Didactics of Physical Education: The Case of Motivational Students Profiles in Pole Vaulting Performance

摘要

This work attempts to determine the students’ motivation in physical education area through analyzed clusters. As a particular topic in Tunisia we highlight the relationship between motiva-tional profiles and the students’ performance in pole vaulting. For this, three grades’ students (37 girls, 32 boys) from randomly selected sport-studies classes provided data questionnaire (SMS-II adapted; Pellier et al., 2013) on motivation levels and their pole vaulting performance achieve-ment. This was evaluated using a pre-and post-assessment design of 7-weeks pole vault teaching. Obtained results concern the reliability and the validity of the sport motivation scales questionnaire. Cluster analyses revealed two motivational profiles: non-self-determined and self-deter-mined levels of motivation. The self-determined motivation profile was correlated to the highest pole vault performance. The theoretical and practical implications for the measurement of stu-dents’ motivation in pole vault practice are discussed. The effects of motivational profiles on stu-dents’ pole vault achievement are perceived.