Relationship between physical education, school satisfaction, psychological well-being and academic achievement in vocational students

The objective was to study the relationships between attendance at physical education (PE) classes, satisfaction with school, psychological well-being and academic achievement. A case study was carried out at a vocational school known for the academic failure of its students. A total of 139 students (54.7% boys), aged between 15 and 24 years (M = 17.95, SD = 1.79), completed a survey that included sociodemographic, academic, and satisfaction-with-school variables, as well as the Ryffs Psychological Well-Being Scales adapted for youth (Fernandes et al., 2010). The correlational study indicated the existence of significant positive associations between PE attendance, satisfaction with school and psychological well-being, as well as a negative association between PE attendance and the total number of retentions. In short, the assiduous participation in PE classes seems to be related to better academic (school achievement and satisfaction) and psychosocial outcomes (psychological global well-being) among vocational students.