AN EXAMINATION OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION MOTIVATION AND SPORTS PASSION LEVEL OF SPORTS SCIENCE STUDENTS

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the motivation for sports participation and levels of passion for sports among students in the Faculty of Sports Sciences, as well as to compare them across various variables. The population comprised students from the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Bayburt University, with a sample group of 312 athletes, including 162 males and 150 females. Demographic variables of the participants were collected using a researcher-developed "Personal Information Form." To assess the participants' motivation for sports participation, the "Sports Participation Motivation Scale" developed by Gill et al. (1938) and adapted into Turkish by Oyar et al. (2001) was utilized. Participants rated their reasons for sports participation on a 3-point scale: "Very Important (1), Slightly Important (2), Not Important (3)." The "Sports Passion Scale," a 5-point Likert-type scale with 8 items and a single subscale, developed by Sigmundsson et al. (2020) and adapted into Turkish by Özdayı et al. (2021), was used to measure the participants' levels of passion for sports. Descriptive tests were conducted to determine means for the subscales of motivation for sports participation and levels of passion for sports. Independent samples t-tests were performed for comparisons based on gender and sports branch. One-way ANOVA tests were conducted to compare differences based on years of sports participation and academic departments, followed by the Tukey test to determine which groups contributed to the observed differences. In the sub-dimensions of skill development, team membership/spirit, enjoyment, friendship, and physical fitness/energy expenditure, as well as in the passion for sports, it was determined that participants with 1-3 years of sports experience had lower levels than others.

Keywords: Sports Sciences; Students; Passion in Sports; Motivation in Sports