The relationship between physical activity and academic achievement in middle school students: the chain mediating role of social support and learning engagement

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3338210/v1

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The relationship between physical activity and academic achievement in middle school students: the chain mediating role of social support and learning engagement

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3338210/v1

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The academic achievement of middle school students has always been a hot topic that scholars pay attention to.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement of middle school students, and to verify the mediating role of social support and learning engagement between them.

Methods: 3230 middle school students in Guangdong Province were investigated and tested by physical activity scale, academic achievement scale, perceptive social support scale and learning engagement scale.

Results: (1) Boys scored slightly higher than girls in physical activity and social support, but slightly lower in academic achievement and engagement. There were some differences in physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement among middle schools in Guangdong Province (P<0.05). (2) Physical activity had a significant positive correlation with academic achievement (r=0.37, p < 0.01), and physical activity had a significant direct path to academic achievement (β=-0.025, t=2.052, p < 0.01). Physical activity positively predicted social support (β=0.085, t=1.552, p < 0.01) and learning engagement (β=0.082, t=0.562, p < 0.01). Social support significantly predicted learning engagement (β=0.096, t=3.376, p < 0.01) and academic achievement (β=-0.038, t=1.568, p < 0.01). Learning engagement positively predicted academic achievement (β=0.054, t=1.558, p < 0.01). (3) Social support and learning engagement play a significant mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement, and the mediating effect accounts for 90.25% of the total effect. The mediating effect was composed of three pathways: physical activity → social support → academic achievement (13.82%), physical activity → learning engagement → academic achievement (26.02%), physical activity → social support → learning engagement → academic achievement (50.41%).

Conclusion: Physical activity can significantly positively predict middle school students' social support, learning engagement and academic achievement, that is, physical activity can not only directly predict middle school students' academic achievement, but also directly predict academic achievement through the independent mediating effect of social support and learning engagement, and indirectly predict academic achievement through the chain mediating effect of social support and learning engagement.

physical activity

Academic achievement

Social support

Learning engagement

Mediating effect

Middle school student

With the intensification of social competition and the continuous advancement of education reform, the academic pressure and learning quality of middle school students have become the focus of extensive attention. Research shows that in recent years, the academic achievement of middle school students in China has shown a steady upward trend ^[1], which is mainly due to the increase in educational input, the optimization of teachers and the promotion of education and teaching reform ^[2]. However, some studies have also pointed out that the academic gap between middle school students still exists, and some students are facing problems such as excessive academic pressure and learning difficulties ^[3]. Further, middle school students in mainland China lead the world in the comprehensive scores of subjects such as mathematics, science and reading ^[4], which reflects the competitiveness and advantages of our education system in subject learning. However, there are many problems in the modern era with the rapid development of education. For example, students' performance in creative thinking, practical ability and comprehensive quality is relatively weak. Disparities between students in different areas persist, especially among minority and low-income students, which can negatively impact their academic achievement and mental health ^[5]. It can be seen that the academic achievement of middle school students as a whole shows an upward trend, but still faces some challenges and problems.

2.1. Physical activity and academic achievement

In recent years, many scholars have come to different views on how to promote students' academic achievement, especially in the field of physical education. Scholars believe that physical activity is considered to be one of the important factors affecting the well-being of adolescents in all aspects ^[6], and it has been proven to have a positive impact on the physical and mental health and overall development of adolescents ^[7]. Research has shown that physical activity also plays an important role in promoting academic achievement, with students with high levels of physical activity more likely to achieve higher academic achievement ^[8.9]. Research shows that students who perform well in physical exercise tend to perform well in academic aspects. Students who participate in sports have higher motivation and interest in learning, and they are more self-disciplined and focused on learning tasks ^[10]. Weekly moderate intensity physical activity, such as jogging, swimming or aerobics, significantly improved their math and verbal scores ^[11]. This is because physical activity improves blood circulation and oxygen supply and improves brain function ^[12]. At the same time, physical activity can also reduce students' stress and anxiety, improve their emotional state, and make them more relaxed and focused during study ^[13]. In addition, scholars have explored the impact of physical activity on cognitive ability during learning. For example, students who engage in regular physical activity perform better in attention, working memory, and information processing, and physical activity can stimulate the brain to produce neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, chemicals associated with cognitive function ^[14]. It can be seen that there is a positive correlation between physical activity and academic achievement, and moderate physical activity can not only help improve students' cognitive ability and attention, but also promote their mental health and emotional state, thus having a positive impact on academic performance. However, the specific mechanisms need to be explored and validated by more research (this study focuses on the mechanism between social support, learning engagement and physical activity and academic achievement). Therefore, hypothesis 1 of this study is put forward: physical activity has a positive predictive effect on middle school students' academic achievement.

