Perceived Physical Education Instructor’s Autonomy Support to Students’ University Engagement: Deciphering an unexplored issue in the case of a State University in the Philippines

Scholarly articles from various disciplines have established that instructor’s autonomy support positively influences students’ university engagement. On the one hand, studies that were conducted in relation to this current topic in the field of Physical Education, most specifically in the Higher Education context in the Philippines remain unexplored. In this regard, this present study investigated the direct influence of perceived instructor’s emotional support to students’ university engagement. Additionally, it also examined the direct influence of IAS to the three components of UE namely, vigor, dedication, and absorption. After surveying 702 students enrolled in Physical Education courses in a State University, it was unraveled that IAS has a significant and direct influence to UE. IAS also has a significant and direct relationship with VI, DE, and ABS. Based on the findings, PE instructors’ autonomy support is crucial as it enables students to assume responsibility for their fitness progress, cultivating a feeling of purpose and motivation. Autonomy-supportive instructors promote increased engagement and commitment in physical education classes by offering choices and encouragement in goal setting, potentially encouraging students to embrace a healthy active lifestyle even outside university. Recommendations and future research directions are also presented in this paper.