Portuguese Students' Perceptions About the Motivational Climate in Physical Education.

Purpose: To validate the English version of the L'Echelle de Perception du Climat Motivational within a Portuguese context and analyze students' perceptions of the motivational climate in physical education and its relationship to demographic variables, participation in extracurricular sports, and students' grades. Methods: A total of 476 Portuguese students participated in the study and completed the L'Echelle de Perception du Climat Motivational (249 men = 52.3%; 227 women = 47.7%). Statistical analysis was used to evaluate the importance of motivational climate in physical education classes. Results: Our results suggest that the Portuguese version of the L'Echelle de Perception du Climat Motivational is valid and reliable. Furthermore, motivational climate is a predictor of both extracurricular sports participation and grades. Discussion and Conclusion: The finding that motivational climate is a predictor for extracurricular sports participation and grades supports the relevance of the climate fostered by physical education teachers and its influence on learning. This study discusses implications for research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]