The Influence of Physical Education Teacher, Mother, and Best Friend, in Goal Achievement, Satisfaction in Physical Education and Exercise Participation of the Students that are not Athletes

Abstract

This study examined the relations of motivational climate created by mothers, teachers of physical education
(PE), and best friends and students’ achievement goals, with satisfaction in P.E. and exercise participation. Participants (1358 Greek non-athletes students from elementary and senior high school) completed self-report questionnaires assessing achievement goals, perceptions of goals that are endorsed by mother, teacher of PE and best friend, satisfaction in PE and exercise participation. Factor, reliability and correlation analyses supported the psychometric properties of the instruments. All socialization agents had unique contribution to the explained variance of students’ achievement goals. Mastery goals and perceptions of mastery goals endorsed by significant others had positive contribution to the explained variance of satisfaction in P.E. and exercise participation. On the contrary, negative contribution had performance avoidance and perceptions of performance avoidance endorsed by significant others. In conclusion, mastery oriented climate should be established in family, school, and peer contexts because all social agents seem responsible for the formation of students’ achievement goals, emotions, and behaviours.