- 1Department of Physical Activity and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- 2Faculty of Sports Organization, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
- 3Department of Education and Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication, European University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- 4Faculty of Education, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, Spain
- 5Don Bosco Center for Higher Studies (CES Don Bosco), Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
- 6Department of Artistic, Musical and Movement Expression, Faculty of Education, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
Introduction: This study examined the factorial validity and cross-cultural invariance of the Learning Climate Questionnaire in Physical Education (LCQ-EF) among adolescents from Mexico and Spain.
Methods: A total of 1,753 secondary school students (896 Mexican, 857 Spanish) completed the LCQ-EF. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses tested configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance, including invariance across genders and two age groups (12–14 and 15–17 years).
Results: The results indicated excellent internal consistency (α and ω > 0.90) in both samples and supported strict invariance between Mexico and Spain, as well as across genders and two age groups, confirming that the LCQ-EF measures autonomy support equivalently across cultures, gender, and age groups.
Discussion: The findings validate the LCQ-EF as a reliable tool for cross-cultural assessment of the perceived learning climate in Physical Education. The study highlights the universality of autonomy-supportive teaching as posited by Self-Determination Theory and provides a valid instrument to evaluate teacher behaviors that foster motivation and engagement in diverse cultural contexts.
1 Introduction
Secondary education is a critical stage in the educational journey, bridging primary schooling and higher education. Its importance extends beyond academic learning, influencing economic growth, social development, and personal empowerment. In this sense, according to Shek et al. (2021) and Steinberg (2014), this stage involves numerous emotional, and behavioral changes. This stage fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and a strong work ethic, preparing students for adult life and higher education (Singh, 2024; Uwaezuoke, 2022). On the other hand, adolescence is a period for personality and value development including aspects like resilience, responsibility, and emotional well-being (Evans et al., 2018) that enable adolescents to actively engage as responsible citizens and contribute to sustainable social development (Huttunen et al., 2023).
One of the most important aspects that guides human behavior is motivation. Motivation has been related to academic achievement with a positive relationship to academic performance (Cachón-Zagalaz et al., 2023) and adaptive behaviors like resilience (Supervía et al., 2019). In this sense, another important variable related to motivation is learning climate. Learning climate refers to the perceived atmosphere in a learning environment that supports or hinders students’ motivation, engagement, and learning processes. It is shaped by multiple dimensions such as autonomy support, involvement, and emotional support provided by instructors (Baeten et al., 2013; Reeve, 2016). In turn, the characteristics of the learning climate are linked to students’ motivation, as they facilitate the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs—competence, autonomy, and relatedness—according to Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci and Ryan, 1985, 1991, 2000). When an adequate learning climate is provided these needs are satisfied and this promotes autonomous motivation. For this to occur, teacher engagement is essential (Reeve, 2016). Consequently, students are more inclined to develop intrinsic motivation for learning when they perceive that they have control over their educational process (autonomy), feel capable of reaching their academic objectives (competence), and experience a sense of connection with both peers and instructors (relatedness) (Formento et al., 2023).
Physical Education (PE) plays a significant role in shaping the learning climate within schools. PE classes should use student-centered teaching methods to create a more positive learning climate since these environments increase student engagement, enjoyment, and intrinsic motivation (Marcelino, 2025; Simonton et al., 2021). In this sense, teacher behaviors that provide autonomy support are linked to students’ development of life skills and psychological well-being (Cronin et al., 2018). On the other hand, learning climate focused on mastery and autonomous motivation is associated with higher satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs, better self-determined motivation, and greater intention to participate in physical activity according to Cid et al. (2019) and Jaakkola et al. (2017). However, a performance climate focused on intragroup competition and rivalry decreases perception of autonomy, increases perception of control, is linked to less positive outcomes in PE students, and can increase amotivation (Jaakkola et al., 2017; Zheng et al., 2023).
