The Trans-Contextual Model and learning safety in sport

Abstract

Safety in sport is regarded as a critical public health concern in many countries due to the prevalence of sport injury and its related economy and public health costs. It is important that students learn about safety in sport, and be aware of the importance of preventing sport injury throughout their life. The trans-contextual model has primarily been applied to explain students’ motivation in physical education (PE) and leisure-time physical activity, however, it is postulated that the model has the potential to be applied in sport injury prevention. According to the trans-contextual model, it is expected that when significant others (e.g., PE teachers) provide support (i.e., autonomy support) for students’ autonomous motivation in sport injury prevention in PE lesson, students are more likely to develop autonomous motivation, positive beliefs, and intention to prevent sport injury in out-of-school sport contexts. In this presentation, a series of studies that examined various tenets of the trans-contextual model in sport injury prevention contexts will be presented. We will discuss the boundaries of existing evidence and present a coordinated program of studies that enhance the level of evidence and practicability of the trans-contextual model in promoting sport safety among students.