2.2. Mediating role of social support

Social support plays an important role in an individual's academic achievement (social support refers to the support and encouragement from social relationships such as family members, teachers and classmates) ^[15]. Studies have shown that obtaining social support from families, peers and teachers can promote students' learning motivation, self-confidence and satisfaction with learning, thereby improving their academic achievement ^[16]. Fredricks and Eccles pointed out in their research that social support can increase students' motivation and opportunities to participate in physical activities by providing support and encouragement, thus promoting the improvement of academic achievement ^[17]. In particular, when students participate in sports activities, the support of coaches and parents has a positive impact on their academic achievement ^[18]. It can be seen that social support plays an important mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement. Therefore, hypothesis 2 of this study is proposed: social support plays a mediating role between physical activity and middle school students' academic achievement.

2.3. The mediating role of learning engagement, the chain mediating role of social support and learning engagement

Physical activity can improve students' learning attitude and attention, and thus enhance their learning engagement (learning engagement refers to students' attention, involvement and enthusiasm for learning tasks), and promote the improvement of academic achievement ^[19]. Hagger et al. also found that physical activity can improve students' learning attitude and engagement, thus promoting their academic achievement ^[20]. Students who participate in sports activities are more active and motivated in their studies, which has a positive impact on their academic achievement ^[21]. It can be seen that learning engagement plays a mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement. Therefore, hypothesis 3 of this study is proposed: learning engagement has a mediating effect between physical activity and middle school students' academic achievement. In addition, the research also pointed out that there is interaction and continuous mediating effect between social support and learning engagement, and there is a chain mediating effect between them, and social support can indirectly affect academic achievement by affecting learning engagement ^[22]. This is because social support can improve students' self-esteem and self-confidence, thereby increasing their input and efforts in learning tasks, and social support can affect academic achievement by affecting learning input ^[23]. Therefore, hypothesis 4 of this study is proposed: social support and learning engagement play a chain mediating role between physical activity and middle school students' academic achievement.

In summary, scholars have pointed out the positive correlation between physical activity and academic achievement, and emphasized the mediating and chain mediating role of social support and learning engagement in this relationship. The above research results provide theoretical basis for the hypothesis of this study. Therefore, the research framework concept of this study was established (Fig. 1) : (1) To examine the predictive effect of physical activity on middle school students' academic achievement; (2) To investigate the mediating role of social support between physical activity and academic achievement of middle school students; (3) Investigate the mediating effect of learning engagement on physical activity and academic achievement of middle school students; (4) To examine the chain mediating effect of social support and learning engagement on physical activity and academic achievement of middle school students.

3.1. Research object

Physical activity scale, academic achievement scale, social support scale and learning engagement scale were used to conduct a random sampling survey of middle school students in Guangdong Province. In order to make the sample more representative, economic level and other factors were considered. According to the current administrative division of Guangdong Province, 2 middle schools (42 in total) were selected from each of the 21 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong Province, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Foshan. Two classes (84 classes in total) were randomly selected from each school, and a total of 3528 questionnaires were distributed. The subjects were tested in the physical education class, and the main testers were all trained physical education teachers and psychology students. The test was approved by school leaders, class teachers and subjects, and all questionnaires were completed within 10 minutes. After the questionnaires were collected, they were excluded according to the following criteria: (1) missing date; (2) reply regularly; (3) Inconsistent answers. After sorting, 3230 valid questionnaires were collected in this study, with a recovery rate of 92%. The age range of participants was 12 to 17 years old (M age = 13.21, SD age = 0.54), of which 1578 were male and 1712 were female. There was no significant difference between the gender variables. In addition, the study was supported and approved by the Institutional Review Committee of Zhaoqing College. All secondary school students who participated in the survey signed informed consent forms. The informed consent for this study describes the purpose and process of the study, the methods used and other contents, and also includes information such as confidentiality guarantee, voluntary participation principle and contact information of researchers.

