How pre-service physical education teachers’ motivational profiles shape their (de)motivating teaching profiles

Following a cross-sectional design with 554 pre-service physical education teachers ( M age = 25.03 years-old; SD = ± 4.31; 67.8 % male), this study aimed to identify their motivational and teaching profiles and examine the relationships between them. Four distinct motivational profiles and four teaching profiles emerged. More self-determined motivational profiles were associated with more adaptive teaching profiles. Conversely, less self-determined motivational profiles were linked to less adaptive teaching profiles. These findings underscore the importance of fostering self-determined motivation in teacher education programs to promote more motivating teaching approaches and better student outcomes. • Pre-service Physical Education teachers combine different motivations to teach. • Pre-service Physical Education teachers combine different (de)motivating teaching styles. • A self-determined motivational profile relates to a more adaptive teaching profile. • Low self-determined motivation leads to less adaptive teaching profiles.