Transformational Teaching and Adolescent Physical Activity:Multilevel and Mediational Effects
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Authors
Beauchamp, Mark R.
Liu, Y.
Morton, K. L.
Martin, Luc J.
Wilson, A. H.
Wilson, A. J.
Sylvester, Benjamin D.
Zumbo, Bruno D.
Barling, Julian
Date
2016-04-14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Keyword
Transformational Leadership , Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling , Adolescents , Affective Attitudes , Physical Activity
Alternative Title
Abstract
Background Regular physical activity is associated with a
range of physical and psychological health benefits. In North
America the majority of adolescents are insufficiently active.
Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the
prospective relationship between adolescents' perceptions
of transformational leadership displayed by their school
physical education teachers and their own physical activity
behaviors, both with respect to within-class physical activity
(WCPA) and also leisure time physical activity (LTPA).
Method The study used a prospective observational design.
Using multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM), we
examined the extent to which adolescents' affective attitudes
mediated the effects of teachers' behaviors on adolescents'
physical activity responses. Two thousand nine hundred and
forty-eight adolescents (Mage=14.33, SD=1.00, Nfemale=
1,641, 55.7 %) from 133 Grade 8–10 classes in British
Columbia (Canada) provided ratings of their physical education
teachers' behaviors midway through the school year. Two months later, students completed measures of affective attitudes,
WCPA, and LTPA.
Results The results indicated that adolescents' perceptions
of transformational teaching explained significant variance
in both WCPA and LTPA, and these effects were fully
mediated by adolescents' affective attitudes (total indirect
effect: b=0.581, p<0.001).
Conclusion The findings suggest that transformational leadership
behaviors displayed by physical education teachers
may be an important source of adolescent enjoyment of
physical education as well as health-enhancing physical
activity involvement within school and outside of school.