Of a Research Document about Physical Education - Literature review Example

?Review of a Research Document Standage, M., Duda, J.L., and Ntoumanis, N. (2006), Motivational Processes and Their Relationship to Teacher Ratings in School Physical Education: A Self Determination Theory Approach’, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (Electronic), Vol 77, No 1, 100-110. 1. Introduction and Selection of paper The general field of interest being considered for the research proposal is physical education (PE). This researcher is particularly fascinated with the idea that student motivation and teacher assessment of student performance correlates positively in the context of physical education. In this regard, a database search was carried out using the keywords / phrase, “assessment” “motivation” and “physical education” using the Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC), where a direct link was provided. The link, however, contained only an abstract similar with the one provided at ERIC and not a full-text paper. Another search was conducted with Google Scholar using the same keywords / phrase. The second phase of the search yielded the full-text article by Standage, Duda and Ntoumanis (2006) in portable document format (PDF). 2. Description of paper Standage, et al (2006) ventured to evaluate the association between the motivational processes among secondary school students of physical education (PE) and their teachers’ ratings of their effort and persistence. Some 394 British students of a secondary school and nine PE teachers voluntarily participated in the study. The study addressed the following research problems: 1. Investigation of a model of motivational processes predicated on the self determination theory; 2. Verification of the adequacy of confirmatory factor analysis of the measurement model; and 3. Performance of structural equation modelling on the following hypotheses: (a) perceptions of an autonomy supportive environment would positively predict autonomy, competence and relatedness; (b) autonomy, competence and relatedness would positively predict self-determined motivation; and (c) self determined motivation would positively predict positive teacher ratings of student effort and persistence. The main framework which underpins the study is the self – determination theory (SDT) of human motivation in the individual – level, which asserts that “humans are innately oriented toward growth and health” (Deci and Ryan, as cited in Fortier, Williams, Sweet, and Patrick, 2009, p.156; Deci and Ryan, 2007). SDT impinges on the assumption that the social context influences individual outcomes, including motivation (Weiss and Amorose, 2008; Standage, et al., 2006). In this regard, the social environment can either nurture or hinder an individual’s active, integrating nature as a human being. One such component of the social environment in this study is the PE teacher. Data was gathered from two different state schools in southeast England after ethical requirements have been complied with, based on the standards set by the British Psychological Society. This includes the use of students (i.e., human subjects) in the study, and consent from the high school principals in their capacity as in loco parentis, among others. A multi-section inventory was administered to the student-participants after the researcher has discussed, among others that: responses in the inventory are neither correct nor wrong; the PE teacher will not be able to view their responses to the inventory; and the respondents’ anonymity and the confidentiality of their responses will be safeguarded. Teachers provided their ratings for each student’s motivated behaviour in the PE class in terms of effort and persistence. Self-reported responses were compared with the teacher ratings through a coding system devised by the researchers. The multi-section inventory measured the following variables: autonomy support, autonomy, competence, relatedness, motivational regulations (i.e., intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation). Both the student and teacher responses in their respective questionnaires were indicated using a Likert – type scale. Calculations were carried out to come up with descriptive statistics and internal consistency for each measure indicated in the preceding paragraph, together with the self-determined motivation index (SDI) and the teachers’ rating of students’ motivated behaviour. Other statistical techniques such as; bivariate correlation, and chi-square test; as well as more complicated procedures including: confirmatory factor analysis, maximum likelihood analysis, and structural equation modelling. The following measures and indices were also computed in conjunction with the overall fit of the model being analyzed: standardised root mean square residual (SRMR), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), incremental fit index (IFI), and squared multiple correlation values. Findings revealed that the revised measurement model demonstrated good fit to the data under study: ?2 = 632.68, p < 0.001, CFI =0.95, IFI = 0.95, SRMR = 0.077, RMSEA = 0.049 – 0.060. The model also confirmed that students who perceived an environment supportive of autonomy tend to experience higher levels of autonomy, competence and relatedness, and posted higher SDI scores. Results of the study also showed that self-reported levels of self-determined motivation predicted PE teachers’ ratings of effort and persistence. 