Given the importance we have seen of motivation in the individual’s role, and specifically in students’, as well as the significant role of PE classes in their motivation, the role of the teacher, who creates an appropriate learning environment, is essential to achieving all the benefits of PE classes. Therefore, current research has sought various methods to analyze the learning environment generated by teachers in classes. Specifically, most analyses use a validated questionnaire to assess how teacher behaviors influence the climate. Existing instruments for assessing the learning climate focus on different conceptualizations grounded in distinct theoretical frameworks. For instance, the Learning and performance Orientations in PE Classes Questionnaire (LAPOPECQ) from Papaioannou (1994) has been used by several authors (e.g., Marcelino, 2025 or Rodrigues et al., 2022) and others more oriented to sport like the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ) by Walling et al. (1993), both based on the theoretical framework of Achievement Goal Theory (Nicholls, 1989). Apart from LAPOPECQ, the Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ) by Bowen and Kilmann (1975) and Williams and Deci (1996) is one of the most widely used instruments to analyze teachers’ autonomy support in PE classes within the framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This questionnaire, developed by Williams and Deci (1996), has shown satisfactory results across various contexts, and specifically with secondary education students (Baena Extremera et al., 2019; Granero-Gallegos et al., 2023; Manzano-Sánchez et al., 2023). The LCQ has been adapted to other countries such as Spain (Núñez et al., 2012), Japan (Aoshima and Suzuki, 2022), and Uruguay (Vinçon et al., 2019), and some studies also address invariance across gender (Simon and Salanga, 2021).
Despite what has been observed regarding the importance of the climate created by teachers in motivation and academic outcomes, as we have seen, there are few instruments specifically adapted for PE classes, and even fewer that assess different cultural contexts. This limitation is crucial since motivation and engagement in classes are influenced by cultural and contextual factors, as specified by Self-Determination Theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000). Moreover, during secondary education, where adolescents experience significant psychological, emotional, and social changes, it becomes even more important to validate questionnaires that can be used for the evaluation of PE interventions aimed at promoting improvement and change (Blakemore and Mills, 2014). Without these culturally adapted tools, it is difficult to accurately diagnose the existing learning environment and design appropriate interventions for PE students. The LCQ has undergone various adaptations to different contexts, including a short version (Simon and Salanga, 2021; Williams and Deci, 1996), a Spanish university adaptation by Núñez et al. (2012), a PE version by Granero-Gallegos et al. (2014), or applications in youth sport settings (Bean et al., 2020), and an adaptation to the Brazilian (da Costa et al., 2016) and Mexican (Maldonado-Maldonado et al., 2017) context.
However, no studies have been found that validate the questionnaire in other cultural contexts, specifically within PE classes, apart from the study by da Costa et al. (2016), in which the age of the participants is not specified. Given the great importance of promoting and analyzing the learning climate across different cultures and contexts and considering the widespread use of this questionnaire in Spain, it is necessary to examine whether this scale is appropriate for use in other cultures. Overall, there is a clear need for culturally invariant measures of teacher autonomy support in PE. This study is grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which links autonomy-supportive learning climates to the satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs and their motivation, engagement, and well-being. While previous national validations of the Learning Climate Questionnaire in PE, such as those by Maldonado-Maldonado et al. (2017) in Mexico and Granero-Gallegos et al. (2014) in Spain, provided evidence within specific cultural contexts, this study goes further by examining cross-cultural and multigroup measurement invariance, as well as age-specific applicability among secondary school students. By doing so, it offers new insights into the generalizability of the LCQ-EF across cultures and age groups, addressing an important gap in the literature.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the validity and measurement invariance of the Learning Climate Questionnaire in the context of Physical Education (LCQ-EF) among Mexican secondary school students, in order to determine whether it is a reliable and culturally appropriate instrument for assessing perceived learning climate in this population.
2 Method
2.1 Design and participants
The present study consisted of 1,753 PE students from two different cultural contexts: Mexico and Spain. The Mexican sample was composed of 896 students (after removing 4 cases with missing data from an initial pool of 900), including 463 boys and 433 girls, aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 13.62; SD = 0.997), from 12 public (80%) and 3 private (20%) schools in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico. In turn, the Spanish sample included 857 students aged 12 to 18 years (boys = 436; girls = 421; M = 14.298; SD = 1.475) enrolled in different educational institutions in the Region of Murcia. Given the minimal proportion of missingness in the Mexican sample (<0.5%), listwise deletion was applied; no imputation procedures were used.
