A Longitudinal Study of the Relationship Between Physical Education and Student Academic Achievement

• In Event: Interest, Attitudes, Cognition, and Student Learning in Physical Education

Abstract

Using a large and nationally representative sample of elementary students from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Class of 1998 (ECLS-K), this study aims to examine the relationship between amount of time spent in physical education and academic trajectories in reading and mathematics. Using three waves of data from 1st grade to 5th grade, the three-level growth curve model was used to investigate the association controlling for student and school background characteristics. The results showed that the amount of time spent in physical education had statistically significant effects on academic achievement growth in both reading and mathematics. It indicates that increased participation time in physical education may be beneficial to high academic achievements for elementary students.

Authors

• Sangmin Kim, University of Maryland - College Park

• Yoonjeong Kang, American Institutes for Research