Physical activity level and sport participation in association with academic achievement in physical education among adolescents.

Abstract

Introduction: Physical education (PE) teachers' assessment practices and frequently applied teaching content suggest that pupils' academic achievement in PE may be influenced by individual differences in pupil-related factors such as leisure-time physical activity levels and sport participation. Although physical activity could be considered an inherent part of PE, neither of these factors are explicit assessment criteria in the Norwegian PE curriculum. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the association between leisure-time physical activity levels and sport participation (e.g., team ball, endurance, aesthetic, and strength sports) on academic achievement in PE for pupils attending lower secondary school (13-16 years).

Methods: A total of 169 boys, 174 girls, and 6 who identified as other gender (N = 349) participated in the study. The pupils answered an online questionnaire to collect data on their last-received grade in PE, as well as different questionnaire items from the Young-HUNT study related to leisure-time physical activity and sport participation.

Results: The main analysis, via stepwise regression, revealed that a greater frequency of pupils' leisure time physical activity and participation in endurance type and team/ball sports was significantly associated with a better grade in PE. The pupils who attended PE and similar subjects more frequently were also significant predictors in the regression model. The final mediation analysis indicated that participation in endurance type and team/ball sports mediated the relationship between the frequency of leisure-time physical activity and the grade in PE.

Discussion: The results are discussed in relation to the Norwegian PE curriculum, indicating a misalignment between learning outcomes and teachers' assessment and grading practice.