The Effect of Body Appreciation and Motivation to Participate in Physical Activity on High School Students’ Attitudes Towards the Physical Education and Sports Course

Year 2026, Volume: 31 Issue: 1 , 1 - 9 , 30.03.2026

Nazlı Yanar

https://doi.org/10.53434/gbesbd.1788043

https://izlik.org/JA64BX34ED

Abstract

This study aims to examine how high-school students’ body satisfaction and motivation to participate in physical activity affect their attitudes towards the physical education and sports course. A total of 340 participants took part in the study. The Body Satisfaction Scale, the Motivation Scale for Participate in Physical Activity (MSPPA) and the Physical Education Course Attitude Scale for Secondary School Students were used as data collection tools in the relational survey model. The data were analysed using the Jamovi (2.3.21) statistical software. According to the results of the Pearson correlation analysis, there was a moderately significant positive relationship between body satisfaction and physical education course attitude (r= 0.306, p< 0.001), as well as between motivation to participate in physical activity and physical education course attitude (r=0.442, p<0.001). Linear regression analysis revealed that motivation to participate in physical activity (β=.367, t=7.27, p<.001) was the strongest predictor of attitude towards the physical education and sports course. Additionally, body satisfaction was found to contribute positively and significantly to the model (β=.185, t=3.70, p<.001). The results show that participants’ body satisfaction and motivation to participate in physical activity had a significant influence on their attitudes towards physical education and sports lessons. Further comparisons according to different age groups and school types (e.g. vocational or science high schools) could provide a more in-depth understanding of the effects on students’ attitudes and motivation towards physical education classes.

Keywords

Body satisfaction , Motivation , Course attitude , Physical education and sports

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by the Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee of the Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University on April 7, 2025 with approval number: 254466.

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