How many Physical Education hours do students desire? It depends on the (de-)motivating teaching style perceived

A more integrative and fine-grained model called circumplex approach, which classifies (de -)motivating teaching style into eight (de -)motivating approaches based on the degree of need support/thwarting and directiveness, has recently been proposed in the educational context. However, the evidence so far on how each of (de -)motivating teaching approaches may be related to different (mal-)adaptive outcomes is scarce in the PE context. Grounded in this circumplex model, the present study aims to examine differences in the number of PE hours desired by students in terms of students' perceptions of (de -)motivating teaching approaches. An intentional sample of 669 secondary students ( M age = 14.65; SD = 1.47; 52 % girls), aged between 12 and 17 years participated in this cross-sectional study. The results show that students who would like to have more and the same desired PE hours as usual reported perceived significantly higher values in participative, attuning, guiding, clarifying, and demanding approaches from their PE teachers than those who desired fewer PE hours than usual. In addition, students who reported fewer desired PE hours than usual perceived significantly higher values in the abandoning approach from their PE teachers in comparison with students who desired more and the same PE hours. Results highlighted the importance of PE teachers developing autonomy -supportive and structuring approaches (i.e., participative, attuning, guiding, and clarifying) and avoiding chaotic approaches (i.e., abandoning) to foster adaptive students' affective outcomes.