SPORTS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND OVERALL PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: A LONGITUDINAL CASE STUDY / 運動與體育活動對於學業表現及全人發展的關聯：一個個案的長期研究

Abstract

Many researchers and scholars have done research and published theses, dissertations, scholarly papers and articles on the benefits and positive impacts of physical activities (exercise, sports, sports participations, and other related physical activities) on students’ academic performance as well as overall personal development. In fact, these PA (physical activities) can be considered as the backbones of the lives of students. However, most of these studies have been done mostly in a quantitative approach, synchronically, which makes it difficult to find out what changes these physical activities can bring to the lives of students in the long run. The present study is a qualitative, longitudinal and descriptive individual case study, which investigated the benefits and positive impacts of sports and physical activities on a single male student’s academic performance and his overall personal development during his 9 and half years of compulsory education in Taiwan region. For authenticity, reliability and validity, the research data were collected using a triangulation data collection approach - observation, documentation, and face-to-face interviews over a period of nine and half years of compulsory education in Taiwan. Results: First, there was a strong link between the case study subject’s involvement level and frequency in sports and physical activity and his academic performance. Second, higher intensity and higher frequency yielded better academic results. Third, a slight declining tendency was found in both physical activity and academic performance over the course of the study. Fourth, doing sports and physical activities regularly not only helped the case study subject to be active, energetic and healthy but also helped him to outperform academically those physically inactive students. Fifth, the case study subject improved physically and academically and became more disciplined, self-confident and responsible. 

許多研究人員和學者們曾經對於體育相關活動（包括訓練，運動，運動競技，及其它有關的體育活動）之於學生的學業成績與個人的全面發展所帶來的益處和積極影響分別進行了研究，並發表了報告，論文及專業論文。事實上，這些體育活動（PA, physical activities）就像是學生生活中的脊樑骨。然而，這些研究大多是截取特定時間的量化研究，難以發現體育活動(PA)對於學生生活所帶來的延續的(for a long run)變化。本研究採用的是質的、長時期的，以個案為研究對象的描述性研究。研究一名來自台灣地區男學生於9 年半的義務教育期間，他的運動競技與體育活動對其學業成績和個人的整體發展所產生的益處與積極影響。為了取得真實、可靠和有效性，本研究所蒐集到的資料則採用三角交叉法分析，對於個案接受九年半的義務教育期間進行觀察、檔案分析和面對面訪談。研究結果發現：第一，研究對象的運動競技及體育活動的涉入程度和頻率與其學業成績之間曾有強烈的關聯。第二，較強度的和高頻率的運動及體育活動能產生更好的學業成績。第三，在研究過程中，體育活動和學業成績兩者都有輕微下降的趨勢。第四，從事規律的運動競技和體育活動，不僅有助於個案保持活躍、精力充沛和健康，他的學業成績也超越那些不愛運動的學生。第五，個案在身體和學業上得到提升，同時也變得更加自律、自信和負責任。

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