Online Intervention Program Based on Need‐Supportive Activities to Promote Physical Activity and Cognitive Functions in Physical Education

Purpose : We analyzed the effect of need-supportive activities intervention on students’ psychological needs, motivation, physical activity behaviors, and cognitive functions in online physical education during the COVID-19 outbreak. Method : A total of 495 secondary students ( M age = 15.54, standard deviation = 1.05, females = 50.7), and eight physical education teachers (ages ranging from 26 to 38 years old) participated in this quasi-experimental research. The present study featured two conditions: need-supportive activities intervention experimental and no-intervention control conditions, and measurements were taken at three time points. Results : Compared with students in the control condition, students in the experimental condition reported higher autonomous motivation (T2: MΔ = 0.28, p = .006; T3: MΔ = 0.27, p = .02) and cognitive function (T2: MΔ = 0.27, p = .01; T3: MΔ = 0.26, p = .03) and lower amotivation (T2: MΔ = −0.32, p = .03; T3: MΔ = −0.40, p = .02), but we did not find differences on need satisfaction, need frustration, controlled motivation, and physical activity behaviors between the two conditions ( p > .05). Conclusion : The findings showed that the need-supportive activities intervention could help students remain motivated toward activities during their leisure time and improve their cognitive functions in physical education.