The relationship between cognitive appraisal, achievement emotions, and motor skills in a physical education classroom context: a longitudinal study

The purpose of this study, based on Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions, was to examine the correlations and longitudinal associations between cognitive appraisal, two achievement emotions, and two motor skills in a physical education classroom context. The study employed a two-year longitudinal follow-up design, with follow-ups spaced one year apart, and included a total of 698 middle school students aged 12–15 years ( M = 13.43; SD = 0.68), comprising 382 males and 316 females. Correlation analysis revealed moderate to strong positive correlations among academic sense of control, subjective task value, enjoyment, and badminton skill, and moderate negative correlations between these variables and boredom as well as basketball time (indicating better basketball skill), both within and across time points (all ps < 0.01). In the cross-lagged model, T1 academic sense of control significantly predicted T2 enjoyment and T2 basketball skills; T1 subjective task value significantly predicted T2 enjoyment and T2 basketball skills; enjoyment and basketball skills showed reciprocal predictive relationships; T1 boredom mood significantly predicted a slower T2 basketball time (indicating poorer basketball skill); and T1 badminton skills significantly predicted T2 enjoyment mood. In the semi-longitudinal mediation model, enjoyment mediated between feelings of academic control and basketball skills; enjoyment mediated between subjective task value and basketball skills. Overall, the findings suggest that enjoyment can influence adolescents’ motor skills and that feelings of academic control and subjective task value are important antecedents of enjoyment. This study provides a basis and direction for improving physical education teaching, and provides an in-depth understanding of the actual situation of emotion, motor skills and related factors in the current physical education classroom to help educators better grasp the current situation in the classroom, and then optimize the teaching process in a targeted manner to improve the quality of physical education teaching.