scholarly journals Considering Physical Well-Being, Self-perceptions, and Support Variables in Understanding Youth Academic Achievement

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E. Centeio ◽  
Cheryl L. Somers ◽  
E. Whitney G. Moore ◽  
Alex Garn ◽  
Noel Kulik ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between measures of students’ physical well-being and self-perception and their academic achievement. Specifically, we look at students’ social support for physical activity, physical activity perceptions, self-concept, self-efficacy, health behaviors, and cardiorespiratory fitness (as measured by the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run [PACER] test). Students ( n = 697 fifth graders) were surveyed at the beginning of the school year. A two-group path analysis revealed notable relationships between the predictor variables and proximal and distal outcomes, with some paths moderated by sex. One relationship that was significant for both sexes was cardiorespiratory fitness, as it was the only significant predictor of achievement. This effect was moderate to large for the female students ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]) and small to large for the male students ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]). These findings can be used to guide future research and educational prevention and intervention efforts.

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 2110-2140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngkyun Baek ◽  
Achraf Touati

This article reports an empirical study that explores gender differences in both cooperative and collaborative social gaming in relation to achievements and attitudes. Another aim was to compare students’ game attitudes, feelings toward group work, and achievements in cooperative versus collaborative digital game-based learning environments. One hundred sixty-four, sixth-grade students from five different classrooms at an elementary school in South Korea participated voluntarily in this study. A total of 2 boys and 2 girls were randomly assigned to each group, resulting in 20 groups for each of the grouping conditions. Based on interaction effects, results suggest that male students show more positive game attitudes in collaborative conditions, whereas female students show more positive game attitudes in cooperative conditions. Data also suggest that males show more positive feelings toward group work than females, irrespective of grouping conditions. Regarding academic and gaming achievements, female students showed higher academic achievement in collaborative conditions, while male students scored higher on academic achievement under cooperative conditions. Findings from this study indicate that gender-balanced groups show significantly higher gaming achievement in collaboration compared with cooperation. Results are interpreted with reference to future research and classroom practices.


Author(s):  
Khalid A. Bin Abdulrahman ◽  
Ahmad M. Khalaf ◽  
Fahad B. Bin Abbas ◽  
Omran T. Alanezi

This study was conducted to investigate medical students’ lifestyle habits, including sleep quality, eating and drinking patterns, physical activity, and social status. Method: This research project is part two of a multi-institutional cross-sectional observational study conducted among medical students from six medical colleges in Saudi Arabia between September and December 2019. Results: 675 medical students were enrolled electively into the lifestyle study. About half of this number were male students and the majority were aged 18–24 years. Most students (87.6%) slept between 4–8 h a day and over 44% were dissatisfied with their sleep. Only 28.1% had three meals a day; about 40% of them usually or always skipped breakfast. A total of 44% usually or always ate fast food and 44.7% drank 2 L of water per day. Moreover, male students were significantly consuming more fast food than females, p < 0.001. The majority (63.3%) revealed they usually or always drink black coffee daily. Females were significantly more inclined to regular coffee consumption than males, p < 0.001. Only 4.3% exercised for 30 min or more daily. The majority (65%) of the students were introverted; they had few close friends. Yet, 81% were somewhat satisfied or satisfied with their social life. Male students were significantly more satisfied with their social life than females, p = 0.001. Only 4.6% smoked cigarettes daily whereas 7.1% smoked e-cigarettes daily. In contrast, only 0.3% used shisha (hookah) daily. Male medical students were substantially more inclined to e-cigarette use than females (p < 0.001). The top five leisure activities of a medical student were surfing social media (75.9%), watching movies (61.3%), hanging out with friends (58.1%), spending time with their family (55.4%), and browsing the Internet (53.6%). Female medical students were significantly more inclined to surf social media than male medical students, p = 0.022; also, watching movies was preferred for females compared to males, p = 0.006. Conclusion: This study revealed that the majority of these medical students in Saudi Arabia exhibited healthy lifestyles to some extent, and these health-promoting behaviors differed based on sex, especially concerning physical activity and eating patterns. The findings of this study provide relevant information for future actions that will be geared towards effectively decreasing the occurrence of chronic illnesses and improving future doctors’ well-being.


