The Impacts Of Sports Participation On Academic Performance: A Study Of High School Students In Burundi

In recent years, the influence of sports on academic performance has attracted much attention of researchers. Although some studies had emphasized the relationship between students' sports participation and their academic performance, there was no any previous study which had demonstrated the relations between students' sports participation and their GPAs among high school students in Burundi. This study investigates whether sports participation influences students ' GPAs, and the mechanism of the influence of the sports participation on GPAs. Two hundreds eighty one high school students from three schools filled out a survey examining the student levels of academic self-efficacy, athletic self-efficacy, sports participation, school adjustment, academic achievement (GPAs), peer acceptance, time spent in sports,and the demographic information. Three methods such as Independent sample t-test,correlation, and mediation were used for statistical data analysis in this study. The results showed that Athletes had higher GPAs than non-athletes,higher athletic self-efficacy than non-athletes, and higher peer acceptance than non-athletes. Further,time that students spent in sports was positively correlated to their GPAs,and their athletic self-efficacy was positively correlated to their academic self-efficacy. Results have showed also positive direct effects of students' athletic-self efficacy on their GPAs, and positive direct effects of students peer acceptance on their GPAs.Additionally, there was found positive mediator effect of students' athletic self-efficacy on their GPAs through the mediating variable of students' academic self-efficacy, also, positive mediator effect of students' peer acceptance on their GPAs through the mediating variable of students' school adjustment. The results were consistent with the hypotheses. The reasons that sports facilitate studying are explained in two aspects in the discussion part. As benefits they get from sports,students may have better time management method, and may pay more attention when they are studying.