The effects of physical education teacher autonomy support on middle school students' sense of community and grit

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of physical education teachers' autonomy support on middle school students' sense of community and grit. Methods: To do so, a survey was conducted among middle school students, and the 435 collected data were analyzed using correlation and simple linear regression. Results: The results of the analysis are as follows. First, PE teacher autonomy support was found to have a positive effect on middle school students' sense of community. Second, PE teacher autonomy support was found to have a positive effect on effort persistence, a subcomponent of grit, among middle school students. Conclusion: This study suggests that physical education classes are more than just physical activity; they are important learning environments that foster students' social relationships and psychological growth. In the future, physical education teachers should provide students with more autonomy and choice to foster a collaborative learning environment and support them to persist in persevere challenges and goals.