Assessment of the basic psychological needs in physical education according to age, gender and educational stage

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine what happens to the basic psychological needs during elementary school, analysing these according to age, gender and educational stage. A total of 743 students from Primary (n = 311) and Secondary (n = 432), 333 children and 410 girls participated; Mage = 12.99, SD = 2.07. Statistically significant differences were found in the age factor in autonomy (p = .043), perceived competence (p <.001) and relation with others (p <.001). Results show a decrease in the AUT COMP and the RELAT in the passage from primary to secondary, as these variables are higher in boys than in girls. Based on these results, a reflection on the teaching practice and methodology used in these stages of PE should be made, because children have different needs and perceptions of being competent, of being autonomous and of relating to the in PE classes. Therefore, we must consider the approach of activities that do not promote excess competition, providing activities with different difficulties and different opportunities to choose the activities to be carried out, aimed at the development of these three basic psychological needs of students so that the perception of autonomy, competence and relationship, are increased