An Examination of Physical Exercise and its Impact on Augmenting Self-Determination Levels of College-Aged Students

<p>Research has demonstrated a positive link with motivation, physical exercise, and academic success. A current trend within higher education has been to increase student retention as well as deemphasize physical education. Students, who possess a higher degree of self-determined behavior, sustain greater overall success. Administrators have intensified efforts focusing on student retention; however, little research exists connecting physical exercise with self-determination and how these elements could provide solutions to address this problem. Motivation is an element, which drives people to accomplish a task and has the propensity to change when engaged in physical exercise. The motivational reasons why people participate in physical exercise has been a topic of research for several years; however, research examining the impact physical exercise may or may not have on altering motivation, particularly self-determination, is scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of physical exercise on augmenting self-determination levels of college-aged students. The researcher conducted a comparative quantitative study. Participants (N = 13) completed the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ) in a pre and post method. The data were analyzed using a paired-samples t-test, and 84% demonstrated a positive shift along the motivation continuum in the direction towards self-determined behavior when post results were compared to pre results. Results from this study suggests that higher education leaders should devote more research into the potential effects physical education could have on self-determination levels of college students as an aim to increase student retention as well as reinforce the importance of physical education.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Counseling, Foundations & Leadership

Year dc:date.available

2018

Author dc:creator

• Kirsch, Kenneth William, Jr

Contributors dc:contributor

• Robert Waller
• Tom Hackett
• Michael Richardson

• Physical Exercise
• Self-Determination
• College
• Students
• Educational Leadership
• Higher Education

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/376

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:csuepress.columbusstate.edu:theses_dissertations-1376