3.2. Research method

3.2.1. Psychometric method

(1) Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3)

The Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3) compiled by Liang Deqing, which is widely used in the field of physical activity, is mainly used to assess an individual's physical activity level ^[24]. ARS-3 consists of three modules: activity intensity, activity duration, and activity frequency. Each module is divided into 5 levels, scoring 1–5 points, physical activity amount = intensity x time x frequency, the amount of physical activity can be converted into the highest 100 points, the lowest 0 points, the formulation of the physical activity scale standard: small activity amount ≤ 19 points; Small activity ≤ 20–39 minutes; Medium activity ≤ 40–59 min; Greater activity ≤ 60–79 min; Large activity ≤ 80–100 minutes. Studies have proved that the scale has good reliability and validity in middle school students ^[25]. In this study, Cronbach's α coefficient and KMO value of this scale were 0.506 and 0.651, indicating that the scale questionnaire in this study had good reliability and validity.

(2) Academic achievement Scale

Using the academic achievement questionnaire compiled by Wen Chao et al. ^[26], middle school students were asked to evaluate their academic performance in Chinese, mathematics and English. Using a 5-point score (1 is very bad, 2 is lower than average, 3 is medium, 4 is above average, and 5 is very good), the average score of the three subjects is finally calculated. In addition, considering the combined calculation of the test scores of the two subjects, this study converted the original test scores (mean 50, standard deviation 10) during data processing. The higher the score, the stronger the academic achievement of the subjects ^[27]. Studies have proved that the scale has good reliability and validity in middle school students ^[28]. In this study, the Cronbach's α coefficient and KMO value of this scale were 0.875 and 0.718, indicating that the scale questionnaire in this study had good reliability and validity.

(3) Social support scale

The perceptive social support Scale was originally compiled by Zimet ^[29] and later translated and revised by Jiang Qianjin, a Chinese scholar, to reflect the degree of perceptive social support, with emphasis on individuals' self-understanding and self-feeling of different sources of social support ^[30]. The scale consists of 12 questions and consists of three dimensions (family support, friend support, and other support). The scale is scored with 7 Likert points, from 1 to 7 points is "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree". The total score of understanding social support is summed up by all items, and the total score between 12 and 36 is low support state, the total score between 37 and 60 is intermediate support state, and the total score between 61 and 84 is high support state. A higher score indicates a higher level of social support. Studies have proved that the scale has good reliability and validity in middle school students ^[31]. In this study, Cronbach's α coefficient and KMO value of this scale were 0.879 and 0.948, indicating that the scale questionnaire in this study had good reliability and validity.

(4) Learning engagement Scale

The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student compiled by Schaufeli et al., and revised by Fang Laitan et al. (2008) was adopted ^[32.33]. The revised scale includes three dimensions of vitality (6 questions), dedication (5 questions) and concentration (6 questions), with a total of 17 questions. Likert-7-point score is adopted, with 1 representing "never" and 7 representing "always". The total score of learning engagement is summed up by all items. The higher the score of each dimension, the higher the level of learning engagement. Studies have proved that the scale has good reliability and validity in middle school students ^[34]. In this study, the Cronbach's α coefficient and KMO value of this scale were 0.920 and 0.954, indicating that the scale questionnaire in this study had good reliability and validity.

3.2.2. Mathematical statistics

After the questionnaire was collected and the invalid data were screened again, SPSS21.0 software and the SPSS macro program Process plug-in compiled by Hayes were used for statistical analysis of the data in this study. First, SPSS21.0 software was used to conduct descriptive statistics (mean ± standard deviation) and difference test (P < 0.05) on the test data of demographic information, physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement. Second, common latent factors are used in SPSS21.0 software to test for common method bias. Third, SPSS21.0 was used to examine the Pearson bivariate relationship between physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement of middle school students. Fourthly, the PROCESS plug-in model 6 and Bootstrap (5000 times) sampling technique were used to examine the independent mediating effect between social support and learning engagement, and the chain mediating effect between physical activity and academic achievement. In this study, P < 0.05 was set as a statistical result with significance.