2.2 Instruments
Support for autonomy, the Spanish version adapted to PE (LCQ-EF) by Granero-Gallegos et al. (2014) was used, which comes from the Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ; Williams and Deci, 1996, adapted to Spanish context by Núñez et al., 2012). The questionnaire consists of 14 items to measure the support for autonomy by the teacher, through a dimension called: support for autonomy. In the instructions, the subjects are asked to indicate the degree of agreement with the items. The answers were collected on a 7-point polytomic item scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). This scale showed a high internal consistency α = 0.963. Example items include, for the Mexican version: “En esta clase de Educación Física sentimos que el maestro nos da opciones y posibilidades” and for the Spanish version: “Siento que mi profesor/a de EF me ofrece distintas alternativas y opciones”.
2.3 Procedure
Prior to conducting the fieldwork, formal authorization was obtained from the school management, the School Council, and the PE teachers of the selected courses, as well as informed consent from parents. Parents received a letter outlining the study objectives, procedures, and a copy of the instrument. Before initiating data collection, interviewers received specific training following the guidelines of Manzano et al. (1996). This training addressed strategies for presenting the project to students and faculty, familiarization with the questionnaire items, pair-based practice, and discussion of potential student queries or reactions. Interviewers were additionally trained in the use of field logs, data recording protocols, and methods to enhance response rates and minimize bias. A pilot test was subsequently conducted with a comparable sample to identify potential design limitations.
Students were informed about the purpose of the study, its voluntary nature, confidentiality of responses, and the absence of right or wrong answers, and were encouraged to respond with complete honesty. The instrument was self-administered during a regular school day, under the supervision of two trained interviewers and the PE teacher. Administration required approximately 20 min of class time, depending on student age. Only participants with prior parental consent were included. Ethical approval was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Murcia (ID: 4447/2023).
2.4 Data analysis
The factorial equivalence of the LCQ-EF between Mexican and Spanish students was assessed through a multigroup factorial invariance analysis. The process was carried out hierarchically, beginning with the evaluation of configural invariance, followed by metric, scalar, and strict invariance, in line with the procedure recommended by Wang and Wang (2012).
Model comparisons were conducted using the fit indices RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation), CFI (Comparative Fit Index), and NNFI (Non-Normed Fit Index). To consider invariance as being maintained when moving from a less restrictive to a more restrictive model, the following cutoff criteria were used: differences in CFI (ΔCFI) and NNFI (ΔNNFI) values less than or equal to 0.01, and differences in RMSEA (ΔRMSEA) values less than or equal to 0.015 (Cheung and Rensvold, 2002; Wang and Wang, 2012).
Following the recommendations of Li (2016) and Rogers (2024), all analyses were performed using the Diagonally Weighted Least Squares (DWLS) estimator, which is particularly suitable for ordinal data (such as responses on Likert-type scales), when there is a reasonably large sample size and when there are violations of normality assumptions. For this purpose, the software JASP version 0.18.3 (JASP Team, 2024) was employed.
3 Results
3.1 Preliminary analysis
The descriptive results factor loadings, and item–total correlations of the LCQ-EF in both samples are presented in Table 1. The means and standard deviations of the items show similar patterns between Mexican and Spanish students, suggesting consistency in the perception of the construct under evaluation across both contexts.
Table 1. Descriptives, skewness, kurtosis, factor loading, and item-rest correlation of the LCQ-EF items in Mexico and Spain.
Regarding the reliability of the scale, the results were satisfactory. For the Mexican sample, Cronbach’s alpha reached a value of 0.919, McDonald’s omega was 0.924, and AVE (Average Variance Extracted) was 0.496. Similarly, in the Spanish sample, even higher values were obtained, with an alpha of 0.948, an omega of 0.969, and an AVE of 0.643, indicating excellent internal consistency in both samples.
3.2 Results of the multigroup factorial invariance analysis
The equivalence of the instrument in Mexican and Spanish students was tested through a series of factorial invariance analyses using the DWLS method. Table 2 presents the main fit indices for each of the evaluated models.
First, the baseline model for Mexico (M0a) was analyzed, which showed excellent fit indices, indicating that the factorial structure adequately fit the Mexican sample data. Similarly, the baseline model for Spain (M0b) also revealed acceptable fit indices, suggesting that the structure is equally valid for Spanish students (see Table 2).
Subsequently, multisample analyses were conducted by creating new nested models. Model 1, which examined the structural invariance of the instrument across both groups (same factorial structure without constraints), showed a good fit (RMSEA = 0.069, CFI and NNFI = 0.995), suggesting that the general factorial structure is shared between both groups.
