The role of the motivational climate in female engagement in secondary school physical education: a dual study investigation

This qualitative dual study paper explores girls’ engagement in secondary school physical education (PE). Girls’ engagement in PE has been at the forefront of changes to the PE curriculum in the UK, after global statistics show only 15% of teenage girls meet the guideline of 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Focus groups with 73 students (N = 30 girls and 43 boys) were conducted across four schools in the UK. Data were thematically analysed. Results suggest girls perceive teacher and peer-created performance motivational climates within their lessons. Students specifically indicated a dislike of being watched by those of better ability (boys and girls), gender stereotypes, and enjoyment as factors influencing their motivation to engage in PE. As a result, we suggest schools engage in an intervention to enable peers and teachers to create a mastery-focused motivational climate and classes be set by ability for non-contact sport.