Psychological Satisfaction in Physical Education and School Work Motivation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach in Brazilian Children

Abstract

Objective: To verify the association between psychological satisfaction in Physical Education (PE) and school work motivation (SWM) in Brazilian children during the COVID-19 pandemic, following an initial methodological validation of the structural framework. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 244 schoolchildren (119 girls, 125 boys) aged 6–12 years in southern Brazil. The SWM-PEsat questionnaire was administered via Google Forms with parental assistance. Data were analyzed using internal consistency tests and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: The Classroom/School Satisfaction (α=0.72), Sports/PE Boredom (α=0.75), and Sports/PE Satisfaction (α=0.83) domains demonstrated acceptable to high reliability, while Classroom/School Boredom reached α=0.60. Girls reported higher school satisfaction levels than boys (p=0.006). SEM confirmed agood model fit (CMIN/DF=2.289, RMSEA=0.073, SRMR=0.056). A strong positive correlation was identified between psychological satisfaction in PE and SWM (r=0.60, p<0.001), whereas school boredom hindered general SWM. Conclusions: PE classes play a pivotal role in boosting school motivation and mitigating academic boredom during remote learning periods; additionally, the SWM-PEsat questionnaire demonstrated adequate reliability and validity.