IDENTIFYING STUDENTS MOTIVES FOR PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS ACTIVITIES

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1 IDENTIFYING STUDENTS MOTIVES FOR PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS ACTIVITIES *Mansour Karnia Shafaroud Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran *Author for Correspondence ABSTRACT This study aims to analyze 10-to18 year-old students` motives in order to participate physical education. To obtain the general overview in terms of student s motives of junior high school, the relationship between motives and inventory subscales as well as the relationship between their behavioral aspects were studied. Samples included 760 students of Iran junior high school. Factor analysis showed seven motive factors. Motive differences were obtained through age, gender, and motive intensity. Subscales of motives were identified according to level of identification activity and some aspects were determined for future planning after the investigation of results. Keywords: Motives, Students, Sport Activities INTRODUCTION Motive is defined as unobservable internal force determining individuals` behavioral responses, direction, and goals. Motive is the reason of behavior. Individuals require various needs in each time in that some enjoy biological aspect and some do mental aspect. Need changes in to motive when it is sufficiently intensified. A motive or stimulator is a need which can influence individuals to meet it. In this regard, psychologists have provided some theories. The most famous theory in this regard was provided by Freud, Herzberg, and Maslow. Some of these theories provide beneficial applications and effective attitudes for marketing trainers and mangers. Motive cannot be shown as a phenomenon in model frame work (Bosnar and Balnet, 2009). Petz (2005) defined it as a situation resulted from some needs, motives, demands, and stimulators which direct goals from out of performance as behavior motive. It has been long time for descriptive studies of sports motives among individuals and the young being conducted by sports psychologists. Nevertheless, special behavioral aspects have received a limited amount of researchers` attention. In addition, conducted studies have mainly focused on participant s attendance in organized sports activities and almost competitive sports (Cervello et al., 2007). Some studies have concentrated on other factors such as, ability, friendship, team, success states, physical conditions, and energy release (Lazaro et al., 1993). Although all of these factors cannot be seen in most studies, common factors do not also enjoy identical stability. Most researches have focused on physical aspects which are critical factors for sports (Buonamano et al., 1995). Participation motives in sports activities in past researches have been taken in to account according to gender, age, frequency, and duration of physical activity in various forms (Moreno et al., 2011; Verloigne et al., 2011; Egli et al., 2011). Weiss & Petlickhoff have stated competition, learning, dependence, readiness, and entertainment as the main motives of participating in sports. Cervello et al., (2007) have known enjoyment as the most important motive. Vlachopoulos et al., (2000) have considered the positive relationship between motives, selfconfidence, and success as the steady findings of researches. Matsuumoto and Takeneka (2004) stated that effective motive needs to be derived from internal motives in order to do any activity. Motive for success targets in sports is important while it is clear in entertainment and competitive sports. In terms of schools, related factors to students` health were studied by Wold (1995). The factors in his research included social confirmation, ability, health, and dependence. The next studies approved his results (Castillo & Balaguer, 2001). Egli et al., (2011), among students, revealed that boys are provoked by internal factors including the need to power, competition, and fight while girls are mainly provoked by external factors such as weight and appearance control. Some sports experiences in terms of student s Copyright 2014 Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 3873

