The Relationship Between Secondary School Students' Happiness Levels in Physical Education Classes and Their School Satisfaction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14849930Keywords:
Happiness, School Satisfaction, Physical educationAbstract
As schools are the primary venues where children and adolescents engage in physical activity, they provide an appropriate context for examining the relationship between happiness levels and school satisfaction. Physical education classes, which support both physical and emotional development, occupy a pivotal position in this regard. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between secondary school stu-dents' happiness levels in physical education classes and their overall school satisfac-tion. The study was conducted using a survey model. A total of 367 secondary school students (226 males, 141 females) studying in Adıyaman province participated in this study, which was conducted in the 2024/2025 academic year. Data were collected using the Physical Education Class Happiness Level Scale and the Comprehensive School Satisfaction Scale for Children. The findings show that there is a significant positive correlation between happiness levels in physical education classes and school satisfaction. These results underscore the critical role of physical education in promoting emotional well-being and improving students' overall educational experiences. Future research should examine sociocultural factors, gender differences, and long-term outcomes associated with physical education and their impact on happiness and school satisfaction.
References
Aberg, M. A., Pedersen, N. L., Torén, K., Svartengren, M., Bäckstrand, B., Johnsson, T., Cooper-Kuhn, C. M., Aberg, N. D., Nilsson, M., & Kuhn, H. G. (2009). Cardiovascular fitness is associated with cognition in young adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(49), 20906-20911.
Baker, J. A., Dilly, L. J., Aupperlee, J. L., & Patil, S. A. (2003). The developmental context of school satisfaction: Schools as psychologically healthy environments. School Psy-chology Quarterly, 18(2), 206–221. https://doi.org/10.1521/scpq.18.2.206.21861
Erhan, S. E., & Tamer, K. (2009). Doğu Anadolu bölgesi ilköğretim ve ortaöğretim okullarında beden eğitimi dersi için gereken tesis araç-gereç durumları ile öğrencilerin beden eğitimi dersine ilişkin tutumları arasındaki ilişkiler. Atatürk Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 11(3), 57-66.
Eryılmaz, A. (2011). Investigating adolescents’ subjective well-being with respect to using subjective well-being increasing strategies and determining life goals. Dusunen Adam Journal of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences, 24(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.5350/DAJPN2011240106
Fedewa, A. L., & Ahn, S. (2011). The effects of physical activity and physical fitness on children's achievement and cognitive outcomes: A meta-analysis. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 82(3), 521-535.
Huebner, E. S. (1994). Preliminary development and validation of a multidimensional life satisfaction scale for children. Psychological Assessment, 6(2), 149-158.
Huebner, E. S., Ash, C., & Laughlin, J. E. (2001). Life experiences, locus of control, and school satisfaction in adolescence. Social Indicators Research, 55, 167–183. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010939912548
Huebner, E. S., Zullig, K. J., & Saha, R. (2012). Factor structure and reliability of an ab-breviated version of the multidimensional students' life satisfaction scale. Child Indica-tors Research, 5(4), 651-657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-012-9140-z
Hui, E. K. P., & Sun, R. C. F. (2010). Chinese children's perceived school satisfaction: The role of contextual and intrapersonal factors. Educational Psychology, 30(2), 155–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410903494452
Karasar, N. (2011). Bilimsel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Ankara: Nobel Yayınları.
Khan, A., Lee, E. Y., & Horwood, S. (2022). Adolescent screen time: Associations with school stress and school satisfaction across 38 countries. European Journal of Pediatrics, 181, 2273–2281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-022-04420-z
Kriemler, S., Meyer, U., Martin, E., van Sluijs, E. M. F., Andersen, L. B., & Martin, B. W. (2011). Effect of school-based interventions on physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents: A review of reviews and systematic update. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45(11), 923-930. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2011-090186
Layard, R. (2011). Happiness: Lessons from a new science (Second edition). Penguin UK.
Lera-López, F., Ollo-López, A., & Sánchez-Santos, J. M. (2017). How does physical ac-tivity make you feel better? The mediational role of perceived health. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 12(3), 511-531. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-016-9473-8
Namlı, A., Temel, C., & Güllü, M. (2017). Ortaokul öğrencilerinin beden eğitimi dersine ilişkin ürettikleri metaforlar. Kastamonu Education Journal, 25(2), 479-496.
Ploughman, M. (2008). Exercise is brain food: The effects of physical activity on cogni-tive function. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 11(3), 236-240.
SHAPE America. (2020). Appendix—K-12 physical education distance learning sup-plement. https://www.shapeamerica.org/MemberPortal/advocacy/Reentry/appendix_k-12-physical-education-distance-learning-supplement.aspx
Siedentop, D. (2004). Introduction to physical education, fitness, and sport. McGraw-Hill.
Singh, A., Uijtdewilligen, L., Twisk, J. W., Van Mechelen, W., & Chinapaw, M. J. (2012). Physical activity and performance at school: A systematic review of the literature in-cluding a methodological quality assessment. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medi-cine, 166(1), 49-55.
Telef, B. (2014). Turkish adaptation study of the overall school satisfaction scale for children / Çocuklar için kapsamlı okul doyumu ölçeği’nin Türkçeye uyarlama çalışması. Eğitimde Kuram ve Uygulama, 10(2), 478-490. https://doi.org/10.17244/eku.43152
Temel, C., & Güllü, M. (2016). Draw a physical education lesson. Egitim ve Bilim, 41(183), 351-361.
Uğraş, S., & Serbes, Ş. (2019). Beden eğitimi dersi mutluluk düzeyi ölçeği geçerlik ve güvenilirlik çalışması. Journal of Global Sport and Education Research, 2(2), 1-10.
Varela, J. J., Zimmerman, M. A., Ryan, A. M., Stoddard, S. A., Heinze, J. E., & Alfaro, J. (2018). Life satisfaction, school satisfaction, and school violence: A mediation analysis for Chilean adolescent victims and perpetrators. Child Indicators Research, 11, 487-505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-016-9442-7
Verkuyten, M., & Thijs, J. (2002). School satisfaction of elementary school children: The role of performance, peer relations, ethnicity and gender. Social Indicators Research, 59(2), 203-228. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016279602893
Yenal, T. H., Çamlıyer, H., & Saracaloğlu, A. S. (1999). The effects of physical education and sport activities on motor ability and skill development of the fourth and fifth-grade students in elementary schools. Gazi Journal of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, 4(3), 15-24.
Zullig, K. J., Huebner, E. S., & Patton, J. M. (2011). Relationships among school climate domains and school satisfaction. Psychology in the Schools, 48(2), 133-145. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20532
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Göktuğ Norman, Mesut Akarsu, Gülseren Onay
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
