How Autonomy Support Sustains Emotional Engagement in College Physical Education: A Longitudinal Study

Traditional educational models and assessment tools have neglected the motivation and sustainability of students’ emotional engagement in physical education classes. The impact of self-support on emotional engagement in physical education classes and its underlying mechanisms remain under-explored....

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Main Authors: Qifei Xia, Shu Xuan, Tingxiao Zhang, Bobo Zong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/822
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author Qifei Xia
Shu Xuan
Tingxiao Zhang
Bobo Zong
author_facet Qifei Xia
Shu Xuan
Tingxiao Zhang
Bobo Zong
author_sort Qifei Xia
collection DOAJ
description Traditional educational models and assessment tools have neglected the motivation and sustainability of students’ emotional engagement in physical education classes. The impact of self-support on emotional engagement in physical education classes and its underlying mechanisms remain under-explored. The present study was a 6-month longitudinal study of 718 college students at two universities in a remote area of southern Shaanxi Province, China. The study aimed to examine the effects of autonomy support on affective engagement in physical education classes and to analyze the longitudinal mediating roles of self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy. The study found that physical education teacher support and parental autonomy support significantly promoted college students’ emotional engagement in physical education classes. Chained longitudinal mediation analyses indicated that self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy played chained mediating roles in promoting college students’ affective engagement in physical education classes in different supportive environments. This study transcends a static, cross-sectional research perspective, validates and extends self-determination theory, and promotes affective engagement in physical education learning through different autonomy supports that enhance the development of self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy in college students, providing a reference for enhancing physical education teaching and learning and improving the quality of teaching and learning.
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spelling doaj-art-1d8b6751cc1f423a982c8a3116dad9c82025-08-20T03:26:53ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-06-0115682210.3390/bs15060822How Autonomy Support Sustains Emotional Engagement in College Physical Education: A Longitudinal StudyQifei Xia0Shu Xuan1Tingxiao Zhang2Bobo Zong3School of Physical Education, Ankang College, Ankang 725000, ChinaSchool of Physical Education, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, ChinaSchool of Physical Education, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, ChinaSchool of Physical Education China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, ChinaTraditional educational models and assessment tools have neglected the motivation and sustainability of students’ emotional engagement in physical education classes. The impact of self-support on emotional engagement in physical education classes and its underlying mechanisms remain under-explored. The present study was a 6-month longitudinal study of 718 college students at two universities in a remote area of southern Shaanxi Province, China. The study aimed to examine the effects of autonomy support on affective engagement in physical education classes and to analyze the longitudinal mediating roles of self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy. The study found that physical education teacher support and parental autonomy support significantly promoted college students’ emotional engagement in physical education classes. Chained longitudinal mediation analyses indicated that self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy played chained mediating roles in promoting college students’ affective engagement in physical education classes in different supportive environments. This study transcends a static, cross-sectional research perspective, validates and extends self-determination theory, and promotes affective engagement in physical education learning through different autonomy supports that enhance the development of self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy in college students, providing a reference for enhancing physical education teaching and learning and improving the quality of teaching and learning.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/822autonomy supportemotional engagementphysical educationlongitudinal studyself-determination theory
spellingShingle Qifei Xia
Shu Xuan
Tingxiao Zhang
Bobo Zong
How Autonomy Support Sustains Emotional Engagement in College Physical Education: A Longitudinal Study
Behavioral Sciences
autonomy support
emotional engagement
physical education
longitudinal study
self-determination theory
title How Autonomy Support Sustains Emotional Engagement in College Physical Education: A Longitudinal Study
title_full How Autonomy Support Sustains Emotional Engagement in College Physical Education: A Longitudinal Study
title_fullStr How Autonomy Support Sustains Emotional Engagement in College Physical Education: A Longitudinal Study
title_full_unstemmed How Autonomy Support Sustains Emotional Engagement in College Physical Education: A Longitudinal Study
title_short How Autonomy Support Sustains Emotional Engagement in College Physical Education: A Longitudinal Study
title_sort how autonomy support sustains emotional engagement in college physical education a longitudinal study
topic autonomy support
emotional engagement
physical education
longitudinal study
self-determination theory
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/822
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AT shuxuan howautonomysupportsustainsemotionalengagementincollegephysicaleducationalongitudinalstudy
AT tingxiaozhang howautonomysupportsustainsemotionalengagementincollegephysicaleducationalongitudinalstudy
AT bobozong howautonomysupportsustainsemotionalengagementincollegephysicaleducationalongitudinalstudy