College of Natural Resources

Lobeysa

The Effect of Sports Participation on the Academic

Performance of the students
(Proposal)
8th may, 2020

B.Sc. Sustainable Development

Roshna Warong
(01180247 SD 7th B)
Sital Gurung
(01180250SD 7th B)
Contents
CHAPTER 1....................................................................................................................................2

1.1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................2

1.2. Problem Statement............................................................................................................3

1.3. Objectives..........................................................................................................................3

CHAPTER 2....................................................................................................................................3

2.1. Literature Review..................................................................................................................3

2.1.1. Gender............................................................................................................................4

2.1.2. School attendance...........................................................................................................4

2.1.3. Students’ grade...............................................................................................................4

2.1.4. Students’ behavior..........................................................................................................5

CHAPTER 3....................................................................................................................................5

3.1. Research Methodology.........................................................................................................5

3.1.1. Study area.......................................................................................................................5

3.1.2. Sampling Size/ Sampling Method..................................................................................6

3.1.3. Data Collection Techniques...........................................................................................6

3.1.4. Data Analysis.................................................................................................................6

Work Plan........................................................................................................................................7

Table 1..........................................................................................................................................7

Estimated Budget.............................................................................................................................7

Table 2..........................................................................................................................................7

Reference.........................................................................................................................................8

Questionnaire.................................................................................................................................10

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1.1. Introduction
Issues and deliberations concerning sports participation and academic achievement have been
heard for decades. Sports enthusiasts were claiming that participation in any sports help the
student-athletes to have a sound mind and a sound body. Conversely, some people in the
academe believed that sports participation hindered students’ ability to excel in their academic
courses because most of their times will be assigned into sports commitments such as training
and competitions rather than studying. Some critics further consider that participation in sports
may reduce the time available for studying and learning. Since students-athletes will have
difficulties in managing their time between hectic schedules of sports training and concentrating
in their academic performance (Ignacio etal, 2017).As matter of fact, empirical investigations
find a rather positive correlation between sport and educational attainment time spent on sport
does not necessarily reduce the time allocated to schooling but can also reduce bad leisure
activities, which might harm educational productivity. Examples for bad leisure activities are
watching television, playing computer games, and smoking, drinking, and going to parties. If
participation in athletic activities reduces these bad activities, sport can have an indirect positive
effect on educational productivity (Corneliben and Pfeiffer, 2007).

To state the fact, sports participation not only leaves a positive impact on mood, but also
increases mental alertness. Thus, it is apparent that physically and mentally alert students always
perform better, achieve more and reduces the class absenteeism. Moreover, it has been noticed
that sportsmen/women show better results in Math, English and science subjects (khan et al,
2012). Besides that,Sport and games are an integral parts of a student life. This helps to develop
qualities of good sportsmanship, winning and losing gracefully, cooperative attitudes, leadership
and acceptance of leadership roles.In brief, sports participation improves a psychological
wellbeing; reduce depression, anxiety, and release of tension and for relaxation; for facing the
challenges of life. Thus, Sport is a socializing agent that cuts across religious boundary, tribal
affiliation and social class. Participation in sports not only establishes permanent friendship but
also develops better self-discipline and promotes self-esteem and self-actualization leading to
better academic performance (Adetunji et al, 2017).

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1.2. Problem Statement
Hence, the central issue that drives this study is the relationship between “The Effect of Sports
Participation on the Academic Performance of the students”. The various studies revealed that
there are a number of different conclusions regarding the sports participation and the academic
performance. Some critics of sports believe that the participating in the sports will eventually
shift the individual’s concentration as the participants gets committed in the practice of sports
and will be less bother about their studies. Nevertheless,Sports enthusiasts claims that sports
participation helps in maintaining sound mind and body. As a result one is not only able to do
well academically but also establishes the good social accordance, which helps in facing
challenges in life. Perhaps, it is unending argument between the sports critics and the sports
enthusiasts. Therefore, this research is conducted for further insight regarding relationship
between the effects of sports participation and academic performance of the students.

1.3. Objectives
 To find out the relationship between sports participation and academic performance of
students.
 To find out if the relationship between sports participation and academic performance of
the students differs by gender.
 To find out the relationship between the sports participation and the student’s behaviour
and attendance in the class.

