Predictive Role of Physical Activity in Academic Self-Efficacy Among High School Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19368491Keywords:
academic self-efficacy,, adolescence, high school students, physical activity,, sports participationAbstract
Adolescence is a critical developmental period during which psychological and behavioral factors may influence students’ academic beliefs and engagement. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between physical activity and academic self-efficacy among high school students and to determine the predictive role of physical activity in explaining academic self-efficacy beliefs. The study was conducted with 224 adolescents aged 14–17 years enrolled in grades 9–12 at an Anatolian high school in Ankara, Türkiye. Physical activity levels were assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), and academic self-efficacy was measured using the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale. Data were collected during regular class periods and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and simple linear regression analysis. The results revealed a strong positive relationship between physical activity and academic self-efficacy (r = .85, p < .001). Physical activity significantly predicted academic self-efficacy (β = .85, p < .001), explaining 72.5% of the variance (R² = .725). No significant differences were found according to gender or grade level, whereas students participating in sports demonstrated significantly higher levels of both physical activity and academic self-efficacy. These findings suggest that physical activity may represent an important behavioral context supporting adolescents’ academic confidence and highlight the potential contribution of school-based physical activity opportunities to students’ academic and psychological development.
References
Álvarez-Bueno, C., Pesce, C., Cavero-Redondo, I., Sánchez-López, M., Martínez-Hortelano, J. A., & Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. (2017). The effect of physical activity interventions on children’s cognition and metacognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(9), 729–738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2017.06.012
Álvarez-Bueno, C., Pesce, C., Cavero-Redondo, I., Sánchez-López, M., Garrido-Miguel, M., & Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. (2017). Academic achievement and physical activity: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 140(6), e20171498. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-1498
Aşkar, P., & Umay, A. (2001). İlköğretim matematik öğretmenliği öğrencilerinin bilgisayara ilişkin öz-yeterlik algısı. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 21, 1–8.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
Barbosa, A., Whiting, S., Simmonds, P., Scotini Moreno, R., Mendes, R., & Breda, J. (2020). Physical activity and academic achievement: An umbrella review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(16), 5972. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165972
Biddle, S. J., Ciaccioni, S., Thomas, G., & Vergeer, I. (2019). Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: An updated review of reviews and an analysis of causality. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 42, 146–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.08.011
Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2018). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı. Pegem Atıf İndeksi, 001-214.
Donnelly, J. E., Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D., Etnier, J. L., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P., & Szabo-Reed, A. N. (2016). Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: A systematic review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(6), 1197–1222. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000901
Ekici, G. (2012). Akademik öz-yeterlik ölçeğinin geliştirilmesi: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Eğitim ve Bilim, 37(164), 174–188.
Guthold, R., Stevens, G. A., Riley, L. M., & Bull, F. C. (2020). Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: A pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1·6 million participants. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 4(1), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30323-2
Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: Exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(1), 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2298
Honicke, T., & Broadbent, J. (2016). The influence of academic self-efficacy on academic performance: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 17, 63–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.11.002
Klassen, R. M. (2004). A cross-cultural investigation of the efficacy beliefs of South Asian immigrant and Anglo Canadian adolescents. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(4), 731–742. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.96.4.731
Kowalski, K. C., Crocker, P. R., & Donen, R. M. (2004). The physical activity questionnaire for older children (PAQ-C) and adolescents (PAQ-A) manual. College of kinesiology, university of saskatchewan, 87(1), 1-38.
Lubans, D., Richards, J., Hillman, C., Faulkner, G., Beauchamp, M., Nilsson, M., … & Stuart J. H. Biddle (2016). Physical activity for cognitive and mental health in youth: A systematic review of mechanisms. Pediatrics, 138(3), e20161642. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1642
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101832
Sibley, B. A., & Etnier, J. L. (2003). The relationship between physical activity and cognition in children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 15(3), 243–256. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.15.3.243
Singh, A., Uijtdewilligen, L., Twisk, J. W. R., van Mechelen, W., & Chinapaw, M. J. M. (2012). Physical activity and school performance: A systematic review of the literature. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 166(1), 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.716
Singh, A. S., Saliasi, E., Van den Berg, V., Uijtdewilligen, L., De Groot, R. H. M., Jolles, J., & Chinapaw, M. J. M. (2019). Effects of physical activity interventions on cognitive and academic performance. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53(10), 640–647. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098136
Tezbaşaran, A. A. (1996). Likert tipi ölçek geliştirme kılavuzu. Türk Psikologlar Derneği.
Usher, E. L., & Pajares, F. (2008). Sources of self-efficacy in school: A critical review. Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 751–796. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308321456
Yılmaz, M., Gürçay, D., & Ekici, G. (2007). Akademik öz-yeterlik ölçeğinin Türkçeye uyarlanması. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 33, 253–259.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Self-efficacy: An essential motive to learn. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1016
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ömer Kılınç
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
