The relationship between physical activity levels and academic self-efficacy of high school studens

It is considered an important issue to what extent physical activity level affects academic success. It can be said that an active lifestyle contributes to high motivation and thus academic success. While academic success provides happiness and personal satisfaction to the individual, academic failure can, on the contrary, cause disappointment, loss of self-confidence and depression. However, one of the most important factors in achieving academic success is being healthy. For this reason, it is thought that a lifestyle that includes both academic achievements and physical activities will be more beneficial for each individual in the education system. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between high school students' physical activity levels and academic self-efficacy. The study group of the research consists of 556 students studying at Karakoçan Anatolian High School in Karakoçan district of Elazığ province in the 2022-2023 academic year. After removing the incorrect and insufficient survey data from the study, a total of 343 people were evaluated. Of the individuals participating in the research, 208 (60.6%) were women and 135 (39.4%) were men. Socio-Demographic Status Form, Physical Activity Scale for Adolescents and Academic Self-Efficacy Scale were used as data collection tools. SPSS 25.0 software program, t-test, anova analysis and pearson correlation analysis were used in the statistical analysis of the data obtained in the study. As a result of the research, it was found that the physical activity levels of high school students were low, female students had higher physical activity scores and more active physical activity levels than males, and the difference in question was statistically significant (p <0.05). When considered in terms of other demographic variables, it was determined that there was a significant difference (p <0.05) in the physical activity scores and academic self-efficacy of the students when evaluated in terms of gender, grade, school type, mothers' educational status and fathers' educational status. Additionally, it was determined that there was no difference between academic self-efficacy and class status, school types, family income levels and technological device usage (p>0.05). As a result, when the results obtained from the findings are examined; It was determined that there was a positive, moderately significant relationship between high school students' physical activity levels and academic self-efficacy.