PERCEIVED PARENTAL AUTONOMY SUPPORT AND INTENTION TO BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

The aim of this study was to investigate perceived parental autonomy support and intention to be physically active. The participants were 248 students (152 males and 76 females) aged between 10 and 19 years (mean = 14.1years, SD = 2.13) from five co – educational secondary schools. They were selected through simple random sampling technique using fish bowl technique with replacement. After obtaining clearance from the school authority, the researcher and the researcher assistants sought for the cooperation of the school Physical Education teacher who gathered the students in a classroom. The purpose of the research was explained to the students and those who volunteered to take part were given the questionnaires to fill. The students were told that they were not under any compulsion to participate and as a result, they could withdraw if they chose to do so. The questionnaires were completed anonymously to protect the confidentiality of the students. The two instruments used were: The perceptions of parents Scales (POPS) developed by Grolnick, Deci & Ryan (1997) and Intention to be physically active outside of school by Ajzen & Fishbeing,1980) were adapted for use. Descriptive statistics were computed to analyse the bio data. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine gender differences in the secondary school students’ intention to be physically active outside school. Thereafter, the Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient was computed to examine the relationship between parental autonomy support of fathers and mothers, while linear regression analysis was computed to determine whether perceived parental autonomy predicts intention to be physically active outside school. Results showed there was no significant gender difference in intention to be physically active outside school. There was significant relationship between parental (father and mother) autonomy support and intention to be physically active outside school. Both fathers’ and mothers’ autonomy supports were significant predictors of secondary school students’ intention to be physically active outside school.