Self-Regulated Movement Education: Effects on Motivation, Fitness and Motor Engagement

Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a physical education programme focused on self-regulation and autonomy support in enhancing motor engagement and motivational variables in adolescents, integrating objective measures using inertial sensors (IMU/wearable) and qualitative analysis through interviews. Materials and Methods. A pre-post experimental study was carried out with a total of 353 participants (mean age 14.2 ± 1.1 years), divided into an experimental group (n = 178) and a control group (n = 175). The following measures were employed: motivation (PLOC-R), self-efficacy for physical activity (barriers self-efficacy), fitness (EUROFIT: standing long jump, 20 m shuttle run, sit-and-reach, handgrip) and IMU metrics (active time, vector magnitude, jerk) during standardised lesson windows. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an involment of 32 students and 8 teachers, followed by a thematic analysis. Results. The experimental group showed greater improvements than the control group in autonomous motivation (Δintrinsic regulation +0.64 vs +0.10, p < .001), self-efficacy (+0.41 vs +0.07, p < .001), fitness (e.g., long jump +9.3 cm vs +2.1 cm, p < .001) and objectively measured motor engagement (active time +9.5 percentage points vs +1.3, p < .001). The interviews highlighted high acceptability, increased awareness of movement and the importance of the teacher’s role in preventing social comparison dynamics. Conclusions. The integration of IMU measures facilitates a more comprehensive assessment of school programmes’effectiveness, combining motivational and performance outcomes with objective indicators of motor behaviour.