In the next step, factorial loadings invariance was evaluated (M2, FL invariance). Here, RMSEA increased, and CFI and NNFI slightly decreased (see Table 2). However, the change in CFI relative to the baseline model (M1) remained below the critical threshold of 0.01, indicating that imposing equality of factor loadings across groups does not significantly affect model fit. In other words, the items appear to relate to the factors in a similar way in both countries.
Next, invariance of loadings and intercepts was tested (M3, FL + INT invariance). RMSEA remained stable, NNFI showed a slight increase, but CFI dropped to 0.988. Nevertheless, the change in CFI remained small (ΔCFI = 0.007). This suggests that, in addition to the loadings, the item intercepts can also be considered equivalent across groups, allowing for direct comparisons of latent means.
Finally, the most restrictive model was evaluated (M4, invariance of loadings, intercepts, and errors). The fit indices showed virtually no changes compared to the previous model, indicating that even when error variances were constrained, the overall model fit was not significantly compromised.
Similarly, factorial invariance of the LCQ-EF was examined according to students’ sex. Table 3 presents the results of the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), where the two baseline models (M0a for males and M0b for females) showed a good fit to the data in both samples (see Table 3). These findings indicate that the model performs adequately for both male and female students.
The results of the configural model (M1) showed that the underlying structure of the construct was equivalent across sexes. After constraining the factor loadings to be equal (M2, metric invariance), the differences in fit indices were minimal compared to M1, supporting the equivalence of item–factor relationships between men and women. When intercepts were also constrained to be equal (M3, scalar invariance), the model fit improved slightly in RMSEA, with these changes being trivial relative to M1. This finding supports scalar invariance, allowing for meaningful comparisons of latent means across sex. Finally, after constraining the residuals (M4, strict invariance), the model fit remained virtually identical to M3, and the differences relative to M1 were negligible. This suggests that equality of residual variances does not affect model fit and provides further evidence supporting strict invariance between male and female students.
Age-related factorial invariance of the LCQ-EF was also examined. Table 4 presents the results of the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Given the absence of 18-year-old students in the Mexican sample and the very small representation of this age (three cases) in the Spanish sample, age groups were defined as follows: students aged 12–14 years and students aged 15–17 years. The two baseline models (M0a for the 12–14-year-old group and M0b for the 15–17-year-old group) showed good fit to the data in both age groups (CFI ≥ 0.996, NNFI ≥ 0.995, RMSEA ≤ 0.077; see Table 4), indicating that the model adequately reproduces the construct structure in both younger and older students.
The configural model (M1) showed satisfactory fit (RMSEA = 0.062, CFI = 0.996, NNFI = 0.995), indicating that the underlying structure of the LCQ-EF is equivalent across age groups. When factor loadings were constrained to be equal (M2, metric invariance), changes in fit indices relative to M1 were minimal (ΔCFI = 0.000, ΔNNFI = 0.000, ΔRMSEA = 0.001), supporting the equivalence of item–factor relationships between the 12–14 and 15–17 age groups. When intercepts were additionally constrained (M3, scalar invariance), model fit even improved in terms of RMSEA, and changes in fit indices relative to M1 remained trivial (ΔCFI = 0.001, ΔNNFI = 0.001). This finding supports scalar invariance and allows for meaningful comparisons of latent means across age groups.
Finally, when residual variances were also constrained (M4, strict invariance), model fit remained virtually identical to M3 (RMSEA = 0.054, CFI = 0.995, NNFI = 0.996), and the differences relative to M1 were negligible. Taken together, these results provide evidence of configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance of the LCQ-EF between students aged 12–14 and 15–17 years, supporting the comparability of latent scores obtained with the instrument across these age groups.
4 Discussion
The aim of this study was to analyze the factorial validity and cross-cultural invariance of the Learning Climate Questionnaire in Physical Education (LCQ-EF) among Mexican and Spanish adolescents. The results confirmed excellent internal consistency in both samples and demonstrated configural, metric, and scalar invariance across groups, supporting the adequacy of the LCQ-EF to measure students’ perceptions of autonomy support in culturally diverse settings.
