Perceptions of Teachers’ Emphasis on Self-Transcendent Goals and Students’ Social Self-Efficacy and Socially Shared Regulation in Physical Education

Students adopt a wide range of achievement goals in physical education (PE): performance or Self-Enhancing, mastery or Self-Improvement, and Self-Transcendence (ST; improve others’ competence). Yet, little is known about how perceptions of physical education teachers’ emphasis on ST achievement goals relate to students’ achievement goal adoption and social outcomes. Results from 516 students (262 boys and 254 girls) supported the construct validity of a measure assessing perceptions of teachers’ emphasis on ST, Self-Improvement, and Self-Enhancing goals. Perceptions of teachers’ emphasis on ST goals corresponded positively to ST goal adoption, positive affect, socially shared regulation, social efficacy with peers, and inversely to negative affect. ST goal adoption fully mediated the effects of perceived teacher-initiated Self-Improvement and ST climate, on social efficacy and socially shared regulation. Perceptions of teachers’ emphasis on ST had also direct effect on socially shared regulation. The results provide a new framework for understanding achievement goals structures triggering harmonic promotion of achievement and adaptive social outcomes in physical education and youth sport settings.