Motivation of female secondary students towards participation in physical activities in Hong Kong

The study was based on the Self-determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985) to examine the motivation of female secondary students in Hong Kong towards physical activities. 160 students from secondary one and secondary five participated in the study by completing the questionnaire developed by Goudas, Biddle and Fox (1994) to examine the underlying motivational orientations. Results were positive and they revealed that intrinsic motivation and identified regulation were the main factors underlying the participation in physical activities. However, in examining the age differences, there was also a significant decrease in motivation towards participating in physical activities with higher forms (p<.001). It was suggested that schools, in promoting physical activities to female students, should shift the traditional school PE curriculum from focusing on competitive sports to aesthetic activities that could help students achieve physical fitness and an attractive physical appearance.