CHAPTER 2

2.1. Literature Review

Many researchers are working to determine the relationship between the sport participation and
academic performance of the students. Some researchers suggest that there is positive
relationship between the sport participation and academic performance of the students while
other researchers suggest negative relationship. Khan et al. (2012) conducted a study in four
colleges in District Dera Ismail Khan, a southern district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of
Pakistan and the study showed that there is a link between participation in sports and academic
performance and sport activities positively influence the education of the students. On the other
hand, Chuan, Yusof and Shah (2013) suggest competitive sports participation might negatively

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affect the students’ academic performance. Another study showed that there is no significant
relationship between academic performance and competitive sports participation (Eide & Ronan,
2001). There has always been a debate on whether the sport participation has the positive or
negative impacts on the academic performance of the students.

2.1.1. Gender
It is found out that the effect of sports participation on academic performance of the studentsalso
differed by gender. Results of the findings of the studies conducted by some researchers found
out that sports participation was positively associated with higher academic grades for male
athletes participants (Fox et al., 2010) and that female athletes recorded to have a much poorer
academic grades (Mock, 2007). On the other hand, some research states that female athletes
perform better in academics than male. For example, Stephens and Schaben (2002) proved in
their study that female athletes significantly got higher and better grade than male athletes.

Tubic et al. (2015) indicate that there are significant differences in academic achievement
between male students engaged in sport and those who are not engaged, in favor of those being
engaged in sport, whereas the females engaged in sport do not show statistically significant
differences in academic achievement from those engaged in sport.

2.1.2. School attendance

Milleret al. (2006) found out in their study that participation in sports lead to misconduct
including skipping school and being sent to the principal's office. On the other hand, some
studies have shown that participation in sports is positively related to increased school
attendance (Stead and Neville, 2010). However, increased attendance in school is not important
if the students do not focus, concentrate and work hard in the classroom activities.

Cuffe, Waddell and Bignell (2014) found that active athletes exhibit lower rates of school
absenteeism on average. Some studies have shown positive improvements in attendance due to
the introduction of sports schemes (Long et al., 2002).

2.1.3. Students’ grade

A research was conducted by Rees and Sabia (2010) to see the effect of sports participation on
GPAs in Math and English. It was found that sports participation leads to higher grades and that
this benefit is positively related to frequency of participation.Specifically, playing an active sport

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one or two times per week is associated with a 0.109 increase in Math and English GPAs;
playing three to four times per week is associated with a 0.151 increase; and playing five or more
times is associated with a 0.187 increase. On the other hand, Maloney and McCormick (1993)
found that athletes do three-tenths of a grade point worse than regular students every semester.

2.1.4. Students’ behavior

Stead and Neville (2010) proves that additional physical activity in or outside the classroom
improves classroom behavior which ultimately enhances academic performance. Pfeifer and
Cornelißen (2010) concluded that sport encourages the development of behavioral habits such as
discipline and increases student’smotivation and confidence. In contrast, Choi, Johnson and Kim
(2014), amongst other researches, found out that competition can emphasize unacceptable and
irrational behaviors such as poor communication skills, unachievable expectations, and poorly
developed self-concepts. In continuation, sports competition can diminish the enjoyment of the
sports activities that have become competitive and can lead tolow self-esteem and self-
confidence.

It can be seen in the different research that the sports participation usually leads to good
behaviors of the students and good academic performance. At the same time, competition in the
sports events can make the students feel low and depressed as a result of losing and this can
affect their performance in academics. So, here we can see that the nature of the sports also
affect how people perform in their academics. A casual sport played only for recreational
purposes improves the behavior of students while the same sport played for competition can
negatively affect the students’ behavior.

CHAPTER 3

3.1. Research Methodology

3.1.1. Study area

This research will be conducted in the College of Natural Resources where different sports
activities are carried out and where many students take interest in the sports. Since the study is
mainly focused on the college students, the school students will not be the center of focus in this
study. Similarly, the study will focus only on the students of College of Natural Resources and

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will not include the students from the other colleges. This study will cover the students of all the
departments and batches.

