Parental Social Support, Perceived Competence, and Enjoyment in School Physical Activity

By: Jordan Clark Carunungan

Researcher:

Bo Shen, Erin Centeio, Alex Garn, Jeffrey Martin, Noel Kulik, Cheryl Somers, Nate McCaughtry

Background of the Research:

This study explored how parental social support influences children’s beliefs about their competence and enjoyment of school physical activities. The rationale was that children’s internal motivation and enjoyment of physical education are shaped by their social environment, especially the support they perceive from parents.

Research Objectives:

The study aimed to:

• Examine the relationship between children’s beliefs about parental social support and their enjoyment of school physical activity (PA).

• Investigate the association between perceived competence and enjoyment in school PA.

• Determine whether perceived competence mediates or moderates the relationship between parental social support and enjoyment of school PA.

• Assess the longitudinal effects of parental social support and perceived competence on students’ enjoyment of school PA over time (8-month follow-up).

• Explore potential gender differences in how parental social support and perceived competence influence enjoyment in school PA. 

Research Methodology:

Research Design:

This study used a quantitative longitudinal correlational design with two waves of data collection to examine how children’s beliefs about parental social support relate to their perceived competence and enjoyment of physical activity during school physical education (PA).

Sampling & Participants:

• 320 elementary school children aged 9–11 years participated in the study. 

Data Collection:

• At Time 1 (T1), students completed questionnaires measuring:

1. Beliefs about parental social support (how supportive they perceived their parents to be for PA).
2. Perceived competence (how capable they felt in PA).
3. Enjoyment of school PA.

• After 8 months (Time 2/T2), students reported their enjoyment of school PA again using the same measure.

Analysis:

• Concurrent analysis: Examined relationships between parental social support, perceived competence, and enjoyment at T1.

• Longitudinal analysis: Assessed whether beliefs about parental support and perceived competence at T1 predicted enjoyment at T2, controlling for enjoyment at T1.

• Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess main effects and interactions among variables, including tests for potential gender moderation effects.

Key Findings:

1. Positive Relationships Across Variables:

• Children who reported higher perceived competence and stronger beliefs about parental social support also reported higher enjoyment in school physical activity.

     2. Perceived Competence Predicts Enjoyment:

• Both concurrent and longitudinal analyses showed that perceived competence positively predicted enjoyment of school PA. Children who felt more capable enjoyed PA more.

      3. Role of Parental Social Support:

• Beliefs about parental social support were positively associated with enjoyment especially in the longitudinal analysis for boys, indicating that parental encouragement and support predicts later enjoyment.

      4. Gender Differences:

• Boys: Parental social support had a direct positive effect on enjoyment across time.

• Girls: The effect of parental support on enjoyment was more important for girls with low perceived competence, meaning support helped compensate for low confidence, increasing their enjoyment more than in girls with high competence.

Conclusion:

The study concluded that parental social support plays a significant role in enhancing children’s enjoyment of school physical activity, and this relationship is closely tied to how children perceive their competence. Parental encouragement and opportunity-providing behaviours are especially influential for children with low competence beliefs (particularly girls). These findings support the idea that parents can strengthen children’s motivation for and enjoyment of PA by providing emotional, informational, and participatory support.

Final Thoughts:

This research highlights that parental social support isn’t just a background influence, it meaningfully affects children’s internal motivation and positive emotional responses to school PA. Because enjoyment is a key predictor of sustained participation in physical activity, these findings suggest that schools should involve parents actively (e.g., through education, communication, family activity nights) when designing programs to enhance children’s physical education experiences. From a practical perspective, your thesis could incorporate strategies such as parent workshops, family PA challenges, and regular feedback loops between school and home to strengthen children’s perceived competence and enjoyment. 

References:

Shen, B., Centeio, E., Garn, A., Martin, J., Kulik, N., Somers, C., & McCaughtry, N. (2018). Parental social support, perceived competence, and enjoyment in school physical activity. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 7(3), 346–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2016.01.003