At the global level, the internal consistency indices (Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω above 0.90) were excellent, replicating previous findings in Spanish students (Granero-Gallegos et al., 2014) and aligning with other adaptations in Brazil (da Costa et al., 2016) and Italy (Monacis et al., 2023). The confirmatory factor analyses revealed acceptable fit indices in both cultural samples. Although most factor loadings were high, some items showed slightly lower standardized loadings in the Mexican sample, suggesting that subtle contextual or linguistic nuances may influence how certain statements are interpreted. These lower loadings may reflect cultural differences in how students perceive the role of the teacher and the degree of autonomy typically allowed during Physical Education classes. In some educational contexts, teachers tend to adopt a more directive role, which may lead students to be less familiar with expressing preferences or selecting among different activity options. Thus, items referring to choice or negotiation may be interpreted differently depending on these classroom norms. Similar patterns have been reported in other LCQ adaptations, where certain items required wording adjustments or showed weaker psychometric behavior (Núñez et al., 2012; Monacis et al., 2023). Therefore, these differences seem to reflect contextual norms rather than limitations of the scale.
The multigroup analysis confirmed configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance, indicating that the LCQ-EF operates equivalently across Mexican and Spanish adolescents. According to Cheung and Rensvold (2002), achieving metric and scalar invariance allows researchers to validly compare associations between variables and latent mean differences across groups. Practically, metric invariance ensures that items relate to autonomy support in the same way across countries, allowing comparisons of relationships with outcomes such as engagement or motivation. Scalar invariance permits meaningful comparisons of latent means, ensuring that differences reflect true perceptions rather than measurement bias. Importantly, strict invariance was also supported, meaning that residual variances are equivalent between groups (Wang and Wang, 2012). This level of invariance strengthens confidence that observed score differences are due to actual differences in perceived autonomy support, not to systematic measurement error, making the LCQ-EF particularly robust for cross-cultural research and educational evaluation.
In addition to gender invariance, this study also tested and confirmed measurement invariance across two adolescent age groups (12–14 and 15–17 years). The LCQ-EF demonstrated configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance between these groups, indicating that the questionnaire assesses perceived autonomy support equivalently across early and middle adolescence. These results support the age-specific applicability of the scale and permit valid comparisons of latent means across developmental stages. It should be noted, however, that age groups were restricted to 12–17 years due to the absence of 18-year-old students in the Mexican sample and the minimal representation of this age in the Spanish sample; therefore, results should not be generalized to students younger than 12 or aged 18 and older.
These findings support the universality postulated by Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000; Ryan and Deci, 2017). Autonomy-supportive climates were perceived consistently across Mexican and Spanish adolescents, reinforcing the idea that the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are cross-cultural in nature. In line with previous studies (Jaakkola et al., 2017; Cid et al., 2019), the validation of the LCQ-EF provides a reliable instrument to evaluate teacher behaviors that promote intrinsic motivation, engagement, and participation in PE. Given that adolescence is a critical stage for motivational development (Blakemore and Mills, 2014; Evans et al., 2018), having culturally invariant tools allows researchers and practitioners to assess the impact of interventions across diverse populations.
From a practical perspective, the LCQ-EF enables teachers and schools to evaluate how their behaviors foster autonomy support in PE. Previous evidence suggests that such environments increase enjoyment, life skills, and long-term adherence to physical activity (Cronin et al., 2018; Formento et al., 2023). The present findings make it possible to design and compare pedagogical programs in different countries, with the confidence that the tool measures the same underlying construct.
Some limitations should be acknowledged. First, although reliability and validity indices were robust, a small number of items showed comparatively lower factor loadings in the Mexican sample. This may reflect minor linguistic or contextual nuances in item interpretation, and future studies might explore whether additional wording refinements further improve the psychometric performance of these items across cultural groups. Second, the study was limited to two Spanish-speaking populations (Mexico and Spain), which may restrict the generalization of the results to other cultures and linguistic contexts. Future research may extend these analyses to additional cultural contexts or educational levels to further confirm the generalizability of the LCQ-EF.
