Gender effect on perceived need support from the teacher and peers in physical education

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine gender differences in perceptions of basic psychological needs support from the teacher and peers in physical education. The 659 Estonian secondary school students (310 boys and 349 girls; M age=13.57 years, SD=0.62) completed questionnaires assessing the perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness need support from both the teacher and peers in physical education. Results of the independent samples t-tests revealed that boys scored significantly higher than girls on perceptions of all three need support from the teacher, whereas girls scored significantly higher than boys on perceptions of all three need support from peers. Results are discussed in relation with practical implications to physical education teachers in order to facilitate the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for both boys and girls more efficiently.