3. Assessment of paper The relevance of the Standage et al. (2006) study rests on its reconfirmation of earlier research findings that, indeed, student perceptions of autonomy support are positively associated with their autonomy, competence and relatedness in school PE. This translates generally to teacher ratings being positive influences in motivating students to make the most out of their school PE, not merely for the grades or extrinsic rewards but for their own well-being. This finding was supported even by contemporary and later studies in other cultural settings (Taylor and Ntoumanis, 2007; Boiche, Sarrazin, Grouzet, Pelletier, and Chanal, 2008). Results of the Standage, et al. (2006) study implies that PE teachers are in the best position to help design social context in an academic setting which encourages student choice, initiation, personal volition and understanding, for the fulfilment of the students’ inherent psychological needs. Moreover, in a day and age where approximately half of men and one third of women in UK are overweight, and that increasing prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has been reported among children since the dawn of the new millennium - the school PE environment should be the country’s premiere defensive structure against physical inactivity (Collins, 2007; Elisham, 2000, as cited in Scanlon, 2010). Based on the account in the full-text journal article, no ethical issues surfaced. This may be attributed to the determined efforts of the researchers to explain to the participants their full set of rights as respondents in a research study. However, one minor methodological issue was observed in the use of the self-determined motivation index (SDI) as a measure of self-determined student motivation towards PE. As admitted by Standage, et al. (2006) in the latter part of the paper, it is possible that use of the SDI, instead of modelling the so-called motivational regulations independently, would have obscured some significant information. Interestingly, however, a study among American middle school students conducted a year later also made use of the SDI as a measure of motivation. Hence, it was very intuitive of Standage, et al. (2006) to have recommended that future studies should consider use of the different motivational regulations instead of a single SDI. In spite of the above-mentioned methodological issue, the findings of the Standage, et al. (2006) study is highly relevant to this researcher’s area of interest. However, the structural equation modelling methodology used was rather complicated and can not be adopted in its totality as an option to this researcher’s future study plans (i.e, the proposal). In a nutshell, the theme of the Standage, et al. (2006) study, as well as its findings, definitely offered rich information on self-determined student motivation, but the level of the structural equation modelling methodology used was way too intricate for educational research in the college level. In contrast, the chi-square test presents a robust approach for model fit analysis which may be implemented in this researcher’s future scholastic inquiry. 4. References Boiche, J. C. S., Sarrazin, P. G., Grouzet, F. M. E., Pelletier, L. G., and Chanal, J. P. (2008), ‘Students’ Motivational Profiles and Achievement Outcomes in Physical Education: A Self-Determination Perspective’, Journal of Educational Psychology (Electronic), Vol 100, No 3, 688-701. Collins, A. (2007), UK Obesity Statistics, viewed 19 March 2011, http://www.annecollins.com/obesity/uk-obesity-statistics.htm Cox, A. E., Smith, A. L., and Williams, L. (2008), ‘Change in Physical Education Motivation and Physical Activity Behaviour During Middle School’, Journal of Adolescent Health (Electronic), Vol 43, No 5, 505-513. Fortier. M. S., Williams, G. C., Sweet, S. N., and Patrick, H. (2009), ‘Self-Determination Theory: Process Models for Health Behaviour Change’, In R. J. DiClemente, R. A. Crosby , and M. C. Kegler, Eds., Emerging Theories in Health Promotion Practice and Research, 2nd edn, Josey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, pp. 157-184. Ryan, R. M., and Deci, E. L. (2007), ‘Active Human Nature: Self-Determination Theory and the Promotion of Sport, Exercise and Health”, In M. S. Hagger, and N. L. D. Chatzisarantis, Eds., Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Exercise and Sport, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, pp.1-19. Scanlon, P. (2010), Annual Evidence Update on Diabetic Retinopathy- Incidence and Prevalence of Diabetes, viewed 19 March 2011, http://www.library.nhs.uk /Diabetes/ViewResource.aspx?resID=387173&tabID=289&catID=15115 Spray, C. S., Wang, C. K. J., Biddle, S. J. H., and Chatzisarantis, N. L. D. (2006), ‘Understanding Motivation in Sport: An Experimental Test of Achievement Goal and Self Determination Theories’, European Journal of Sport Science (Electronic), Vol 6, No 1, 43-51. Standage, M., Duda, J.L., and Ntoumanis, N. (2006), ‘Students’ Motivational Processes and Their Relationship to Teacher Ratings in School Physical Education: A Self Determination Theory Approach’, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (Electronic), Vol 77, No 1, 100-110. Taylor, I. M., and Ntoumanis, N. (2007), ‘Teacher Motivational Strategies and Student Self-Determination in Physical Education’, Journal of Educational Psychology (Electronic), Vol 99, No 4, 747-760. Weiss, M. R., and Amorose, A. J. (2008), ‘Motivational Orientations and Sport Behaviour’, In T. S. Horn, Ed., Advances in Sport Psychology, 3rd edn, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, pp. 115-156. Read More