Teachers’ Relatedness Support/Thwarting Behaviors in Physical Education and Their Associations with Student Outcomes: A Scoping Review

This scoping review examined the role of teachers’ relatedness support (RS) and relatedness thwarting (RT) behaviors in Physical Education (PE) and their impact on students’ behavioral, affective, and cognitive outcomes. It addressed three key questions: (1) What is the scope and nature of existing research on RS and RT in PE? (2) What are the consequences of teachers’ RS and RT for students? (3) How might improving RS and reducing RT benefit both students and teachers? A search of 6 databases yielded 1,615 records, of which 46 studies were retained, covering qualitative, cross-sectional, longitudinal, and quasi-experimental approaches. Most studies concentrated on secondary education in Europe. RS was positively correlated with outcomes such as intrinsic motivation and engagement, whereas RT was linked to negative effects such as amotivation and disruptive behaviors. Research on RT is limited, while interventions suggest that promoting RS benefits both students and teachers. However, further intervention-focused studies are needed to address both.