Despite the prominence of fitness testing in school physical education (PE), there is a sparsity of research examining the antecedents of students’ affective experiences during fitness testing lessons. This study aimed to investigate the associations among task- and ego-involving motivational climates, perceived physical competence, physical performance, enjoyment, and anxiety during two different types of PE fitness testing lessons. Altogether, 645 Finnish students from Grade 5 (50% boys, M_age = 11.2, SD = 0.36) and Grade 8 (47% boys, M_age = 14.2, SD = 0.35) participated in two fitness testing lessons with different content (lesson 1: 20-meter shuttle run test and a test of flexibility; lesson 2: curl-ups, push-ups, 5-leaps, and a catching-throwing combination test). Students’ experiences were collected using short questionnaires immediately after the lessons. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the direct and indirect associations among study variables. Results indicated that task-involving climate and perceived competence increased students’ enjoyment and decreased their anxiety levels whereas ego-involving climate had no effect on students’ enjoyment but increased their anxiety levels. In addition, students’ actual physical performance as a mediator between motivational climate and affects, or as a direct predictor of affects, was limited. Strategies advancing task-involving motivational climate and students’ perception of competence should be employed to increase enjoyment and decrease anxiety during PE fitness testing lessons.

This study examined basic psychological need satisfactions for competence, autonomy, and social relatedness in physical education (PE) and their contributions to accelerometer-based in-class and total moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) across a one-year follow-up (T1). Participants were 523 students (girls 280, boys 243; mean age = 11.26 ± 0.31) and the data were collected using self-reports and waist-worn accelerometers. The key findings were: (a) competence and social relatedness need satisfaction at baseline (T0) predicted total MVPA at T1 via total MVPA at T0; (b) in-class MVPA at T0 predicted total MVPA at T1 via total MVPA at T0; (c) in-class MVPA was directly associated with total MVPA at T0 and T1; and (d) boys scored higher than girls on competence and relatedness need satisfaction at T0. These findings indicate that the need satisfactions for competence and social relatedness in PE are central components facilitating the greatest increases in total MVPA participation. To improve student outcomes, it is essential that all children receive positive and satisfying PE experiences. Enhancing the readiness and capability of pre- and in-service teachers through teacher training programmes is vital to raising awareness of the basic psychological need satisfactions behind autonomous motivation and greater MVPA engagement.

Self-determination theory (SDT) is a compelling framework for understanding the psychological environment and explaining human motivation. This is especially crucial in school physical education (PE), given that the psychological environment within PE has been demonstrated to be closely related to the formation of physical activity motivation and behaviors. Advancing current knowledge and implementing a longitudinal approach, the aim of this study was, first, to investigate longitudinal changes in psychological needs and motivational regulation, and second, to examine the role of needs in the development of motivational regulation among PE students. A sample of 1148 Finnish adolescents (583 girls, 565 boys, M _age   =   11.27 ± 0.32) participated in annual assessments three times. A latent growth model analysis was used to examine the longitudinal associations between the outcome variables, namely psychological needs and motivational regulation. The results indicated that needs satisfaction (α ₂ range −0.20[0.03] to −0.06[0.02]), intrinsic motivation (α ₂ =   −0.38[0.03]), and identified regulation (α ₂ =   −0.19[0.03]) declined, whereas external regulation (α ₂ =   0.16[0.02]) and amotivation (α ₂ =   0.09[0.02]) increased. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that psychological needs significantly predicted autonomous forms of motivational regulation (intrinsic motivation R ² = 0.72[0.13]; identified regulation R ² = 0.69[0.20]). Conversely, positive changes in autonomy (β = −0.29[0.13]) and relatedness (β = −0.45[0.22]) accounted for the negative changes in amotivation ( R ² = 0.62[0.22]). In conclusion, the findings of the study corroborated the central postulations of SDT, providing empirical evidence of the importance of psychological needs in the development of motivation in PE.