The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between relative autonomy (autonomous versus controlled motivation), engagement in physical activity in a physical education class, and health-related fitness test scores. Participants were a total of 300 students drawn from grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 from a local Midwestern high school. Motivation, perceived competence, and self-reported physical activity levels were assessed using appropriate questionnaires. Heart rate monitors were used to record adolescent's heart rate taken during technology enhanced physical education classes to obtain a quantifiable measure of physical activity. The use of Fitnessgram assessment included a variety of health-related physical fitness tests that assessed aerobic capacity; muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility; and body composition. Scores from these assessments were compared to Healthy Fitness Zone® standards to determine students' overall physical fitness and suggest areas for improvement when appropriate. Support was shown for the conceptual links between competence feedback (fitness test scores), subsequent competence perceptions (CY-PSPP scores) and more autonomous exercise motivation (RAI scores). To some extent, these results represent support for the physical education program's curricular approach and long-term aims. Future research should try to evaluate how such approaches affect motivation over the students subsequent adult lives.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between relative autonomy (autonomous versus controlled motivation), engagement in physical activity in a physical education class, and health-related fitness test scores. Participants were a total of 300 students drawn from grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 from a local Midwestern high school. Motivation, perceived competence, and self-reported physical activity levels were assessed using appropriate questionnaires. Heart rate monitors were used to record adolescent's heart rate taken during technology enhanced physical education classes to obtain a quantifiable measure of physical activity. The use of Fitnessgram assessment included a variety of health-related physical fitness tests that assessed aerobic capacity; muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility; and body composition. Scores from these assessments were compared to Healthy Fitness Zone® standards to determine students' overall physical fitness and suggest areas for improvement when appropriate. Support was shown for the conceptual links between competence feedback (fitness test scores), subsequent competence perceptions (CY-PSPP scores) and more autonomous exercise motivation (RAI scores). To some extent, these results represent support for the physical education program's curricular approach and long-term aims. Future research should try to evaluate how such approaches affect motivation over the students subsequent adult lives.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Charlebois, Andrea Paige"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Kinesiology & Public Health Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Jim Whitehead"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:26:17Z","subjects":["Fitness, Motivation, Physical Education, Physical Self Perceptions"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.und.edu/theses/1233","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Jim Whitehead"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Charlebois, Andrea Paige"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Kinesiology & Public Health Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Fitness, Motivation, Physical Education, Physical Self Perceptions"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.und.edu/theses/1233"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between relative autonomy (autonomous versus controlled motivation), engagement in physical activity in a physical education class, and health-related fitness test scores. Participants were a total of 300 students drawn from grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 from a local Midwestern high school. Motivation, perceived competence, and self-reported physical activity levels were assessed using appropriate questionnaires. Heart rate monitors were used to record adolescent's heart rate taken during technology enhanced physical education classes to obtain a quantifiable measure of physical activity. The use of Fitnessgram assessment included a variety of health-related physical fitness tests that assessed aerobic capacity; muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility; and body composition. Scores from these assessments were compared to Healthy Fitness Zone® standards to determine students' overall physical fitness and suggest areas for improvement when appropriate. Support was shown for the conceptual links between competence feedback (fitness test scores), subsequent competence perceptions (CY-PSPP scores) and more autonomous exercise motivation (RAI scores). To some extent, these results represent support for the physical education program's curricular approach and long-term aims. Future research should try to evaluate how such approaches affect motivation over the students subsequent adult lives.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Investigation Of The Association Between Physical Self Perceptions, Autonomous Motivation, And Fitness Education Strategies"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Jim Whitehead"],"dc:creator":["Charlebois, Andrea Paige"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between relative autonomy (autonomous versus controlled motivation), engagement in physical activity in a physical education class, and health-related fitness test scores. Participants were a total of 300 students drawn from grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 from a local Midwestern high school. Motivation, perceived competence, and self-reported physical activity levels were assessed using appropriate questionnaires. Heart rate monitors were used to record adolescent's heart rate taken during technology enhanced physical education classes to obtain a quantifiable measure of physical activity. The use of Fitnessgram assessment included a variety of health-related physical fitness tests that assessed aerobic capacity; muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility; and body composition. Scores from these assessments were compared to Healthy Fitness Zone® standards to determine students' overall physical fitness and suggest areas for improvement when appropriate. Support was shown for the conceptual links between competence feedback (fitness test scores), subsequent competence perceptions (CY-PSPP scores) and more autonomous exercise motivation (RAI scores). To some extent, these results represent support for the physical education program's curricular approach and long-term aims. Future research should try to evaluate how such approaches affect motivation over the students subsequent adult lives.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.und.edu/theses/1233"],"dc:subject":["Fitness, Motivation, Physical Education, Physical Self Perceptions"],"dc:title":["An Investigation Of The Association Between Physical Self Perceptions, Autonomous Motivation, And Fitness Education Strategies"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Kinesiology & Public Health Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:26:17Z"}