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Home / Equine Research Bank / Front Sports Act Living / Finnish and Swedish riding school pupils’ motivation t...
Frontiers in sports and active living2023; 5; 1232428; doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1232428

Finnish and Swedish riding school pupils’ motivation towards participation in non-riding education.

Abstract: Many horse enthusiasts have insufficient knowledge about horse behavior and welfare (BW) and learning and human-horse communication (LC), which poses a risk for both horse welfare and human safety. The main objective of this study was to investigate why riding school pupils participate or do not participate in non-riding education in BW and LC, using Self-determination theory (SDT). SDT posits that the quality of motivation is related to the individual's basic psychological needs. A convenience sample of 568 riding school pupils from Finland and Sweden completed an online questionnaire. The results showed that forty percent of the riding schools offered education in BW, and thirty-two in LC. Twenty-seven percent of the respondents participated in education in BW, and twenty-five in LC at their riding school. The respondents were autonomously motivated to participate in education, i.e., they would participate because it is interesting and personally important. Perceived needs satisfaction at the riding school predicted autonomous motivation to participate. Education was offered to a greater extent in Swedish riding schools and Swedish respondents participated more often, as well as experienced more autonomous motivation, relatedness and competence satisfaction compared with Finnish respondents. To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore riding school pupils' motivation towards non-riding education.
© 2023 Nyberg, Linnavalli, Hartmann and Kalland.
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Publication Date: 2023-10-20 PubMed ID: 37927452PubMed Central: PMC10622966DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1232428Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research investigates the motivational factors driving riding school pupils in Finland and Sweden to engage in non-riding education related to horse behavior, welfare, and communication. Self-determination theory is applied to understand these motivations.

Objective and Research Method

  • The main aim of the study is to find out why riding school students choose to participate or avoid non-riding education about horse behavior and welfare (BW) as well as learning and human-horse communication (LC).
  • The Self-determination theory (SDT) was used as a theoretical framework. This theory posits that the quality of motivation is linked to fulfilling the individual’s basic psychological needs.
  • To gather data, an online questionnaire was completed by 568 riding school students from Finland and Sweden. This respondents group constitutes a convenience sample for the study.

Key Findings

  • The research uncovered that 40% of the riding schools provided education on BW and 32% on LC.
  • The participation rates among the students in the BW and LC education programs were 27% and 25% respectively.
  • The study found that the respondents were autonomously motivated to participate in these education programs as they felt them to be interesting and personally significant.
  • The motivation to engage in these programs was found to be influenced by the perceived needs satisfaction experienced by the students at their respective riding schools.

Geographical Differences in Education Offering and Participation

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  • There was a notable difference in the provision and participation in these educational programs between the Finnish and Swedish riding schools.
  • Swedish riding schools offered these programs more frequently compared to their Finnish counterparts, and correspondingly, Swedish students also participated more.
  • Swedish students exhibited higher levels of autonomous motivation, relatedness, and competence satisfaction compared to Finnish students. This can be possibly due to differences in the educational infrastructure and culture between the two nations.

    • Significance of the Study

    • This study is considered to be the first of its kind to delve into the motivation of riding school students towards non-riding education.
    • These findings can help riding schools to tailor their educational programs to suit the needs and motivations of their students, ensuiring the promotion of horse welfare and safety.

    Cite This Article

    APA
    Nyberg L, Linnavalli T, Hartmann E, Kalland M. (2023). Finnish and Swedish riding school pupils’ motivation towards participation in non-riding education. Front Sports Act Living, 5, 1232428. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1232428

    Publication

    Frontiers in sports and active living
    ISSN: 2624-9367
    NlmUniqueID: 101765780
    Country: Switzerland
    Language: English
    Volume: 5
    Pages: 1232428
    PII: 1232428

    Researcher Affiliations

    Nyberg, Lina
    • Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
    Linnavalli, Tanja
    • Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
    • Diversity, Multilingualism and Social Justice in Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
    Hartmann, Elke
    • Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
    Kalland, Mirjam
    • Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
    • Diversity, Multilingualism and Social Justice in Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

    Conflict of Interest Statement

    The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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