Physical education teachers’ motivational orientations and beliefs in the development of basic motor competencies in children aged 5–10 years

Abstract Teachers’ motivational orientations and beliefs are theorized to shape learning opportunities in physical education, yet evidence linking these characteristics to motor development in early schooling is scarce. This study examines whether teachers’ interest in the subject, enthusiasm in the subject, self-efficacy, and constructivist beliefs are associated with gains in basic motor competencies among children aged 5–10 years. In a nationwide longitudinal study in Switzerland, 1121 children from 180 kindergarten and primary classes taught by 146 teachers completed standardized assessments of basic motor competencies in self-movement and object movement across two school years, while teachers reported their motivational orientations and beliefs using self-report questionnaire scales. Multilevel regression models were conducted, controlling for prior competence, age, and gender. Results showed that prior competence was the strongest predictor of later performance. At the class level, teachers’ constructivist beliefs were positively associated with gains in basic motor competencies, whereas interest in the subject, enthusiasm in the subject, and self-efficacy, were not significantly related to gains. In early physical education, constructivist beliefs appear to provide a distinct lever for promoting children’s development of basic motor competencies beyond teachers’ motivational orientations. These findings suggest that constructivist orientations may represent a relevant focus for teacher education and professional development in early physical education. Future research should identify the instructional processes that mediate these associations.