Impact of Practicing Autonomy on Exercise Motivation and Perceived Autonomy Support among Students

The present study aims at enhancing the efficiency of physical education classes in motivating the students toward out-of-school physical activities. For this purpose, a sample of 100 male students was taken through cluster sampling, and the students were asked to complete three questionnaires before and after a set of test practices: "Sport Motivation Scale", "Perceived Autonomy Support Scale in Exercise Settings", and "Intention to Partake in Physical Activities". Conducted during a total of 10 weeks, the practices were performed simultaneously with normal physical education classes. Results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that, compared to other students, the students who practiced the exercise protocol autonomously achieved a higher level of motivation toward exercise and further enjoyed their physical education classes. It was generally concluded that, for most part, autonomous practicing tends to maximize students’ enjoyment at physical education classes while motivating them toward partaking in out-of-school professional physical activity classes.