This narrative review describes the available scientific evidence regarding promising school-based strategies to increase physical activity of adolescents. We conducted a literature search for studies published up to 2011, regarding adolescent physical activity intervention studies that resulted in increased physical activity (regardless of measurement) and reviewed 52 intervention articles and 21 review articles. We identified several promising strategies and grouped into five broad intervention guidelines. These guidelines are as follows: (i) design multi-component interventions that foster the empowerment of members of the school community; (ii) develop improvements to Physical Education curricula as a strategy to promote physical activity to adolescents; (iii) design and implement non-curricular programmes and activities to promote physical activity; (iv) include computer-tailored interventions during the implementation and monitoring of physical activity promotion programmes and (v) design and implement specific strategies that respond to the interests and needs of girls. On the basis of our review of the adolescent physical activity promotion literature, we suggest that these five guidelines should be taken into account in school-based interventions geared towards achieving an increase in adolescent physical activity.

(2019). The role of task and ego-oriented climate in explaining students’ bright and dark motivational experiences in Physical Education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. Ahead of Print.

The aim was to examine the effects of a multicomponent school-based intervention on psychological correlates of physical activity (PA) in physical education (PE) and leisure-time PA settings. Two hundred and ten students (M = 13.06 ± 0.61) were assigned either to a control or an experimental school. Curricular and extracurricular PA actions were developed during one academic year to empower adolescents to be active by themselves. Experimental school students reported significant improvements in almost all psychological determinants and correlates of PA in PE and leisure-time PA settings, when compared to both control school students and their own baseline values. Results highlight the importance of developing multicomponent school-based interventions that involve the school community to improve students’ motivational outcomes in PE and leisure-time PA contexts.

Grounded in self-determination theory, this pre-experimental study analyzed the effects of a hybrid teaching games for understanding/sport education (TGfU/SE) volleyball teaching unit on students’ motivational outcomes, using a mixed-method approach. It also examined whether the intervention was equally effective for boys and girls. Participants were 53 secondary school students (M_age = 15.50, SD_age = 0.57) who were taught through a hybrid TGfU/SE unit. The structure of this unit was designed according to the characteristics of SE model, while learning tasks were designed by using the pedagogical principles of TGfU model. Both self-reported validated questionnaires and focus groups were used before and after intervention to assess students’ motivational responses. After the hybrid TGfU/SE unit, both quantitative and qualitative findings showed improvements in students’ perceptions of need-support from the physical education (PE) teacher, basic psychological needs satisfaction, novelty, and variety satisfaction, as well as intrinsic motivation compared to baseline values. Although the hybrid TGfU/SE unit was effective in both genders, a large effect size was found for girls. Despite the existence of social and cultural stereotypes in team sports such as volleyball in favor of boys, results highlight the importance of developing hybrid TGfU/SE units to improve students’ motivational outcomes, especially in girls.