Effects of a Web-Based and Face-to-Face Autonomy-Supportive Intervention for Physical Education Teachers on Students’ Psychological Experiences

Purpose: most of the previous autonomy-supportive interventions conducted have been partially effective and used only web-based or face-to-face approach. In the current study, a combined web-based and face-to-face intervention for physical education (PE) teachers was tested to examine whether it would lead to significant changes in students’ self-reports of autonomy-supportive and controlling behaviours, psychological need satisfaction and frustration, and intrinsic motivation. Method: participants were 57 PE teachers and their 858 middle-school students. A randomized controlled design was adopted in which PE teachers and their students were assigned to the combined face-to-face and web-based, face-to-face, web-based or control group. Results: it was found that the combined intervention of web-based and face-to-face approach for PE teachers was effective in changing students’ perceptions of all the study variables. Conclusion: the current findings suggest that future autonomy-supportive interventions for PE teachers should aim to use combined interventions to gain the greatest intervention effects.