Stability and transitions in school-aged children's physical education need satisfaction profiles : A latent transition analysis

This study examined stability and transitions of school-aged children's self-determination theory-based need satisfaction profiles in physical education (PE) over three years. Participants were 1121 (girls 573, boys 548) Finnish school children. The self-report data were assessed using identical procedures from 2017 to 2020. Three latent need satisfaction profiles were identified: Low, Mid, and High need satisfactions. Transitions mainly occurred between grade 5 and 6 in elementary school, after which the profile memberships remained relatively stable. The profile memberships were not school- or PE group dependent over time. These results indicate that school-based actions to achieve a posi…