4.1 Descriptive statistics on physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement

Table 1 showed that physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement had no statistical significance in gender difference analysis (P > 0.05). Physical activity, academic achievement and learning engagement had statistical significance in age difference analysis (P < 0.05), while social support had no statistical significance in age difference analysis (P > 0.05). Boys scored slightly higher in physical activity and social support tests than girls, but slightly lower in academic achievement and engagement tests. Among them, according to the results of the sample survey, in terms of physical activity, 19.07% of middle school students took small amount of exercise, 50.77% took small amount of exercise, 16.28% took moderate amount of exercise, 10.65% took large amount of exercise, and 3.22% took large amount of exercise. In terms of academic achievement, 11.86% of middle school students rated their academic achievement as very poor, 21.08% as lower than average, 43.03% as medium, 24.02% as upper than average, and no one thought their academic achievement was very good. In terms of social support, 9.88% of middle school students showed low support, 75.85% middle support and 14.27% high support. In terms of study commitment, 10.84% of middle school students think they never devote themselves to study, 20.46% think occasionally, 39.26% think sometimes, 20.03% is most of the time, and only 9.41% always devote themselves to study. The above results show that middle school students do have different degrees of physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement, which is helpful for further research in this paper. In addition, the four variables showed certain regularity in different statistical calibers, which is helpful to further understand the influence degree and mutual relationship of physical activity, social support and learning engagement on academic achievement.

Table 1

Descriptive statistics of physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement test results (x ± SD)
sex	n/people	Physical activity	academic achievement	social support	learning engagement
male	1518	36.41 ± 19.17	53.61 ± 1.00	52.13 ± 11.32	66.39 ± 16.71
female	1712	35.71 ± 19.78	53.67 ± 0.98	51.93 ± 11.36	67.89 ± 16.12
totality	3230	36.04 ± 19.49	3.66 ± 0.99	52.03 ± 11.34	67.13 ± 16.40
Sex difference(F/p)		1.52/0.31	2.78/0.84	0.38/0.62	4.68/0.39
Age difference(F/p)		28.40/0.00	2.12/0.05	2.11/0.06	3.05/0.01
Note: P < 0.05 represents significant difference between gender and age.

4.2 Common method deviation test

There may be a risk of common methodological bias in data collection using questionnaires ^[35]. Therefore, Harman single factor test was used for statistical control before data analysis, that is, unrotated principal component factor analysis for all variables ^[36]. The results show that there are 6 factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 extracted from the results of unrotated exploratory factor analysis, and the variance variance explained by the first factor is 29.80%, less than the critical value of 40% ^[37]. This indicates that there are no factors that can explain most of the variation in this study, so there is no serious common method bias in the data of this study, which meets the conditions for further testing of chain mediation effect.

4.3 Correlation analysis of physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement

As can be seen from Table 2, physical activity is significantly positively correlated with academic achievement, social support and learning engagement. Academic achievement is positively correlated with social support and academic involvement. There was a significant positive correlation between social support and learning engagement. It can be seen that there is a significant correlation between the study variables (physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement), and the relationship between the variables supports subsequent hypothesis testing, providing a good basis for the mediation effect test of this study.

Table 2

Correlation analysis and statistics of physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement
variable	physical activity	academic achievement	social support	learning engagement
physical activity	1
academic achievement	0.37^**	1
social support	0.58**	0.55**	1
learning engagement	0.43**	0.89**	0.66**	1
N = 3230. * p < 0.01. The same below.*

4.4 Testing the mediating effects of social support and learning engagement

Physical activity was taken as the independent variable, social support and learning involvement as the mediating variable, and academic achievement as the dependent variable. The SPSS macro program plug-in PROCESS^[38] provided by Hayes was adopted, model 6 was selected according to Templates, and non-parametric percentile Bootstrap test with deviation correction was selected (repeated sampling 5000 times). A 95% confidence interval was calculated to analyze the effects of the chain mediation model ^[39.40]. Therefore, according to Table 3 and the path coefficient results (Fig. 2), the total effect of physical activity on the academic achievement of middle school students is 0.123 (t = 1.378,P < 0.001). The path coefficient of physical activity on academic achievement was 0.025 (t = 2.052, P < 0.001). The path coefficient of physical activity on social support was 0.085 (t = 1.552, P < 0.001). The path coefficient of social support on academic achievement was 0.038 (t = 1.568, P < 0.001). The path coefficient of physical activity on learning involvement was 0.082 (t = 0.562, P < 0.001). The path coefficient of learning engagement on academic achievement was 0.054 (t = 1.558, P < 0.001). The path coefficient of social support on learning input was 0.096 (t = 3.767, P < 0.001), and all path coefficients reached the significance level (P < 0.001). The results confirm the hypothesis H1.

