Abstract:
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPORT PARTICIPATION, TRUANCY, SELF-ESTEEM AND SCHOOL CONNECTEDNESS ABSTRACT Truancy among secondary school students is a significant and ongoing problem in New Zealand (Ministry of Education, 2007; 2010). Research has shown a relationship between truancy and a range of at-risk behaviours (Fergusson, Lynskey & Horwood, 1995), while resiliency research has identified protective factors for at-risk adolescents, including connectedness to adults and school and participation in extracurricular activities, like sport (Resnick, 2000, p159). Research has also shown that physical activity has positive effects on a range of academic, social and psychological outcomes (Marsh & Kleitman, 2003). Moreover, evidence suggests that the development of physical competence has a strong effect on self-esteem, confidence and peer acceptance (Bailey, 2005). Yet, little is known of the impact of participation in sport on school behaviour and school attendance (Bailey, 2005). Understanding the contribution of participation in sport and physical activity to protective factors like school-connectedness, and school attendance, is an important area worthy of investigation. This study examines the relationship between secondary school students’ participation in school sport and physical activity, self-esteem/self-concept, school connectedness and school attendance. The study employs a mixed methods research design with a follow-up explanations model. The sample consisted of a total of 2463 Year 9, 10 and 11 students from four, large, co-educational, low decile secondary schools in South Auckland. Two schools had a high sporting emphasis and two had a low sporting emphasis. Students completed an anonymous questionnaire about their participation in sport, physical and academic self-concept, connectedness to school and truanting behaviour. Following preliminary analyses of questionnaire data, eight focus group discussions – two at each school – were conducted with a total of 93 students. Overall, findings reveal a relationship between participation in school sport, academic self-concept, school connectedness and truanting. Participation in sport reliably predicted school attendance in that participation was associated with a reduced amount of serious truancy. A positive association was also found between sport participation and academic self-concept and school connectedness. This study highlights the value of school sport in contributing to positive student outcomes and suggests strategies that may assist in reducing truancy.