5 Conclusion
This study provides strong evidence for the factorial validity and cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Learning Climate Questionnaire in Physical Education (LCQ-EF) among adolescents from Mexico and Spain. The findings confirmed configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance of the LCQ-EF, demonstrating that the instrument measures perceived autonomy support equivalently across groups. In addition, the LCQ-EF demonstrated full measurement invariance across two adolescent age groups (12–14 and 15–17 years), supporting its use for age-related comparisons within secondary education. The analyses revealed strict measurement invariance across genders, confirming that the LCQ-EF is equally applicable to both male and female adolescents. This validation currently applies specifically to adolescents in Physical Education classes in Mexico and Spain, and generalization to other populations or educational contexts should be made with caution.
From a theoretical perspective, the results reinforce the universality postulated by Self-Determination Theory, highlighting that autonomy support is a core element of the learning climate in PE regardless of cultural background. Practically, the LCQ-EF emerges as a valid tool for teachers and researchers to assess the motivational quality of PE classes and to design programs that foster intrinsic motivation and long-term engagement in physical activity.
Future studies should extend the validation of the LCQ-EF to other cultural contexts and examine its longitudinal stability, assessing whether the instrument is sensitive to changes resulting from teacher training or pedagogical interventions.
Data availability statement
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available upon request. Interested researchers may obtain access by contacting the corresponding author at the following email address: am9yZ2UuemFtYXJyaXBhcnZAdWFubC5lZHUubXg=.
Author contributions
MG-L: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. JZ: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. DP: Investigation, Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. RR-N: Investigation, Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. DM-S: Investigation, Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.
Funding
The author(s) declared that financial support was not received for this work and/or its publication.
Acknowledgments
This study is related to a research stay by Manuel Gómez-López at the Faculty of Sports Organization, Autonomous University of Nuevo León (Monterrey, Mexico), approved by the Governing Council of the University of Murcia in its meeting held on May 23, 2025, in accordance with Article 148 of the Statutes of the University of Murcia, approved by Decree 85/2004 of August 27, 2004 (B.O.R.M., September 6), and Royal Decree 898/1985 of April 30, concerning the regulation of university teaching staff.
Conflict of interest
The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Generative AI statement
The author(s) declared that Generative AI was not used in the creation of this manuscript.
Any alternative text (alt text) provided alongside figures in this article has been generated by Frontiers with the support of artificial intelligence and reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, including review by the authors wherever possible. If you identify any issues, please contact us.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
References
Aoshima, H., and Suzuki, M. (2022). Development of the Japanese version of the learning climate questionnaire (LCQ-J). Jpn. J. Educ. Technol. 46, 91–101. doi: 10.15077/jjet.45084
Baena Extremera, A., Granero Gallegos, A., Ortiz Camacho, M. d. M., Baños, R., and Escaravajal Rodríguez, J. C. (2019). Prediction of intention to practice leisure-time physical activity according to the learning climate and self-determined motivation in physical education. Habil. Motriz 52, 63–72.
Baeten, M., Dochy, F., and Struyven, K. (2013). The effects of different learning environments on students’ motivation for learning and their achievement. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 83, 484–501. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8279.2012.02076.x,
Bean, C., Rocchi, M., and Forneris, T. (2020). Using the learning climate questionnaire to assess basic psychological needs support in youth sport. J. Appl. Sport Psychol. 32, 585–606. doi: 10.1080/10413200.2019.1571537
Blakemore, S.-J., and Mills, K. L. (2014). Is adolescence a sensitive period for sociocultural processing? Annu. Rev. Psychol. 65, 187–207. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115202,
Bowen, D. D., and Kilmann, R. H. (1975). Developing a comparative measure of the learning climate in professional schools. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 71–79. doi: 10.1037/h0076363
Cachón-Zagalaz, J., Carrasco-Venturelli, H., Sánchez-Zafra, M., and Zagalaz-Sánchez, M. L. (2023). Motivation toward physical activity and healthy habits of adolescents: a systematic review. Children 10:659. doi: 10.3390/children10040659,
Cheung, G. W., and Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Struct. Equ. Modeling 9, 233–255. doi: 10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5
Cid, L., Pires, A., Borrego, C., Duarte-Mendes, P., Teixeira, D., Moutão, J., et al. (2019). Motivational determinants of physical education grades and the intention to practice sport in the future. PLoS One 14:e0217218. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217218,
Cronin, L., Allen, J., Mulvenna, C., and Russell, P. (2018). An investigation of the relationships between the teaching climate, students’ perceived life skills development and well-being within physical education. Phys. Educ. Sport Pedagogy 23, 181–196. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2017.1371684
Costa, L. C. A.da, Both, J., Passos, P. C. B., Medeiros, A. I. A., Marôco, J., and Vieira, L. F. (2016). Validação do Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ): Um Questionário Para Avaliação Do Clima De Aprendizagem. Revista De Educação Física/J. Phys. Educ., 85. Doi: doi: 10.37310/ref.v85i2.151
Deci, E. L., and Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. New York, NY: Plenum.
