The relationship between physical literacy, academic self-efficacy and academic achievement in secondary school students

The present study aimed at exploring the interplay between upper-secondary school students' physical literacy, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement. To this aim, a cross-sectional survey design was employed. Additionally, the effects of moderator variables such as gender, school type, and whether or not students participate in sports were tested in the hy-pothesized regression model. The participants of the study consisted of 706 students studying in 47 secondary education institutions in the Central district of Çorum province during the 2023-2024 academic year. Personal Information Form, Physical Literacy Scale, and Academic Self-Efficacy Scale were used as data collection tools in the study. The data were analyzed via utilizing SPSS 25 package program. Means (X̄) and standard deviation (SD) were used in de-scriptive analyses, independent samples t-Test in comparative analyses, Pearson Moment Cor-relation coefficient (r) in testing relationships between variables, and Hayes PROCESS Macro Model 1 with 5000 BC Bootstrap resampling were used to test the significant of moderating effects. Descriptive findings indicate significant differences in students' preferences and emotional responses to physical activities. Students felt more competent in outdoor activities (X̄ = 3.42) compared to ice activities (X̄ = 1.66). These findings suggest that schools should better under-stand and consider students' preferences and needs to encourage participation in physical activities. Correlational analyses reveal a moderate positive relationship between Physical Literacy and Academic Self-Efficacy (r = .317, p < .05) and Perceived Academic Achievement (r = .119, p < .05). Furthermore, there is a moderate positive relationship between Academic Self-Efficacy and Reported Year-End Achievement Scores (r = .378, p < .05) and Perceived Academic Achievement (r = .283, p < .05). Multiple linear regression analysis shows that Aca-demic Self-Efficacy is a significant predictor of Academic Achievement (β= .288; t= 7.589; p < .05). Comparison of mean Physical Literacy scores by gender, male students scored signifi-cantly higher (t704 = -3.83, p < .05). When comparing by type of school, private school stu-dents scored significantly higher in both Physical Literacy (t704 = -2.064, p < .00) and Report-ed Year-End Achievement Scores (t704 = -8.92, p < .00). Regular participation in sports also yielded significantly higher mean scores in Physical Literacy (t704 = 12.60, p < .05), Academic Self-Efficacy (t704 = 3.45, p < .05), and Perceived Academic Achievement (t704 = 2.27, p < .05) compared to non-participating students. These findings provide evidence of the positive role of sports in students' holistic development. Despite the significant differentiation in mean scores of Physical Literacy, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Academic Achievement in favor of students who regularly participate in sports, the hypothesized model does not explain a signif-icant portion of the variance in academic achievement, thus suggesting that future research should include other factors affecting academic achievement in the model.