3.1.2. Sampling Size/ Sampling Method

There are 7 undergraduate programs and 2 master’s programs in the College of Natural
Resources. 20 samples will be selected randomly from each program. There will be 180 samples
collected altogether through random sampling technique. It is necessary to include the selected
samples from all the programs in order to avoid biasness and prevent some of the programs from
being unfairly excluded.

3.1.3. Data Collection Techniques

3.1.3.1. Primary Data Collection

The primary data will be collected through the distribution of the questionnaires to the sample
students. We will personally deliver the questionnaires to the respondents and get back, duly
filled by them.

3.1.3.1. Secondary Data Collection

The secondary data will be collected from the offices of academic affairs in the college in order
to collect the data on student’s grade.

3.1.4. Data Analysis

For the purpose of collection of data a structured questionnaire with 20 statements on three point
Likert scale “ranging from disagree to agree” will be prepared. The collected data will be
arranged, organized, and after due coding, it will be processed through Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS version-25). Mean will be used for analysis of data. Mean score of each
item will be calculated and the conclusion will be drawn on the basis of the calculated Mean.
Mean score of 1.60 or below will be considered a negative opinion towards the items, mean
score of higher than 1.60 and lower than 2.00 will be considered as neutral opinion towards the
items, and mean score higher than 2.00 will be considered as positive opinion towards the items.
In addition to that, graphs will be generated using SPSS for comparing students’ grade in terms
of gender and sports participation and also the attendance of students in the class.

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Work Plan

Table 1
Serial No. List of Activities Time Frame

1 Submission of research proposal 8th May, 2020

2 Data collection 20th February to 28thFebruary

3 Data compilation and analysis 5th March to 15th March

4 First draft submission 30th March

5 Second draft submission 15th April

6 Final draft submission 10th May

Estimated Budget

Table 2
Serial No. List of Activities Budget

1 Questionnaire designing and printing 2000

2 Research paper printing 200

3 Other activities 500

4 Total 2700

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Reference
Adetunji.O.,Akindutire.,Olisola.I,(2017). Benefits of participation in sport to the youth. Journal
Of sports and physical education.4(1). pp.30-34

Choi, H.S., Johnson, B., & Kim, Y.K. (2014). Children’s Development through Sports
Competition: Derivative, Adjustive, Generative, and Maladaptive Approaches. Quest. 66
(2). 191-202.

Chuan, C.C., Yusof, A., Soon, C.C., & Abdullah, M.C. (2014). Application of Theory of Planned
Behavior To Predict Recreational Sports Activities Participation of Students in Malaysia.
Journal of Physical Education & Sport, 14(2), 172-177.

Cuffe, H.E., Waddell, G.R., & Bignell, W. (2014). Too Busy for School? The Effect of Athletic
Participation on Absenteeism. IZA Discussion Paper No. 8426. 1-46

Corneliben.T.,Pfeifer.C.(2007).The impact of Participation in Sports on Educational Attainment:

New Evidence from Germany.Gremany.Bonn

Eide, E. R., & Ronan, N. (2001). Is Participation in High School Athletics an Investment or a
Consumption Good?: Evidence from High School and Beyond. Economics of Education
Review, 20(5), 431-442.

Fox, C.K., Anderson, D.B., Sztainer, D.N., & Wall, M. (2010). Physical activity and sports team
participation: Association with academic outcomes in middle school and high school
students. Journal of School Health.80(1). 31-37

Ignaclo.R.M.,Buot.M.(2017).Effects of sports participation on the Academic achievement of

Selected university Athletes.13th International Conference Asian Community Knowledge
Networks for the Economy, Society, Culture, and Environmental Stability. Miyazake.
Japan

Khan, M.Y., Jamil, A., Khan, U.A., &Kareem, U. (2012). Association between Participation in
Sports and Academic Achievement of college students. International Journal of
Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 2(8). 419-430

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Long, J., Welsh, M., Bramham, P., Butterfield, J., Hylton, K., & Lloyd, E. (2002). Count me in
the dimensions of social inclusion through culture and sport. Depatment of Culture
Media and Sports. 1-111

Maloney, M. T., & McCormick, R. E. (1993). An Examination of the Role that Intercollegiate
Athletic Participation Plays in Academic Achievement. Journal of Human Resources.
28(3). 555-570

Miller, C., Melnick, M., Barnes, G., Farrell, M., & Sabo, D. (2006, January 20). Untangling the
links among athletic involvement, gender, race, and adolescent academic outcomes.
Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1343519/