Table 3

Regression analysis of the chain mediation model between physical activity and academic achievement
variable	social support		learning engagement		academic achievement		Total effect
variable	β	t	β	t	β	t	β	t
physical activity	0.085	1.552**	0.082	0.562**	0.025	2.052**	0.123	1.378**
social support			0.096	3.767**	0.038	1.568**
learning engagement					0.054	1.558**
R2	0.032		0.042		0.806		0.059
F	1.303		7.231		1.275		1.902
Note: <0.05,*<0.001.

After the standardized effect size and significance test corresponding to the action path of physical activity on middle school students' academic achievement, it can be found (Table 4) that the Bootstrap95% confidence interval of the total indirect effect of physical activity on middle school students' academic achievement does not include 0. The results show that "social support" and "learning engagement" have a significant mediating effect between physical activity and academic achievement. The intermediary effect consists of three indirect effects: (1) For the indirect effect produced by the "physical activity" → "social support" → "academic achievement" path, the Bootstrap95% confidence interval does not include 0, indicating that social support plays a significant mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement (standardized value = 0.017, accounting for 13.82% of the total effect), which verifies hypothesis H2; (2) For the indirect effect produced by the path of "physical activity" → "learning engagement" → "academic achievement", the Bootstrap95% confidence interval does not include 0, indicating that learning engagement plays a significant mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement (standardized value = 0.032, accounting for 26.02% of the total effect), which verifies hypothesis H3; (3) The indirect effect produced by the "physical activity" → "social support" → "learning engagement" → "academic achievement" path, its Bootstrap95% confidence interval does not contain 0, indicating that social support and learning engagement play a significant chain mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement (standardized value = 0.062, Accounting for 50.41% of the total effect), this result verifies hypothesis H4.

Table 4 Tests the mediating effects of social support and learning engagement on physical activity and academic achievement
Effect type	Effect size	Boot SE	Bootstrap95% CI		Effect ratio
Effect type	Effect size	Boot SE	floor	Upper limit	Effect ratio
Total effect	0.123	0.089	0.029	0.052	100%
Direct effect	0.012	0.039	0.015	0.036	9.76%
physical activity - social support - academic achievement	0.017	0.090	0.035	0.070	13.82%
physical activity - learning engagement - academic achievement	0.032	0.053	0.015	0.075	26.02%
physical activity - social support - learning engagement - academic achievement	0.062	0.077	0.012	0.021	50.41%
Total indirect effect	0.111	0.078	0.011	0.023	90.25%

5.1. Physical activity and academic achievement

The results of this study show that there is a positive relationship between physical activity and academic achievement, and the promoting effect of physical activity on academic achievement can be explained through multiple mechanisms, which is consistent with many earlier studies ^[41.42]. First, participation in sports activities can enhance students' cognitive function and attention, thus improving their learning ability ^[41]. Through physical activity, students can exercise their thinking skills and attention, which helps them to better concentrate and understand knowledge in learning. Physical activity also helps to improve students' working memory and information processing speed, which also has a positive impact on their academic achievement; Secondly, physical activity can promote the improvement of physical health and mental state, thus enhancing students' learning motivation and effect. Physical activity can help students maintain good physical health, improve their physical strength and endurance, and make them more energetic and focused in learning ^[42]. In addition, physical activity can also release stress and stress within the body, improve students' mental state, and make them more optimistic and positive in facing academic challenges.

Moreover, according to the survey and test data of the results of this study, the physical activity level of middle school students is generally low and they lack sufficient exercise ^[43.44]. Scholars have also pointed out that insufficient physical activity is one of the most important problems in our society, especially during the teenage years ^[45]. Most of the daily activities of middle school students mainly focus on class, homework and the use of electronic equipment, and lack of outdoor sports and physical exercise opportunities, which has a certain impact on the physical development and health of middle school students ^[6.7.43]. A similar situation also exists in other developed countries ^[46]. It can be seen that the low level of physical activity of middle school students deserves attention. Schools and educational institutions can promote physical education programs and sports clubs, provide opportunities for various sports activities, and encourage students to actively participate in sports. In addition, teachers can combine sports and learning to design innovative teaching methods and activities to stimulate students' learning interest and motivation. However, it is important to note that the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement is not a simple cause-and-effect relationship. In addition to physical activity, there are many other factors that may affect a student's academic achievement, such as home environment, learning resources, and personal motivation. Therefore, in the process of promoting students' academic achievement, it is necessary to consider the influence of various factors and formulate corresponding educational strategies and support measures.

