Gender and Corporal Expression Activity in Physical Education: Effect of an Intervention on Students' Motivational Processes.

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory, the objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an intervention programme on a series of motivational variables in a corporal expression teaching unit. An analysis was also conducted in terms of whether the impact of the intervention would be effective in boys and girls, given the social stereotypes inherent to this type of expression activity. A sample of 224 students, with ages varying from 12 to 14 years old (105 boys, 119 girls) participated in 10 sessions. A quasi-experimental design was carried out, dividing the total sample into two groups: control (n = 115) and experimental (n = 109). The intervention programme was applied in the experimental group via specific strategies based on the TARGET areas. In the experimental group, the results showed significantly higher values in perceived task-oriented climate, autonomy, competence, intrinsic motivation, identified regulation and enjoyment, as well as significantly lower ...