Date
5-2014
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Chair
Grania Holman
Keywords
children, physical fitness, self efficacy
Disciplines
Education | Educational Methods | Elementary Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Bomgardner, Richard, "The relationship between education, self-efficacy, and aggregate physical fitness in children" (2014). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 877.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/877
Abstract
The purpose of this correlational study was to test the hypothesis that educational environment and level of physical activity self-efficacy relates to aggregate physical fitness levels in fifth-grade children in a Midwestern metropolitan community. Religious and public school children (N = 184) completed physical activity self-efficacy measures to examine their exercise and barrier status. These scores were compared to a FitnessGram® battery of physical fitness tests involving body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, and aerobic capacity to measure their total fitness levels. FitnessGram® scores were converted into a composite score measuring their healthy fitness zone status. Multiple Linear Regressions (R) examined the direction and strength of the linear relationships while the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) was used to test the correlation among the variables. Results of the study showed a significant relationship between educational environment and barrier self-efficacy (r = .158, p = .032) and aggregate physical fitness (R = .264, p = .004). However, school environment and barrier self-efficacy (r = .205; p = .005), had a stronger relationship to higher levels of aggregate physical fitness (R = .282, p = .002) in fifth-grade children.
