A113: The Impact of Motivational Climate on Class Engagement

<bold>Background/Purpose:</bold> An accomplishment within physical education classes involves actively involving students. Research underscores the importance of nurturing situational interest and self-efficacy to foster this engagement. Both self-determination theory and achievement goal theory propose that teachers can cultivate a supportive classroom environment, thereby boosting students' interest and confidence in their capabilities. Nevertheless, the transformable mechanism from motivational climate to actual class engagement needs further investigation. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which motivational climate variables (e.g., autonomy supportive climate, task-involving climate, and socially supportive climate) impacted student engagement via the mediative roles of situational interest and self-efficacy. <bold>Method:</bold> We employed a convenience sampling approach among 802 middle school students from 18 classes across three different levels of middle schools in Wuhan (52% male, average age 13, with 34.5%, 31.8%, and 33.7% in grades 7, 8, and 9, respectively). Validated surveys were administered in physical education classes for the purpose of the study. Path analyses and bootstrap methods were conducted. <bold>Results:</bold> All variables exhibited a normal distribution, with correlations ranging from 0.33 to 0.84. There was no apparent collinearity among study variables. Model fit indices indicated that the data fit the model well (RMSEA &lt; 0.005, CFI and TLI &gt; 0.95). The paths from task-involving climate and autonomy supportive climate to situational interest (β = 0.45, p &lt; 0.01; β = 0.24, p &lt; 0.01), as well as from task-involving climate to self-efficacy (β = 0.30, p &lt; 0.01), were significant. Paths from situational interest and self-efficacy to student engagement were also significant (β = 0.51, p &lt; 0.01; β = 0.36, p &lt; 0.01). None of the direct paths from the three types of motivational climates to engagement were significant. Bootstrap analysis indicated significant mediating effects of situational interest on the relationships between task-involving climate, autonomy supportive climate, and class engagement. Self-efficacy also showed significant mediating effects on the relationship between task-involving climate and the engagement. <bold>Conclusion/Discussion:</bold> In crafting and executing PE programs, educators ought to adopt a "student-centered" methodology, prioritizing the establishment of nurturing teaching environments that inspire student dedication and offer suitable assistance and direction. This approach will promote students' feelings of competence and enthusiasm, ultimately fostering their motivation as well as their physical and mental engagement.