Two studies examined the role of swimming competence on children's
motivation and intentions under the framework of the integrated model of
self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior
(TPB). The studies were conducted to investigate the direct and
moderating effects of swimming competence on the psychological
pathways and constructs in the model integrating SDT and the TPB.
Study 1 utilized a cross-sectional survey involving 4,959 primary school
children, and examined the relationships between swimming
competence and the model variables. Study 2 employed a pre-post-test
quasi-experimental design with 1,609 primary school children to assess
changes in swimming competence and its association with shifts in the
model variables. In Study 1, significant positive relationships were found
between swimming competence and all model variables (β = .061 to
.330, p < .05), except for intention (β = -.009, p > .05). The moderation
effects of swimming competence on model parameters were either small
or not statistically significant. In Study 2, improvements in swimming
competence correlated with change scores in all model variables (β =
.046 to .230, p < .05), except for subjective norm (β = .049, p > .05).
Notably, swimming competence did not significantly moderate the
parameter estimates of the integrated model at the change-score level (p
> .05). Our two large-scale studies demonstrate that the psychological
pathways of the integrated model of SDT and TPB are robust across
varying levels of swimming competence. The findings suggest that
sports training programs for children should not solely emphasize
competence development or skill acquisition. Instead, they must also
consider the motivational and social cognitive factors that influence
children's long-term intentions to engage in a sport. Enhancing these
psychological aspects may be essential for fostering sustained
participation in physical activities like swimming.