INTRINSIC MOTIVATION OF TEENAGER SCHOLARS TOWARD PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

Physical education is a learning process which uses physical activities to improve skills, fitness and attitude of an individual to achieve an optimum level. The objective of this study was to examine the level of motivation among 16 years old scholars towards physical activities in a physical education class and further explore any gender difference. Four classes of 16 years old schoolboys and schoolgirls were selected for the study. There were 130 students (62 boys; 68 girls). The instrument of Situation Intrinsic Motivation Scale by Blanchard et al (2007) was administered in this research. Descriptive data indicated that the overall measure for the Intrinsic Motivation was M=3.63, SD=0.72; Identified Regulation was M=3.25, SD=0.60; External Regulation was M=2.69, SD=0.76; and Amotivation was M=2.80, SD=0.73. The independent t-test revealed that Intrinsic Motivation and External Regulation was significant based on gender, p< .05. The results indicate that steps should be undertaken by school physical education teachers to improve the teaching of physical education to improve the student’s situation intrinsic motivation level.