Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation in high school physical education: which one fuels adolescent achievement emotions better?

This dataset was collected to investigate the relationships between high school students’ intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation levels toward physical education and their achievement emotions. Data were gathered from 1,399 students attending various high schools in Turkey during the 2024–2025 academic year. Motivation was measured using the “Motivation for Participation in Physical Education Lesson Scale,” and achievement emotions were assessed with the “Achievement Emotions Scale for Physical Education.” The study employed a cross-sectional design and structural equation modeling for data analysis. The findings highlight the importance of intrinsic motivation in fostering positive achievement emotions and reducing negative ones, while amotivation was associated with less favorable emotional outcomes. The dataset can be used to further explore the role of motivation and emotional experiences in physical education, and to examine the influence of psychological needs, cultural context, and technological factors on student motivation and well-being.