2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (16) ◽  
pp. 1039-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adilson Marques ◽  
Diana A Santos ◽  
Charles H Hillman ◽  
Luís B Sardinha

ObjectiveThis report aimed to systematically review the evidence for a differential association between objective and self-reported physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on academic achievement.DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesStudies were identified from searches in Embase, Education Resources Information Center, PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTdiscus and Web of Science databases from January 2000 to December 2016.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesEligibility criteria included cross-sectional, longitudinal and interventional study designs. Outcomes included students’ school grade or a standardised test or measure of academic achievement. Explanatory variables were cardiorespiratory fitness and objective and self-reported physical activity. Inclusion criteria included school-aged children and adolescents aged–18 years (or students from primary to secondary school when student’s participants age was not described) and articles published in English, Portuguese or Spanish.ResultsA total of 51 articles met inclusion criteria: 41 cross-sectional, 2 intervention and 8 longitudinal studies. Results from 11 studies were inconsistent regarding the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and academic achievement. Ten of the 16 articles reported positive associations between self-reported physical activity and academic achievement. From the 22 studies that analysed the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and academic achievement, it was verified that they all generally support the beneficial effect of cardiorespiratory fitness on students’ academic achievement.ConclusionHigher cardiorespiratory fitness may be important to enhance children and adolescents’ health and, additionally, academic achievement. Due to a lack of consensus across studies, methodological issues associated with the assessment of physical activity should be considered when investigating physical activity and academic achievement.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Thelma S. Horn

This paper is based on a Senior Scholar presentation delivered at the 2020 annual meeting of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. The paper begins with a summary of the research work completed by the author and coinvestigators in regard to the influences that significant others (parents, peers, and coaches) exert on the psychosocial well-being of individuals in sport and physical activity. In each of these three areas, illustrative research studies are summarized in a predominantly chronological order with a commentary at the end of each section that identifies unanswered questions and suggests future research directions. In the second section, four particular lessons learned by the author over the course of a scholarly career are identified and explained.


Author(s):  
Ruben Vist Hagen ◽  
Håvard Lorås ◽  
Hermundur Sigmundsson ◽  
Monika Haga

Purpose: Physical education (PE) teachers’ assessments are often based on continuous observations of pupils. As certain psychological factors may mediate pupils’ learning behaviors relevant to the PE context, they may also influence academic achievement in PE. Thus, this study’s aim was to explore the association between pupil-related psychological factors and academic achievement in PE. Methods: Eighty-nine boys and 111 girls (12–16 years old) in lower secondary school participated in this study, responding to a questionnaire containing previously validated scales measuring pupils’ grit, mindset, self-perceptions, and situational motivation. The pupils’ final grade in PE was collected at the end of the school year. Results: A multiple regression model significantly explained 33% of the variance in grade. The self-perception domains—scholastic competence, athletic competence, and physical appearance—acted as unique predictors, explaining a small portion of the variance in academic achievement. Discussion/conclusion: These results support the importance of positive self-perceptions in relation to academic achievement in PE.


Author(s):  
Lma Nezar Suliman, Moeen Nsrawen

  This study aimed to identify level of emotional stability and its relationship with constituting of friendships and family adjustment among students in the preparatory stage in Al- Buiena. The study sample consisted of (285) male and female students in the preparatory stage in Al- Buiena in Palestine in the second semester of the school year (2018/2019). To achieve the aim of the study, the researcher developed an Emotional Stability Scale, Constituting of Friendships Scale, and Family Adjustment Scale. Validity and reliability for the scales were obtained. The results showed that the levels of emotional stability and constituting of friendships and family adjustment among students in the preparatory stage were moderate. The results showed that there was a positive correlation between emotional stability and constituting of friendships and family adjustment among students in the preparatory stage. Several recommendations and suggestions were provided including the need for future research investigating the relationships between the emotional stability, and constituting of friendships, and family adjustment among other populations in the Palestinian society and using other student’s samples and to compare their results with the ones reported in the current study.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Hasan ◽  
Salahuddin Khan

The present research study aims to examine the academic achievement of secondary school students in relation to gender differences. The study was carried out on a sample of 100 male and female students studying in class IXth of Aligarh District, U.P. India. Two self developed tools were applied which finally analysed by applying Mean, SD, t-Test and Pearson‟s Coefficient Correlation (r). Results revealed a significant difference between male and female students in English achievement scores and also no significant difference was found between English and Mathematics achievement scores of IXth grade male students. Results also revealed low positive correlation between English and Mathematics achievement of male students of IXth grade and moderate positive correlation between English and Mathematics achievement of female students of IXth grade. The results suggested to the need of motivation and encouragement for enhancing academic achievement scores of male and female students.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangyu Wang ◽  
Mei Zhen Zhang

