The effect of perceived supportiveness of instruction on high school students' sport ethics orientation: the mediating role of sport learning motivation

BackgroundAgainst the backdrop of “cultivating virtue and nurturing talent” becoming the fundamental mission of education in the new era, physical education courses leverage their inherent practicality, rule-based nature, and collaborative characteristics. Serving as a key vehicle for integrating moral education and helping students develop well-rounded personalities, this approach aligns with the national policy of “cultivating character through physical education” and is an essential requirement of the “five-education” system. However, in current high school physical education instruction, frequent instances of unethical conduct and insufficient student motivation have become prominent issues, directly hindering the effective fulfillment of physical education's role in nurturing students.AimThis study examines the relationship among high school students' perceptions of needs-based instruction, their motivation for physical education, and their ethical attitudes toward physical education, as well as the mediating role of motivation for physical education.MethodsThe study sample consisted of 525 students from three high schools in Chongqing, China. The researchers administered the Physical Education Perceived Supportiveness Scale, the Physical Education Learning Motivation Scale, and the Multidimensional Ethical Orientation in Physical Education Scale.ResultsPerceived need-supportive teaching, physical education learning motivation, and ethical orientation in physical education exhibited significant positive correlations (r = 0.304, r = 0.559, r = 0.382, p < 0.01). Physical education learning motivation partially mediated the relationship between perceived need-supportive teaching and ethical orientation in physical education (mediation effect accounting for 56.6%).ConclusionsPerceived need-supportive instruction positively predicts students' motivation to learn physical education and their ethical orientation. Higher levels of motivation to learn physical education further positively predict ethical orientation and partially mediate the effect of need-supportive instruction on ethical development. These findings indicate that a need-supportive instructional environment is crucial for fostering students' intrinsic motivation to learn physical education and cultivating ethical qualities in physical education.