The purpose of this study was to enlighten the importance of the social interactions regarding the students’ wellbeing and learning in physical education. This should lead to an increased reflection and a nuanced perspective on physical education, where the organization of the subject and the students’ participation has seemed to be most important. The study should therefore investigate how the students’ self-efficacy, goal orientation and self-concept influenced the social interactions within a class. All of these mentioned theories explain human behavior. Further, the study showed how the social interactions occurred, how it influenced the students’ cognitions, affections and behavior, and why the social interactions occurred in a certain way. This resulted in initiatives to increasing the students’ positive social interactions. The selection of this study came from a secondary school in Kristiansand. The class contained 23 students and was observed and video-recorded through 11 physical education classes. Eight of these students were interviewed two times each, and their teacher one time. The results showed that the students’ self-efficacy influenced the number of social interactions with their peers, only regulated by self-perceived shyness. The students’ goal orientation influenced the social interactions regarding if they were positive or negative. The students chosen behavior were also a result of their self-concept. The implications of this study were that the teachers should be aware of the mentioned characteristics within the students. How it influenced the students’ cognitions, affections and behavior, and what one should initiate for increasing the positive social interactions in a physical education class.

Masteroppgave idrettsvitenskap- Universitetet i Agder, 2015