Motor self-efficacy, Physical Education and Spanish adolescence

Adolescence is an important period in human development, and physical education can play a vital role in promoting healthy habits that improve overall well-being. One factor contributing to the success of physical education programmes is motor self-efficacy. That is, self-confidence in one's own ability to perform physical tasks can influence adolescents' engagement and performance in PE, thus improving their overall health, as it can affect their level of physical activity and subsequently impact on their health outcomes. Aim: To analyse motor self-efficacy in Physical Education as a function of sex and educational environment in Spanish adolescents. Methodology: 1155 students (52.2% girls and 48.8% boys) were administered the Motor Self-Efficacy Scale (E-AEM). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for the analysis. Results: Significant sex differences were found in all E-AEM items, with boys scoring higher in motor self-efficacy than girls. In terms of environment, a significant difference was found in one E-AEM item, with adolescents from rural environments being more self-efficient in passing tests in Physical Education classes than adolescents from urban environments. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of taking contextual and gender differences into account when designing interventions to improve Physical Education and motor self-efficacy in adolescents in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Keywords: Motor self-efficacy, Adolescent, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Secondary School.