Deci, E. L., and Ryan, R. M. (1991). “A motivational approach to self: integration in personality” in Nebraska symposium on motivation: perspectives on motivation. ed. R. Dienstbier (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press), 237–288.
Deci, E. L., and Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychol. Inq. 11, 227–268. doi: 10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Evans, D., Borriello, G., and Field, A. (2018). A review of the academic and psychological impact of the transition to secondary education. Front. Psychol. 9:1482. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01482,
Formento, A. C., Quílez-Robres, A., and Cortés-Pascual, A. (2023). Motivation and academic performance in adolescence: a systematic meta-analytic review. RELIEVE - Rev. Electrón. Invest. Eval. Educ. 29, 1–23. doi: 10.30827/relieve.v29i1.25110
Granero-Gallegos, A., Baena-Extremera, A., Sánchez-Fuentes, J. A., and Molina, M. M. (2014). Validación Española del “Learning climate questionaire” adaptado a la Educación Física. Psicol. Reflex. Crit. 27, 625–633. doi: 10.1590/1678-7153.201427403
Granero-Gallegos, A., Gómez-López, M., and Manzano-Sánchez, D. (2023). Effect of a physical education teacher’s autonomy support on self-esteem in secondary-school students: the mediating role of emotional intelligence. Children 10:1690. doi: 10.3390/children10101690,
Huttunen, K., Pekkarinen, T., Uusitalo, R., and Virtanen, H. (2023). Lost boys? Secondary education and crime. J. Public Econ. 218:104804. doi: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2022.104804
Jaakkola, T., Yli-Piipari, S., Barkoukis, V., and Liukkonen, J. (2017). Relationships among perceived motivational climate, motivational regulations, enjoyment, and PA participation among Finnish physical education students. Int. J. Sport Exerc. Psychol. 15, 273–290. doi: 10.1080/1612197X.2015.1100209
JASP Team. (2024). JASP (Version 0.18.3) [Computer software]. JASP Team. Available online at: https://jasp-stats.org/
Li, C. H. (2016). Confirmatory factor analysis with ordinal data: comparing robust maximum likelihood and diagonally weighted least squares. Behav. Res. Methods 48, 936–949. doi: 10.3758/s13428-015-0619-7,
Maldonado-Maldonado, E., Pacheco-Rios, R., and Zamarripa, J. (2017). Validación mexicana del cuestionario de clima de aprendizaje adaptado a la educación física (Mexican validation of learning climate questionnaire for physical education). Retos 32, 115–118. doi: 10.47197/retos.v0i32.55170
Manzano, V. G., Rojas, A. J., and Fernández, J. S. (1996). “Manual para encuestadores: Fundamentos de trabajo de campo” in Ariel: Aspectos prácticos.
