The relationship between physical activity and classroom anxiety in primary school children

Abstract

The trend towards a sedentary lifestyle is on the increase, even in children. The benefits of physical activity on different forms of anxiety have been widely documented. Anxiety often begins in early childhood and runs into adulthood, leading to significant consequences. Children experience classroom anxiety at all levels of education, even at a primary school level. Educators require tools and knowledge to identify classroom anxiety in children and strategies to help prevent it. In this study, a modified version of the Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by Sotardi (2018) has been incorporated into a questionnaire, which was distributed to a sample of students in Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 who attend the state sector and the independent school sector. In total, 73 respondents took part in this research. The aims of the study were to (i) evaluate the extent to which primary school students participate in various physical activities; (ii) identify any relationship between participation in physical activity in primary school children and their classroom anxiety; (iii) identify any relationships between children’s social background and participation in physical activity, and; (iv) recognise how primary school children experience participation in physical activities. The researcher employed a quantitative method, and it resulted that students in primary school settings do experience classroom-related anxiety, mainly related to assessments and public speaking. This study has also proved that the Classroom Anxiety Scale is a valid tool which can be adapted to the primary school setting. Moreover, this study has found that students feel better after exercise and there is a strong desire to increase their participation in physical activities both at school and after school hours. This study further demonstrates that more needs to be done to encourage physical activity and reduce the effects of anxiety in primary school children.