5.2. Mediating role of social support

The results of this study show that social support plays an important mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement, which means that social support can indirectly promote students' academic achievement by influencing their physical activity participation. This is consistent with the findings of Fredricks and Eccles and Hagger et al. By providing support and encouragement to students, social support can increase their motivation and opportunities to participate in physical activities, and promote the improvement of academic achievement, while physical activity can improve students' learning attitude and learning engagement, and thus promote the improvement of academic achievement ^[17.20]. Scholars have found that the feeling of family support can improve students' physical activity level, and the improvement of physical activity level is positively correlated with students' academic performance, so it is believed that family support can improve students' academic achievement by promoting their physical activity ^[47]. Scholars have also found that there is a significant positive relationship between teachers' support for students and students' physical activity level and academic achievement, because teachers' support can stimulate students' interest in physical activity and provide relevant opportunities and guidance ^[48]. In addition, the study found a significant positive association between students' perceived peer support and their physical activity levels and academic achievement. Social support does not only come from the home and school environment, but also from social networks and communities, and students' friends and peers in social networks have an impact on both their physical activity and academic achievement ^[49]. It can be seen that social support plays an important mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement. Family support, teacher support, and peer support can all enhance students' academic achievement by promoting their participation in physical activity, as can social networks and community support. Therefore, in the process of improving students' academic achievement, it is necessary to attach importance to social support, provide adequate support and encouragement for students, and encourage students to establish positive social networks and participate in community activities. These measures will help improve students' physical activity levels and academic achievement.

5.3. The mediating role of learning engagement

The results of this study show that learning engagement plays an important mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement, which means that learning engagement can indirectly promote students' academic achievement by influencing their physical activity participation. This is consistent with previous research results ^[20.50]. Studies have shown that students who participate in sports are more active and motivated in their studies, which has a positive impact on their academic achievement. Physical activity can improve students' learning attitude and learning engagement, thus promoting their academic development. Learning engagement is an important bridge between physical activity and academic achievement. Because students who participate in sports activities show higher learning motivation, learning goals and the use of learning strategies, physical activity can promote students' learning engagement by improving their autonomy and self-regulation ability ^[50], and physical activity can also promote students' smooth experience, that is, the sense of concentration and engagement in the situation ^[51]. In addition, studies have also found that learning engagement has a significant predictive effect on academic achievement ^[52]. It can be seen that learning engagement is considered an important bridge between physical activity and academic achievement, and by promoting students' learning engagement, physical activity can have a positive impact on students' academic development.

5.4. The chain-mediated role of social support and learning engagement

The results of this study suggest that social support and learning engagement play an important chain mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement. This is consistent with previous research results ^[22.53]. First of all, participation in physical activities can improve students' attention, memory and thinking ability, thus promoting the improvement of learning engagement and academic achievement. It can also promote the blood circulation of the brain, increase the generation of neurons and the formation of connections, which is conducive to students' performance in learning tasks ^[53], and also release neurotransmitters such as endorphins and dopamine in the body. Promote the generation of positive emotions, and help students better cope with learning challenges ^[54]; Then, the study also found that social support can motivate students to engage in physical activity. Social support from family, friends and teachers can provide students with emotional support, encouragement and recognition, and help students build self-confidence and positive learning attitudes ^[55]. Secondly, social support can provide learning support, thus affecting students' learning engagement level. Because the support of family, classmates and teachers can not only provide learning resources and information, but also provide guidance and help in learning ^[56]. Social support can also provide students with opportunities to share learning resources and information, and promote students' learning motivation and academic achievement ^[57]. If students can get support and encouragement from others when they encounter learning difficulties or setbacks, it will help to adjust their learning attitude and enhance their learning motivation, so as to participate in learning activities more actively. Finally, scholars point out that maximum learning engagement has an important impact on academic achievement ^[58]. The content of learning engagement, including the positive attitude towards learning, the setting of learning goals and the degree of effort, is directly related to students' academic performance ^[59]. By investing more time and energy in learning, students are able to better master knowledge and skills, improve academic performance and academic standards.

In conclusion, social support plays a chain mediating role between physical activity and academic achievement through its influence on learning engagement. Social support can not only stimulate the enthusiasm of students to participate in physical activities, but also provide learning support, thus affecting the level of students' learning engagement. Learning engagement has a positive impact on academic achievement. This research conclusion provides important theoretical and empirical support for our in-depth understanding of the relationship between social support, learning engagement, physical activity and academic achievement, and also has certain implications for educational practice.

