Teachers’ interpersonal styles and fear of failure from the perspective of physical education students

A growing body of research-based knowledge has been generated for the purpose of better understanding the reciprocal and dynamic relationship between teachers’ instructional characteristics and students’ psychosocial and learning outcomes. This study specifically examined the relationship between teachers’ interpersonal styles and fear of failure outcomes in physical education students. Five hundred sixty-two middle school and high school students in Physical Education classes (PE) participated in the study. Students completed questionnaires that assessed instructors’ autonomy-supportive and controlling teaching styles and students’ own fear of failure. A person-centered analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that higher teacher autonomy support was associated with lower student fear of failure. To the contrary, a controlling teaching style was associated with fear of failure in these students. Two profiles emerged in which moderate fear of failure was associated with a stronger perception of a controlling teacher style and lower levels of fear of failure were associated with greater perceived instructor support for autonomy.