Physical Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Support for Basic Psychological Needs in Primary Education

2026-09-13T07:55:48Zhttps://riubu.ubu.es/oai/request

oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/120802026-09-12T00:05:22Zcom_10259_5786com_10259_5086com_10259_2604col_10259_5787

Physical Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Support for Basic Psychological Needs in Primary Education Bonet Forteza, Pere Joan Hortigüela Alcalá, David Muntaner Mas, Adrià Physical education Basic psychological needs Self-determination theory Teacher perception. Introduction: In the context of Physical Education (PE), supporting basic psychological needs (BPNs; autonomy, competence, and relatedness) is regarded as essential for fostering self-determined motivation and promoting pupils’ wellbeing. However, limited evidence exists regarding how teachers perceive and experience this process in their everyday practice. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of Primary Education PE teachers concerning the support they provide for these needs, with a focus on both the strategies they implement and the meanings they ascribe to them. Method: A qualitative methodology based on a case study design was adopted, employing individual semi-structured interviews. Five in-service PE teachers participated in the study, all of whom were teaching at the Primary Education level in state schools in the Balearic Islands. Results: The results indicate that the participating teachers perceive themselves as supporting these needs through a range of pedagogical strategies, albeit with differing levels of depth. Moreover, tensions were identified between discourse and practice, arising from organisational structures, pedagogical beliefs, and policy requirements. Conclusions: The importance of understanding support for BPNs as an evolving ethical and professional responsibility is emphasised, one that demands collective reflection, distributed leadership, and institutional conditions conducive to a more motivating and coherent approach to PE. 2026-09-11 2026-09-11 2025-07 info:eu-repo/semantics/article 1577-4147 https://hdl.handle.net/10259/12080 10.30827/publicaciones.v55i1.34282 2530-9269 eng Publicaciones. 2025, V. 55. n. 1, p. 103-120 https://doi.org/10.30827/publicaciones.v55i1.34282 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación y del Deporte de Melilla (Universidad de Granada)