Effect of Instructor-Focused Leisure Education on Adolescent Leisure-Time Physical Activity(LTPA) in After-School Physical Activity: Theory of Planned Behavior’s Perspective

Grounded on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991), the aim of this study was to test the effect of TPB-based, leisure instructor-focused education on adolescent’s leisure-time physical activity(LTPA) in after-school physical activity(PA). In the experimentally-based, two-wave research design, 17 leisure-instructors and their students (n=197) were randomly assigned into either the experimental (n=98) or control group (n=99). Those students from seventeen instructors completed the questionnaire throughout two-time point assessment—at beginning and at the end of the course of after-school PA. Repeated measure two-way ANOVAs were adopted to test the effect of on TPB-based leisure instructor-focused education on adolescent’s three cognitive variables—namely attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control as well as intention, and one behavioral variable—namely leisure-time physical activity(LTPA). As results, students of leisure instructors in the experimental group perceived greater increases in attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control than did those of leisure instructors in the control group. Hence, students of leisure instructors in the experimental group showed greater level of intention toward PA and LTPA than did those of leisure instructors in the control group. These findings demonstrated that TPB-based leisure instructor education was effective to promote students PA intention and LTPA by increasing students’beliefs of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control in after-school PA.