The Influence of Elementary School Fifth and Sixth Graders’ Academic Achievement and Physical Fitness Performance on Self-Esteem

[[abstract]]This study attempted to investigate the predictions of the academic achievement and physical fitness performance for the fifth and sixth graders on self-esteem, and to compare the prediction power of the academic achievement and the prediction power of the physical fitness performance. It was hypothesized that (1) the level of academic achievement and self-esteem will be positively related; (2) the level of physical fitness and self-esteem will be positive related; (3) the influence of academic achievement on self-esteem is greater than the influence of physical fitness on self-esteem. From an elementary school in the middle of Taiwan, all the fifth and sixth 618 graders were recruited as participants. Their scores of the mid-term and final exams were collected as measures of academic achievement; the measures of physical fitness included body composition, flexibility, standing long jump, sit-ups, and cardiovascular endurance. In addition, the self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed that academic achievement and self-esteem significantly related (r = 0.16, p <.05). The first hypothesis was supported. The five indicators of physical fitness were re-encoded by quintiles and aggregated. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed that physical fitness and self-esteem was not significant. The second hypothesis was not supported. Since the relationship between academic achievement and self-esteem was significant but the relationship between physical fitness and self-esteem was not significant, this indicated that the influence of academic achievement on self-esteem was greater than the influence of physical fitness on self-esteem. The hypothesis 3 was supported