FITeens Toolkit

13 Previous research related to health-related behaviors (e.g., physical activity) emphasises the relationship between the degree of autonomous regulation and several positive behavioral outcomes , such as increased enjoyment (Ruby et al., 2011), and higher levels of persistence and adherence (Vlachopoulos & Neikou, 2007). On the contrary, less self-determined regulations require external motivational sources to perform a specific behaviour, making behaviour withdrawal more likely to occur (Ryan & Deci, 2000a). So, it is essential to endorse some guidelines to promote motivation in any health-related behavior. For example, it is important to provide an appropriate motivational climate in physical activity domain, forecasting the satisfaction of BPN among adolescents and self- determined motivation (Cid et al., 2019). In order to encourage an autonomous motivational climate, physical education teachers can focus activities on the action itself and not on the result, so that students care more for the personal development of their motor skills or abilities. To do this, physical education teachers should focus more on effort and less on the result itself. Furthermore, cooperation and mutual aid between pairs (e.g., the interdependence of the task) should be emphasized, decreasing thereby the almost innate tendency of students to demonstrate their skills to others. Physical education teachers should increase options to their students when facing tasks for developing autonomy. Pair work and small groups facilitate this process. Teachers must likewise explain to the exercisers or students about the tasks to be undertaken, giving them the opportunity to choose the best way of performing. Additionally, working in small groups (considering students’ level of expertise), will create social bonds and encourage cooperation among peers, in order to develop relatedness. Regarding the development of more autonomous behaviors, it is important to promote intrinsic motivation, by individualising and adapting the teaching style to the characteristics and level of the students’ performance, as well as encouraging them to actively participate in the decision-making process. In particular, teachers should try, whenever possible, to address