Students’ fear of failure and its relationship to the intention to be physically active and the importance of physical education in secondary education

Abstract

Performance of physical activities in the educational sphere is very important for the development of psychological and physical improvement in students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse fear of failure and its aversive causes, the importance of physical education, and the intention of practice, all according to gender and age in secondary school. The sample was composed of 591 students aged between 12 and 17 years old at several high schools in Murcia. An instrument composed of the scales of Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory was used, adapted to physical education, along with a questionnaire on the importance and utility of physical education and a questionnaire measuring the intentionality to be physically active. The results showed that males and younger students have more fear of failure, they give more importance to the subject, and they are also the ones that have the greatest intention to practice, especially in the younger age group.