Factorial Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Sport Satisfaction Instrument Adapted to Physical Education in Mexican Adolescents

Instructional activities that satisfy basic psychological needs can promote enjoyment and intrinsic motivation in learning. This instrumental study assessed the psychometric properties of the Spanish-adapted Sport Satisfaction Instrument (SSI-PE) within the context of physical education and examined its measurement invariance across sex among Mexican students. Participants included a total of 515 secondary school students from the cities of Chihuahua, Aldama, and Cuauhtémoc in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico; of these, 259 (50.3%) were males and 256 (49.7%) were females, and their ages ranged between 12 and 15 years (M = 13.15, SD = 0.86). Confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance by sex, and calculation of Pearson’s correlation coefficients were conducted to assess convergent validity. The seven-item model, the SSI-PE7, demonstrated more robust fit indices (GFI = 0.985, RMSEA = 0.047, and CFI = 0.990) and acceptable reliability (α = 0.84 for the satisfaction/fun factor and α = 0.74 for boredom). Measurement invariance analysis evidenced its applicability regardless of sex. Convergent validity showed that satisfaction/fun had a positive correlation with task orientation and ego, while the boredom factor had a negative correlation with the other scales. The findings suggest that the SSI-PE7 is a promising and reliable provisional instrument to assess students’ level of satisfaction with physical education classes.