Self-Determination Theory in Ghanaian Sport: Coaching Autonomy Support Predicts Team Climate via Motivation

Abstract

Background: The study seeks to bridge a gap and test whether autonomous motivation acts as a mediator of the relationship between coaching autonomy support and team climate perceptions in Ghanaian sport. Methods: One hundred and thirteen student-athletes (average age 21.4 years, 42% female) in university sport teams filled out questionnaires for assessing the coaches’ autonomy support to their athletes, autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and the climate of their team. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to verify the theoretical structure of the measurement model. A structural equation model was developed to analyse direct and indirect effects using the statistical procedure in the weighted least squares with mean variance adjustment estimation and bootstrapping mediation analysis (2,000 resamples). Results: Coaching autonomy support significantly predicted autonomous motivation (β = .94, p < .001, R² = .619). Autonomous motivation significantly predicted team climate (β = 0.26, p = .03). The indirect path from coaching autonomy support to team climate was significant (indirect effect = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.017–0.488), providing evidence of mediation. Controlled motivation was unrelated to team climate (β = –0.01, p = .91). The structural model accounted for 74% of the variance in team climate (RMSEA = .066; CFI = .998). Conclusion: Coaching autonomy support operates as a distal predictor of team climate through autonomous motivation. Autonomy-supportive coaching interventions represent high-impact leverage points for enhancing individual motivation and collective team functioning in university sport contexts.

Keywords: Psychological need satisfaction, athlete engagement, wellbeing, motivational pathways, sports coaching behavior