Mock, G. (2007). Student-athletes mjust make the grade in classroom. Duke University News
and Communications. 1-4

Pfeifer, C., & Cornelißen, T. (2010), The Impact of Participation in Sports on Educational
Attainment: New Evidence from Germany. Economics of Education Review. 29(1). 94-
103

Rees, D. I., & Sabia, J.J. (2010). Sports Participation and Academic Performance: Evidence from
the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Economics and Education
Review. 29(5). 751-759

Stead, R., & Neville, M. (2010). The impact of physical education and sport on education
outcomes: a review of literature. Loughborough: Institute of Youth School Sport.

Stephens, L.J., Schaben, L.A. (2002). The effect on interscholastic sports participation on
academic achievement of middle level school students. Nassp Bulletin. 86(630). 34-41

Tubic, T., Djordjic, V., Milic, M., & Gava, B.P. (2015). Relationship Between Academic
Achievement and Sports Engagement: Are Athletes Better than Non-Athletes in terms of
Academic Achievement? Proceedings of ADVED15 International Conference on
Advances in Education and Social Sciences, ISBN. 78-605

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Questionnaire
This questionnaire will be used to find your view on the Effect of Sports Participation on
the Academic Performance of the Students. Your response to the question will be kept
confidential and will be used only for educational purpose.

1. Name: _________________________________________ (optional)

2. Age: _____________

3. Gender: Male Female

4. Programme: __________________________________________________

5. Year: First year

Second year

Third year

Fourth year

6. Do you play sports?

Yes No

Attempt Q7 and Q8 only if the your answer to Q6 is YES

7. How long do you participate in sports per week?

0 – 1 hour 1 – 2 hours 2 – 5 hours 5 – 10 hours

8. What sports do you involve mostly in?

Football

Volleyball

Basketball

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 Badminton

Table tennis

Khuru

Others (Specify): _____________________________

9. What is your last semester’s average? (Circle)

40- 50% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90% 91-100%

10. Did you have attendance shortage last semester?

Yes No

11. What was the reason for your absenteeism? (Attempt this question only if your answer to
Q10. is YES)

Sickness

Sports participation

Others (Specify) __________________________________

Direction: Take your time and answer by ticking in the box that best represents your
opinion or feelings towards each of the statement you will find below.

1. Sports play a positive role in the life of college students.

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 Disagree Neutral Agree
2. There is a relation between sports participation and academic performance
Disagree Neutral Agree
3. A physical education and sports activity in the college has positive impact on the
student’s education.
Disagree Neutral Agree
4. Sports activities are very helpful in enhancing academic mission of colleges.
Disagree Neutral Agree
5. Participation in sports increases the ability of the students to succeed academically.
Disagree Neutral Agree
6. Sports participation can help students to relief from stress which boosts their academic
grade.
Disagree Neutral Agree
7. Students who participate in sports can perform excellently in the classroom.
Disagree Neutral Agree
8. Physical education and participation should be introduced in all the colleges to improve
academic performance of students.
Disagree Neutral Agree
9. Participation in sports activities can help a student to score higher in class tests.
Disagree Neutral Agree
10. A physical education and sports activity in the colleges helps to improve mental
development of students.
Disagree Neutral Agree
11. Students who took part in sports activities obtain higher average as compared to those
students who did not participate in sports.
Disagree Neutral Agree

12. Sports participation has positive influence on student’s concentration in class.

Disagree Neutral Agree
13. Sports participation has positive influence on students memorizing power.
Disagree Neutral Agree

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 14. Student’s grade would be better if they did not participate in sports.
Disagree Neutral Agree
15. Student’s grade would be bad if they do not participate in the sports.
Disagree Neutral Agree
16. Sports participation prevents students from submitting assignments on time
Disagree Neutral Agree
17. Elimination of sports activities from annual calendar of colleges improves the academic
performance of students.
Disagree Neutral Agree
18. Sports participation encourages students to attend their regular classes.
Disagree Neutral Agree
19. Boys usually overrate the number when it comes to participation in sports.
Disagree Neutral Agree
20. Girls athletes excel academically compared to boys athletes.
Disagree Neutral Agree

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