Objective The majority studies focused on obesity prevention on physical activity and eating behavior. However, epidemiological studies have shown that sleep duration and sleep quality could be an adjustable risk factor for obesity. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of sleep quality with different measurement of obesity in Chinese university students. Methods A total of 481 college students aged 18-25 years volunteered to participate in this study. Sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)questionnaire. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)was used to determine the physical activity, Psychological status was assessed by Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Body height, weight and waist circumference are measured by a trained researcher. Body composition was evaluated by a bio-impedance device (InBody 230, South Korea). Independent sample t test was applied to compare the sleep characteristics, physical activity, obesity, depression and anxiety in different gender students. The associations among the dependent variables BMI, body fat percentage, and the independent variables age, sleep quality and sleep durations was examined using Multiple linear regression models. SPSS 22.0 (IMB SPSS Inc) was used for all statistical. Results The BMI (22.9±3.4 vs 21.6±3.2, p<0.001) of male students were significantly higher than that of female, but the percentage of body fat (18.7±6.9 vs 29.7±7.0, p<0.001) was lower than that of female. We observed a positive association between sleep quality and body fat percentage (β = 0.166, P = 0.037), and a negative association with age (β = -0.166, P = 0.008) in female students. Sleep quality was associated positively with BMI (β = 0.360, P<0.001), body fat percentage (β = 0.260, P<0.001), and age (β = 0.215, P<0.001) in male students; An inverse correlation between sleep duration and BMI (β = -0.141, P = 0.015), body fat percentage (β = -0.134, P = 0.022) was found, and a positive relationship with  anxiety scores (β = 0.331, P<0.001) in male students. while an inverse relationship was found with WHR (β = -0.236, P = 0.001), waist circumference (β = -0.169, P = 0.007), and a positive association between sleep duration with anxiety scores (β = 0.331, P<0.001) and depression scores (β = 0.415, P<0.001) in female students. Conclusions The obesity of male and female students goes up with the increase of total score of sleep quality, anxiety and depression, and goes down with the increase of sleep duration, physical activity time and energy consumption. Male obesity increases with age, but female obesity decreases with age. Among the importance of males' sleep duration and sleep quality in the obesity risk assessment, BMI and body fat percentages are more accurate, while for females, BMI and waist circumference is of no statistical significance.  


Author(s):  
Erin J Reifsteck ◽  
DeAnne D Brooks ◽  
Jamian D Newton ◽  
Lenka H Shriver

Former student-athletes may face challenges in maintaining physical activity and engaging in healthy eating after transitioning out of collegiate athletics. Maladaptive adjustments following athletic transitions can result in detrimental outcomes for former student-athletes, ranging from physical health concerns to negative psychosocial consequences. In contrast, positive transitions can promote optimal health and wellbeing. The Moving On! program was developed in recognition of the unique challenges faced by student-athletes and the importance of making healthy transitions out of college sports. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Moving On! program’s influence on several relevant theoretical constructs that influence health behaviors, including student-athletes’ self-perceptions and self-determined motivation for maintaining physical activity and healthy eating, along with their self-efficacy and intentions for engaging in these health-related behaviors after college. NCAA student-athletes in their final year of competition were recruited from two institutions. Participants (N = 20) completed the Moving On! program along with pre- and post-test surveys and focus group interviews. Survey results revealed positive changes in nutrition-related self-perceptions (t(19) = 2.406; p = 0.026; g = 0.38) and self-efficacy for healthy eating behaviors (t(19) = 3.022; p = 0.007; g = 0.70). No significant changes were observed for exercise identity (p = 0.845), physical activity self-efficacy (p = 0.114), or autonomous motivation for exercise (p = 0.108) and health eating (p = 0.264). Focus group responses indicated that student-athletes’ experiences in the program fostered positive shifts in their self-perceptions, enhanced their self-determined motivation, and reinforced their intentions for engaging in physical activity and healthy eating in the future. Implications for future research and program implementation are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 12-24
Author(s):  
Hassan Mohebbi ◽  
Christine Coombe ◽  
Robert Kirkpatrick

Emotional Intelligence (EI), defined as the “capacity to process emotional information accurately and efficiently” (Mayer & Salovey, 1995), has recently become one of the most discussed issues in different fields. There has been a great deal of discussion both for and against its potential role in education. In fact, it is argued that there is a significant relationship between EI and success in various aspects of life, including life satisfaction, mental health, self-efficacy, psychological well-being, occupational success, and academic achievement. However, there is a gap with regard to EI and its potential role and application in various fields and contexts. The intention of this paper is to stimulate debate and encourage further research about EI through discussing its definitions, constituents, theoretical framework, measurements, and the criticisms leveled against its alleged unfulfilled promise. Furthermore, we elaborate thoroughly on the directions for future research in this field of study.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document