Manzano-Sánchez, D., Ferrer-López, B., Battaglia, G., and Gómez-López, M. (2023). Support for autonomy and fear of failure in physical education lessons. Differences between gender and physical extracurricular sports. Espiral. Cuad. Prof. 16, 1–11. doi: 10.25115/ecp.v16i34.9476
Marcelino, R. (2025). Beyond winning in physical education: the role of continuing professional development in fostering a learning-focused climate. Br. Educ. Res. J. 51, 2474–2490. doi: 10.1002/berj.4183
Monacis, D., Sulla, F., Peconio, G., and Limone, P. (2023). Measuring autonomy support in special needs teachers from a self-determination theory perspective: validation of the Italian version of the learning climate questionnaire. Front. Psychol. 14:1183205. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1183205,
Nicholls, J. G. (1989). The competitive ethos and democratic education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Núñez, J. L., León, J., Grijalvo, F., and Albo, J. M. (2012). Measuring autonomy support in university students: the Spanish version of the learning climate questionnaire. Span. J. Psychol. 15, 1466–1472. doi: 10.5209/rev_sjop.2012.v15.n3.39430
Papaioannou, A. (1994). Development of a questionnaire to measure achievement orientations in physical education. Res. Q. Exerc. Sport 65, 11–20. doi: 10.1080/02701367.1994.10762203,
Reeve, J. (2016). “Autonomy-supportive teaching: what it is, how to do it” in Building autonomous learners: perspectives from research and practice using self-determination theory. eds. W. Liu, J. Wang, and R. Ryan (Singapore: Springer), 129–152. doi: 10.1007/978-981-287-630-0_7
Rodrigues, F., Monteiro, D., Teixeira, D., and Cid, L. (2022). Understanding motivational climates in physical education classes: how students perceive learning and performance-oriented climates by teachers and peers. Curr. Psychol. 41, 5298–5306. doi: 10.1007/s12144-020-01047-x
Rogers, P. (2024). Best practices for your confirmatory factor analysis: a JASP and lavaan tutorial. Behav. Res. Methods 56, 6634–6654. doi: 10.3758/s13428-024-02375-7,
Ryan, R. M., and Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am. Psychol. 55, 68–78. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68,
Ryan, R. M., and Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Shek, D. T., Lin, L., Ma, C. M., Shek, D. T. L., Ma, C. M. S., Yu, L., et al. (2021). Perceptions of adolescents, teachers and parents of life skills education and life skills in high school students in Hong Kong. Appl. Res. Qual. Life 16, 1847–1860. doi: 10.1007/s11482-020-09848-9
Simon, P. D., and Salanga, M. G. C. (2021). Validation of the five-item learning climate questionnaire as a measure of teacher autonomy support in the classroom. Psychol. Sch. 58, 1919–1931. doi: 10.1002/pits.22546
Simonton, K., Garn, A., and Washburn, N. (2021). Caring climate, emotions, and engagement in high school physical education. J. Teach. Phys. Educ. 41, 401–410. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2021-0086
Singh, P. (2024). Role of teacher in secondary level. Int. J. Multidiscip. Res. 6, 1–6. doi: 10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i01.11903
Steinberg, L. (2014). Age of opportunity: lessons from the new science of adolescence. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Supervía, P., Bordás, C., and Teruel, P. (2019). School motivation, goal orientation and academic performance in secondary education students. Psychol. Res. Behav. Manag. 12, 877–887. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S215641,
Uwaezuoke, I. (2022). Managing secondary education to tackle the 21st century development challenges. Hum. Nat. J. Soc. Sci. 3, 61–68. doi: 10.71016/hnjss/crgnk323
Vinçon, J. I., Falcón, H., Misa Knuth, C., and Sosa, C. (2019). Adaptación a la cultura uruguaya del Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ). VII Congreso Internacional de Investigación de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Available onlne at: http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/139690 (Accessed December 15, 2025).
Walling, M. D., Duda, J. L., and Chi, L. (1993). The perceived motivational climate in sport questionnaire: construct and predictive validity. J. Sport Exerc. Psychol. 15, 172–183. doi: 10.1123/jsep.15.2.172
Wang, J., and Wang, X. (2012). Structural equation modeling: applications using Mplus. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
Williams, G. C., and Deci, E. L. (1996). Internalization of biopsychosocial values by medical students: a test of self-determination theory. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 70, 767–779. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.70.4.767,
Keywords: learning climate, Mexican students, school, secondary education, teacher climate
Citation: Gómez-López M, Zamarripa J, Pizarro D, Ramírez-Nava R and Manzano-Sánchez D (2026) Cross-cultural validation and measurement invariance of the learning climate questionnaire in physical education: evidence from Mexico and Spain. Front. Psychol. 17:1706868. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1706868
Edited by:
Joan Duda, University of Birmingham, United KingdomReviewed by:
Gabriella Ferrara, University of Palermo, ItalyAthanasios Papaioannou, University of Thessaly Medical School, Greece
Claudio Hinojosa-Torres, Universidad Andres Bello, Chile
Copyright © 2026 Gómez-López, Zamarripa, Pizarro, Ramírez-Nava and Manzano-Sánchez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: J. Zamarripa, am9yZ2UuemFtYXJyaXBhcnZAdWFubC5lZHUubXg=