The relationship between autonomous motivation for physical education in third year girls and school level socio-economic status

This study investigates the relationship between school level socio-economic status (SES) and third year girls’ (S3) levels of autonomous motivation to participate in physical education (PE). Females in this age range have been identified as an at risk population due to the sharp decrease in physical activity (PA) levels. SES is one factor that has been suggested to contribute to different levels of PA in adolescence. It is acknowledged that PE can play an important role in the promotion of positive attitudes towards PA. The Behavioural Regulation for Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) was used to quantify a sample of S3 girls’ autonomous motivation for PE in two schools differentiated by SES. The questionnaire was uploaded to the internet. Participants completed it during school hours.