2 clarified entertainment, enjoyment, sports skills, learning, being with friends, success, winning, and health motives (Murcia et al., 2010; Waldron and Dieser, 2010). Kondrik et al., (2013) stated the student s motives for sports including sports activities with friends, becoming well-known, physical readiness and health, social condition, sporting event, and peace and they obtained different results in both genders. Researches regarding students pointed out that young people are not active enough while enjoying advantages of physical health is necessary (Lutz et al., 2008; Strel et al., 2010). Thus, more researches are needed to be conducted in this field. This study aims to analyze participation motives in sports among students aged 10 to 18 years old. The results can be helpful for physical-education trainers and planners. Subjects Research sample contained 760 students (424 boys and 336 girls) aged 10 to 18 year old in Iran junior high school. Participants were selected through random cluster sampling considering gender and privately-run or governmentally run schools. Research Tools Research tool was borrowed from Cecchini et al., (2002) questionnaire. The questions were corrected after writing the questions and interviews with 120 students aged 10 to 18 years old and their trainers regarding participation motives in sports. Ten sports and psychology expertise were given the questionnaire to assess the face and content validity of the questionnaire. Five-scale Likret system (1=not important at all till 5= extremely important) was used to evaluate the responses. After doing recommended changes, validity and reliability were evaluated by factor analysis in small scale and Cronbach coefficient was calculated Measuring tool included eight subscales including social condition, entertainment, ability, winning, peace, health, and social confirmation. Moreover, researcher`s questionnaire was used to acquire essential information. This questionnaire has some questions in terms of age,type of school, gender, level of concern to sport, level of sports activity,effort, estimation of activity duration, level of activity, obtaining successful goals, the effect of sports on study, and the reason to participate in sports. Data Analysis Descriptive data was used to determine the importance of motives. Exploratory factor analysis with Vaimax rotation was used to study the motive structure and confirmatory factor analysis to determine the pattern fitness. Moreover, Kolmogorov Smirnov test was used to evaluate the normal distribution of variables. Non-parametric test of Kruskal Wallis was used to study the distribution of dependent variables in groups. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Results The highest mean among all samples was being healthy and then preventing sicknesses and obtaining skills scored the next levels. For girls, the highest mean was reported for body fitness, slimbody, and preventing illnesses. For boys, the highest mean was reported for health motives, fitness, and improved skills (Table1). To compare this study with previous ones, factor analysis with Promax rotation in comparison with entire and separate sample was conducted for boys and girls. Conducted factor analysis did not differ much and total number of seven items was obtained. Loading factors with value of less than 0.05 were set aside. The first factor was called ability and it had five items including progress in sports, improving skills, being healthy, physical readiness, and preventing sicknesses. The second factor was winning with seven sub scales such as satisfying teachers, parents, and better performance. The third factor, team, included four items: team spirits, making new friends, being with friends, and being calm. The fourth factor was physical health including four items: slim body, maintaining body fitness, becoming fit, and becoming thin. The fifth factor was called entertainment and it included five items like love team sports and entertainment. The sixth factor was peace with four sub scales including personal hygiene, helping friends, reducing the pressure of studying, and encouraging sports. The final factor was social confirmation with two items including being known and attractiveness of other athletes. All questions in the questionnaire determined percent of created Copyright 2014 Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 3874

3 variance (table 2). After conducting Kruskal Wallis test, the highest result was reported for the first factor showing the high eagerness of students to become able. This motive was meaningfully higher among boys. (p<0.05 and x 2 = 3.938) which is rising by increasing age (x 2 = and p< 0.001). Table 1: Means of participation motive in sports for boys, girls, and all samples Participation motive in sports Mean Staying healthy Enjoying fit body Progress in sports Improvement of skills Obtaining body fitness Enjoying physical readiness Sports entertainment Enjoyment Learning new movements Enjoying a thin and fit body Love team sports Preventing disease Maintaining body fitness Reducing study pressure Maintaining personal hygiene Helping friends Like team spirit Making new friends Being with friends Sports enjoyment Sports encouragement Sports calmness Belonging to the team Becoming thin Satisfying teacher or trainer Winning Satisfying parents Better performance out of sports Showingbetter performance out of sports Attractiveness of athletes Being famous and known Boys Girls Total Copyright 2014 Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 3875

4 Table 2: The results of factor analysis of participation motives of students in order to attend in sports Items Ability Winning Team Physical health Entertainment Peace Social confirmation Special values Percentage of determined variance Alpha Cronbach A relationship exists between increased ability and amount of students` concerns to sports, activity regularity, perception of effort, participation in future activity, achieving goals, satisfaction level, form of sports participation, and effects on study (Table 4). This relationship enjoyed a positive and direct effect on sports interests, perception of qualification, and satisfaction level of activity Copyright 2014 Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 3876

5 Table 3: The relationship between variables Factors N Sex Boy Girl School Governmental Private Age years old years old years old Level of concern to sports Almost Interested Extremely low Weekly level of activity Less than one hour One hour hours More than 3 hours Activity regularity during year Completely active Only in summer Self-perception of effort for doing activity Low Normal High Extremely high Level of activity in future A little For few years For many years For entire life time Self-qualification perception Factors N Low Normal High Extremely high Level of achieving goals No Yes Almost Satisfaction level of activity I am satisfied a little I am almost satisfied I am satisfied I am completely satisfied Participation form in sports With teacher or trainer Only with friends The effect of sports on study Positive None I do not know Copyright 2014 Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 3877