(1) Gender had no significant effects on physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement (P > 0.05). Age had significant effects on physical activity, academic achievement and learning engagement (P < 0.05), but social support had no significant effects (P > 0.05). Boys scored slightly higher than girls in physical activity and social support, but slightly lower in academic achievement and engagement.

(2) Physical activity has a significant positive relationship with the academic achievement of middle school students, and physical activity has a positive impact on the academic achievement of middle school students. Physical activity not only directly predicts academic achievement of middle school students, but also indirectly predicts academic achievement through the mediating effect of social support and learning engagement. Therefore, schools and educational institutions can take measures to promote students' participation in physical activities, strengthen social support and cultivate a good atmosphere of learning engagement to further promote the academic development of middle school students.

This study provides theoretical contributions to the study of middle school students' academic achievement and the role of physical activity in intervening middle school students' academic achievement, increasing social support and promoting learning engagement. However, there are also the following shortcomings:

(1) Sample limitation: The sample of this study is only from middle school students in Guangdong Province, so the scope of generalization of the results may be limited. Future studies could consider expanding the sample size and including secondary school students from more regions and different backgrounds to increase the external validity of the findings.

(2) Self-reported data: The data collection method adopted in this study is mainly based on questionnaires, the results of which may be affected by the subjective cognition and recall of middle school students. To improve the objectivity and reliability of the results, future studies could incorporate objective measures, such as physical activity monitors and academic performance records, to obtain more accurate data.

(3) Verification of mediating effects: This study draws preliminary conclusions by analyzing the mediating effects of social support and learning engagement on physical activity and academic achievement. However, future research could further validate the stability and consistency of this mediating effect, using more sophisticated statistical methods such as structural equation models for analysis to determine the validity of the mediating pathways.

(4) Possible interfering variables: This study did not take into account the influence of possible interfering variables, such as family background and educational resources, on the academic achievement of middle school students. Future studies could control for these possible interfering variables to obtain more accurate results.

(5) Study on long-term effects: This study mainly focuses on the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement of middle school students, but does not consider long-term effects. Future research could follow up to understand the long-term effects of physical activity on academic achievement and determine whether the mediating roles of social support and learning engagement remain stable at different time points.

In conclusion, although this study has preliminarily revealed the interaction mechanism among physical activity, social support, learning engagement, and middle school students' academic achievement, there are still some research deficiencies. Future research could further refine the design and methodology to delve deeper into the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement, adding more variables and controls to provide a more complete understanding.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was supported and approved by the review Committee of the Academic Committee of the School of Physical Education and Health, Zhaoqing University.Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Data Sharing Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work.

Funding

This research was supported by the following projects: 2023 Project of the 14th Five-Year Plan of the Guangdong Higher Education Association (23GQN24); Open Online Courses for Universities in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and 2023 Education and Teaching Research and Reform Project (WGKM2023160); Education Research Project of Zhaoqing Institute of Education Development in 2022 (ZQJYY2022019); Supported by Zhaoqing University Research Fund (202028; QN202107)

Authors' contributions

Jun Xiang participated in the study design, data collection and analysis, and drafted the main manuscript text. Jia Gao helps to obtain data and prepare paper materials, charts or tables. Yun Gao revised the draft. All the authors reviewed the manuscript.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all participants who helped us complete this study.

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No competing interests reported.

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The relationship between physical activity and academic achievement in middle school students: the chain mediating role of social support and learning engagement

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Abstract

Figures

1. Introduction

2. Literature review and research hypothesis

2.1. Physical activity and academic achievement

2.2. Mediating role of social support

2.3. The mediating role of learning engagement, the chain mediating role of social support and learning engagement

3. Research object and method

3.1. Research object

3.2. Research method

3.2.1. Psychometric method

3.2.2. Mathematical statistics

4. Research result

4.1 Descriptive statistics on physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement

4.2 Common method deviation test

4.3 Correlation analysis of physical activity, academic achievement, social support and learning engagement

4.4 Testing the mediating effects of social support and learning engagement

5. Discuss

5.1. Physical activity and academic achievement

5.2. Mediating role of social support

5.3. The mediating role of learning engagement

5.4. The chain-mediated role of social support and learning engagement

6. Conclusion

7. Research deficiencies and prospects

Declarations

References

Additional Declarations

Supplementary Files

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