these dimensions concluded that mastery-oriented climates are associated with the use of effective learning strategies, preference for challenging tasks, positive attitudes about the class, and a belief that success is due to effort (Ames & Archer, 1988).

Slide 5: 

Performance-oriented climates center on ability rather than effort and are more likely to evaluate ability using norm-referenced criteria (Ames & Archer, 1988). From this perspective, it is important to explore the correlation between motivational climate and achievement related cognitions and behaviors (Solmon, 1996).

Slide 6: 

Initial studies manipulating motivational climates in field settings (Theeboom et al., 1995; Treasure & Roberts, 1995) supported the belief that mastery-oriented climates encourage adaptive motivational patterns. As promising as it is for individuals to say they are more willing to persist or exert effort in challenging situations when exposed to a mastery-oriented climate, virtually no data exist concerning whether these individuals actually persist or exert effort in physical activity settings (Theeboom et al., 1995).

Slide 7: 

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of motivational climate on participants' attitude toward physical activity. The hypothesis stated that youth in a mastery-oriented climate would have a more positive attitude toward physical activity than youth in a performance-oriented climate following an eight-week strength-training program.

Methodology : 

Methodology

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Subjects were 206 fifth through eighth grade physical education students in four North Alabama schools. Complete data sets were collected on 149 students. Classes were randomly assigned to mastery or performance climates established using the instructional strategies following Ames TARGET dimensions.

Slide 10: 

A randomized control group pretest-posttest design was utilized. Pretest and posttest measures via Children's Attitude toward Physical Activity Questionnaire (CATPA) were administered. The CATPA inventory measures seven physical activity sub domains: social growth, social continuation, health and fitness, vertigo, aesthetic, catharsis, and ascetic.

TARGET strategies : 

TARGET strategies The following table represents the TARGET strategies utilized by the instructors in an attempt to alter the motivational climate

Results : 

Results

Slide 14: 

The pretreatment CATPA indicated that attitude toward physical activity did not vary significantly between the mastery and performance groups. Post analysis utilizing a repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant main effect for group, attitude, and time (p = .023). There was a significant (p = .018) change in the overall attitude toward physical activity between groups, with the mastery group having a more favorable overall attitude.

Slide 15: 

In the social continuation sub domain (p = .048) and the health and fitness sub domain (p= .001) the performance group demonstrated significant changes in attitude toward physical activity, revealing a less favorable attitude in comparison with the mastery group. Although statistical significance at the 0.05 level was not reached in each of the sub domains, the performance group attitude scores decreased in every sub domain excluding health and fitness. The hypothesis was accepted.

Measure 1 Social growth sub domain (group 1 = mastery; group 2 = performance) : 

Measure 1 Social growth sub domain (group 1 = mastery; group 2 = performance)

Social continuation sub domain : 

Social continuation sub domain

Health and fitness sub domain : 

Health and fitness sub domain

vertigo sub domain : 

vertigo sub domain

Aesthetic domain : 

Aesthetic domain

Catharsis domain : 

Catharsis domain

Ascetic domain : 

Ascetic domain

Overall attitude : 

Overall attitude

Discussion : 

Discussion

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Conclusions are that children's attitude toward physical activity may be influenced by the motivational climate to which they are exposed. Highly performance-oriented physical education climates may result in students having a more negative attitude toward physical activity than those exposed to a primarily mastery-oriented climate.

Slide 26: 

Lack of student choice, competitive nature, praise and recognition for superior students, and redundancy of the performance-oriented physical education class may do more harm than good in regard to attitude toward physical activity. Both groups attitude decreased in most sub domains over the study period. This decline was probably due to the boredom associated with the strength training program in which they were participating.

References : 

References Ames, C. (1992a). Achievement goals, motivational climate, and motivational processes. In G. Roberts (Ed.), Motivation in sport and exercise (pp. 161-176). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.   Ames, C. (1992b). Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84, 261-272.   Ames, C., & Archer, J. (1988). Achievement goals in the classroom: Students’ learning strategies and motivational processes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80, 260-267. Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In Kuhl & Beckman (Eds.), Action control: From cognition to behavior (pp. 11-39). Heidelberg: Springer.   Epstein, J. L. (1989). Family structures and student motivation: A developmental perspective. In C. Ames & R. Ames (Eds.), Policies for America’s Public Schools: Teacher equity indicators (pp. 89-126). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.   Meyers, C., Pendergast, D., & DeBacy, D. (1978). Interrelationships involving selected physical fitness variables and attitude toward physical activity in elementary school children. In F. Landry & W. Orban (Eds.), Sports Medicine: Electrocardiography and hypertension and other aspects of exercise (pp. 305-312). Miami, FL: Symposia Specialists.

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Midgley, C., Anderman, E., & Hicks, L. (1995). Differences between elementary and middle school teachers and students: A goal theory approach. Journal of Early Adolescence, 80, 90-113.   Schutz, R., Smoll, F., Carre, F., & Mosher, R. (1985). Inventories and norms for children's attitudes toward physical activity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 56, 256-265.   Schutz, R. W., Smoll, F. L., & Gessaroli, M. E. (1983). Multivariate Statistics: A self-test and guide to their utilization. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 54, 255-263.  Simon, J., & Smoll, F. (1974). An instrument for assessing children's attitude toward physical activity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 45, 407-415. Smoll, F., Schutz, R., & Keeney, J. (1976). Relationships among children's attitudes, involvement, and proficiency in physical activities. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 47, 797-803.   Solmon, M. (1996). Impact of motivational climate on students’ behaviors and perceptions in a physical education setting. Journal of Educational Psychology, 4, 731-738.   Theeboom, M., De Knop, P., & Weiss, M. (1995). Motivational climate, psychological responses, and motor skill development in children’s sport: A field-based intervention study. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 17, 294-311.   Treasure, D. C., & Roberts, G. (1995). Applications of achievement goal theory to physical education: Implications for enhancing motivation. Quest, 47, 475-489.