6 In terms of the second factor, winning, a nificant difference in both sexes according to age was not observed but studying the relationship between this factor and mentioned variables showed that winning is influential on amount of concern, weekly level of activity, activity regularity, effort perception, participation in future activities, achieving goals, satisfaction level from sports, and form of sports participation (Table 4) where the amount of interest in sports, weekly level of activity, qualification perception, activity satisfaction, and form of participation enjoy direct and positive effect. It was also along with positive effect on other variables but a little reduction in intermediate ages. The third factor, both sexes did not reveal nificant differences. (p<0.001 and x 2 =18.583). Rising the age, interest to team and being with friends increased. (p<0.05 and x 2 =6.820). This increase was more among boys rather than girls. Table 4: The results of Kruskal Wallis test for factors Ability Winnin Team g Sex School Age Level of concern Weekly level of activity Activity regularity Effort perception Level of participation in future activity Qualification perception Reaching goals Sports satisfaction level Sports participation form The effect of sports on study Fitness Enterta inment Social confirm ation Peace Team motive and being with friends were effective on the interest, weekly level of activity, activity regularity, effort perception, and level of participation. Fourth factor, fitness, showed a nificant difference for both genders. (p<0.001 and x 2 =25.358) which was more among girls rather than boys. This difference was seen in younger and older ages compared to intermediate ones. Level of concern, activity level, effort perception, and influencing the study habit can be changed by this motive. Its positive and direct effect can be seen for some variables including interest, activity level, activity regularity, effort perception, achieving goals, satisfaction level of activity, form of participation, and the effect on study habit. Fifth factor, entertainment, showed nificant difference among both sexes. (p<0.001 andx 2 =24.837) which was more for boys than girls and did not enjoy a nificant difference with age (Table 4). Although it was nificant on level of concern, activity regularity, level of participation in future activity, qualification perception, level of satisfaction, and influencing (Table 3). The sixth factor was Copyright 2014 Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 3878

7 social confirmation which did not reveal among both sexes but it enjoyed a nificant relationship with age (p<0.001 and x 2 =39.498). It was observable in younger ages rather than older ones. A nificant relationship exists between social confirmation and level of concern, weekly level of activity, effort perception, level of participation in activity, qualification perception, achieving goals, level of satisfaction, participation form, and influencing (Table 4) which has a direct and positive effect on level of concern, effort perception, and level of activity (Table 3). Finally, the seventh factor, peace did not show a nificant difference among both genders but it enjoyed a nificant relationship with age (p<0.05 and x 2 =7.463) and it was more in younger ages (Table 3). A nificant relationship was obtained between variables including concern, weekly level of activity, effort perception, participation in future activity, achieving goals, satisfaction level from sports, participation form in sports, and effect of study habit and peace. It showed that it enjoys a direct and positive effect on weekly level of activity, activity regularity, qualification perception, achieving goals, activity satisfaction, and effect on study habit (Table 3). Discussion and Conclusion According to obtained data, the most important motive of participation in some sports activities is ability and strengthening which can be effective on sports progress, skill improvement, staying healthy, physical readiness, and preventing diseases. Attention to students` strengthening physically and technically will lead to their sports and health improvement. These results are parallel with research results of Buonamano et al., (1995) and are unparalleled with those of Wold (1995) and Balaguer (2001) although they are proportional in some factors. Therefore, it is necessary to pay a special attention to this main factor of physical education in junior high school curriculum. After ability and strengthening, winning is the main factor followed by students in these age groups. Learning appropriate skills in different sports sections, students are keen on reaching results in order satisfy their teachers, parents, and peers and to show off their abilities. The motives of participation in team and being with friends scored the third level. Students are enthusiastic about making new friends and feel peaceful when being with them so that they can lift their team spirits. Health and enjoying fit bodies are other factors being paid attention by students and this motive is more among girls than boys so it needs more attention in girls` physical education curriculum. Entertainment or friendship, mentalpeace, and fame or social confirmation was the next factors which were paid attention by students and they need particular attention to reach sports goals. These results were parallel with those of Murcia et al., (2010), Walderon and Dieser (2010), and Kondrik et al., (2010) although they differed in some cases and this difference can be referred to different societies. Moreover, like the research results of Kondrik et al., some different motives were seen among both sexes which are natural considering their interests and structural features. Thus, according to the importance of students` attention to various motives, it is essential that programs in schools` sports be planned in a way to reach these goals by students in order to increase the motives of students to participate in sports and consequently the education goals are met through this planning. REFERENCES Ashford B, Biddle S and Goudas M (1993). Participation in community sports centers, motives and predictors of enjoyment. Journal of Sport Sciences Balaguer I (1999). Estilo de vida de los adolescentes de la Comunidad Valenciana: Unestudio de la socializaciónparaestilos de vidasadables. Unpublished manuscript. Bosnar K and Balent B (2009). Introduction to Psychology of Sports: Manual for sports coaches in Croatian. Buonamano A, Cei A and Mussino A (1995). Participation motivation in Italian Youth Sport. The Sport Psychologist Castillo F and Balaguer S (2001). Dimensiones de los motivos de prácticadeportiva de los adolescentesvalencianosescolarizados. Apunts de Educación Física y Deportes Cecchini JA, Méndez A and Muñiz J (2002). Motives for practicing sport in Spanish schoolchildren. Psicothema 14(3) Copyright 2014 Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 3879

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