French validation of the Empowering and Disempowering Motivational Climate Questionnaire in Physical Education (EDMCQ-PE)

Abstract

Problem Statement: The motivational climate perceived by students during physical education (PE) considerably influences their motivation, engagement, and development. Previous research has underlined the importance of distinguishing between empowering and disempowering aspects of this climate (Duda, 2013). However, no validated French instrument currently exists to assess these dimensions, limiting both research and educational practice in francophone contexts. Approach: This study translated and validated the Empowering and Disempowering Motivational Climate Questionnaire in Physical Education (EDMCQ-PE; Milton et al., 2018) for French-speaking populations. The cross-cultural validation followed Vallerand's (1989) methodology, including forward and backward translation, expert review, and empirical testing. Three pupil samples were recruited: 29 French high school students to evaluate clarity of items, 27 bilingual students from the French High School of Chicago to assess concurrent and content validity, and 350 French high school students to test reliability and construct validity. Purpose: The aim of the study was to propose a French tool to measure the motivational climate perceived in PE. The objective was not only to provide a linguistic translation of the EDMCQ-PE but also to confirm that the French version preserves the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the original questionnaire, ensuring it can be reliably used in research and applied contexts. Results: The results obtained were close to those reported by Milton et al. (2018). As expected, a two-dimension model (empowering and disempowering) provided an acceptable fit and clear parameter estimates. Indicators of internal consistency were satisfactory, and the tests with bilingual students supported both concurrent and content validity. Together, these findings suggest that the French version demonstrates sound psychometric qualities. Conclusions: Several indicators confirm that the French version of the EDMCQ-PE is faithful to the original. It can therefore be considered a valid and reliable instrument to measure the motivational climate perceived by students in PE. This tool offers new opportunities for research in francophone contexts and will allow comparisons across cultural settings, while also supporting interventions designed to foster more empowering motivational climates in schools.