# Cross-cultural validation and measurement invariance of the learning climate questionnaire in physical education: evidence from Mexico and Spain

## TL;DR

This study confirms that a questionnaire measuring the learning climate in physical education works reliably across different cultures, genders, and age groups.

## Contribution

The study provides cross-cultural validation of the LCQ-EF for use in Mexico and Spain, showing its universality.

## Key findings

- The LCQ-EF showed excellent internal consistency in both Mexican and Spanish samples.
- Strict invariance was confirmed across cultures, genders, and age groups.
- The LCQ-EF is a valid tool for assessing autonomy-supportive teaching in diverse contexts.

## Abstract

This study examined the factorial validity and cross-cultural invariance of the Learning Climate Questionnaire in Physical Education (LCQ-EF) among adolescents from Mexico and Spain.

A total of 1,753 secondary school students (896 Mexican, 857 Spanish) completed the LCQ-EF. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses tested configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance, including invariance across genders and two age groups (12–14 and 15–17 years).

The results indicated excellent internal consistency (α and ω > 0.90) in both samples and supported strict invariance between Mexico and Spain, as well as across genders and two age groups, confirming that the LCQ-EF measures autonomy support equivalently across cultures, gender, and age groups.

The findings validate the LCQ-EF as a reliable tool for cross-cultural assessment of the perceived learning climate in Physical Education. The study highlights the universality of autonomy-supportive teaching as posited by Self-Determination Theory and provides a valid instrument to evaluate teacher behaviors that foster motivation and engagement in diverse cultural contexts.