Psychosocial predictors of academic achievement in physical education among Indonesian university students: Testing the mediating role of mental toughness
Downloads
Background: Academic performance in this context is conceptualized holistically, encompassing the integration of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and physical achievements. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, the study posits that physical activity interest and social skills serve as predictors of both mental toughness and academic outcomes.
Objectives: This study examines the mediating role of mental toughness in the relationship between physical activity interest, social skills, and academic performance among university students enrolled in physical education programs.
Methods: A quantitative approach was employed, involving the administration of structured questionnaires to 235 active students. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with a Partial Least Squares approach to assess construct validity and the relationships among variables.
Results: The results reveal that interest in physical activity and social skills has a significant influence on both mental toughness and academic performance. However, mental toughness did not serve as a substantial mediator within the proposed model.
Conclusions: These findings underscore the critical direct roles of affective and social factors in predicting academic success in physical education contexts. Theoretically, this study clarifies the functional position of mental toughness, while practically, it promotes the development of instructional strategies that enhance intrinsic motivation and collaborative skills within physical education curricula.Bandura, A. (1999). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 2(1), 21–41. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-839X.00024
Chen, P., Wang, D., Shen, H., Yu, L., Gao, Q., Mao, L., Jiang, F., Luo, Y., Xie, M., Zhang, Y., Harmer, P. A., & Li, F. (2020). Physical activity and health in Chinese children and adolescents: expert consensus statement (2020). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(22), 1321–1331. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102261
Clough, P., Earle, K., & Sewell, D. (2002). Mental toughness: The concept and its measurement. Solutions in Sport Psychology, 1(1), 32–46.
Crust, L., & Clough, P. J. (2011). Developing mental toughness: From research to practice. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 2(1), 21–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2011.563436
Crust, L., Earle, K., Perry, J., Earle, F., Clough, A., & Clough, P. J. (2014). Mental toughness in higher education: Relationships with achievement and progression in first-year university sports students. Personality and Individual Differences, 69, 87–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.05.016
Deci, E. L., Olafsen, A. H., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: The state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4, 19–43. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113108
Fullerton, D. J., Zhang, L. M., & Kleitman, S. (2021). An integrative process model of resilience in an academic context: Resilience resources, coping strategies, and positive adaptation. PLoS ONE, 16(2 February). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246000
Gerber, C., & Terblanche, N. S. (2012). Team performance and sport attendance of South African super rugby and Currie cup rugby fans. South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 34(1), 75–91. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC120512
Gerber, M., Jonsdottir, I. H., Kalak, N., Elliot, C., Puhse, U., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., & Brand, S. (2013). Objectively assessed physical activity is associated with increased hair cortisol content in young adults. Stress, 16(6), 593–599. https://doi.org/10.3109/10253890.2013.823599
Gerber, M., Kalak, N., Lemola, S., Clough, P. J., Pühse, U., Elliot, C., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., & Brand, S. (2012). Adolescents’ exercise and physical activity are associated with mental toughness. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 5(1), 35–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2012.02.004
Gresham, F. M. (2016). Social skills assessment and intervention for children and youth. Cambridge Journal of Education, 46(3), 319–332. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2016.1195788
Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1990). Social skills rating system (SSRS). Minneapolis, MN.
Hair, J., Hollingsworth, C. L., Randolph, A. B., & Chong, A. Y. L. (2017). An updated and expanded assessment of PLS-SEM in information systems research. Industrial management & data systems, 117(3), 442-458. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-04-2016-0130
Hardy, L., Bell, J., & Beattie, S. (2014). A Neuropsychological Model of Mentally Tough Behavior. Journal of Personality, 82(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12034
Kóródi, K., & Szabó, E. (2019). Interpretation of academic resilience: Options for research | A tanulmÁnyi reziliencia ÉrtelmezÉse: KutatÁsi, prevenciÓs És intervenciÓs lehetłsÉgek. Magyar Pszichologiai Szemle, 74(4), 527–545. https://doi.org/10.1556/0016.2019.74.4.6
Li, K., Wang, H., Siu, O.-L., & Yu, H. (2024). How and When Resilience can Boost Student Academic Performance: A Weekly Diary Study on the Roles of Self-Regulation Behaviors, Grit, and Social Support. Journal of Happiness Studies, 25(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00749-4
Li, X., Wang, J., Yu, H., Liu, Y., Xu, X., Lin, J., & Yang, N. (2024). How does physical activity improve adolescent resilience? Serial indirect effects via self-efficacy and basic psychological needs. PeerJ, 12. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17059
Li, Z. (2011). Study of Impacts on Students’ Comprehensive Developments by College Physical Education. Advanced Materials Research, 187, 809-814. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.187.809
Liu, Y., & Huang, X. (2021). Effects of basic psychological needs on resilience: A human agency model. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 700035. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.700035
Lobo, J., Peralta, R., Prevandos, F. G., Bautista, C., Agupitan, J., & Mabolo, J. G. (2023). The importance of individual interest and school engagement to the advancement of physical culture promotion in schools of higher education. Health, sport, rehabilitation, 9(3), 24-39. https://doi.org/10.58962/HSR.2023.9.3.24-39
Machado, M. I., Andrade, A., & Albuquerque, C. (2021). Relationship between physical activity and school performance in higher education students: integrative literature review. Millenium, 2(9), 281-287. https://doi.org/10.29352/mill029e.21507
Mahoney, J. W., Gucciardi, D. F., Ntoumanis, N., & Mallet, C. J. (2014). Mental toughness in sport: Motivational antecedents and associations with performance and psychological health. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 36(3), 281–292. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2013-0260
Piggott, B., Müller, S., Chivers, P., Burgin, M., & Hoyne, G. (2019). Coach rating combined with small-sided games provides further insight into mental toughness in sport. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(JULY). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01552
Poulou, M. S. (2017). The Relation of Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence and Students’ Social Skills to Students’ Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties: A Study of Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions. Early Education and Development, 28(8), 996–1010. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2017.1320890
Purwandari, E. (2023). Student Engagement Models: Parental Support, Academic Self-Efficacy, and the Teacher-Student Relationship. Jurnal Iqra’: Kajian Ilmu Pendidikan, 8(2), 481–494. https://doi.org/10.25217/ji.v8i2.4010
Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university students’ academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(2), 353–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026838
Rudd, G., Meissel, K., & Meyer, F. (2023). Investigating the measurement of academic resilience in Aotearoa New Zealand using international large-scale assessment data. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 35(2), 169–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-022-09384-0
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
Sprake, A., & Walker, S. (2015). ‘Blurred lines’: The duty of physical education to establish a unified rationale. European Physical Education Review, 21(3), 394–406. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X15577221
Syaukani, A. A., Hashim, A. H. M., & Subekti, N. (2023). Conceptual Framework of Applied Holistic Education In Physical Education and Sports: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence. Physical Education Theory and Methodology, 23(5), 794–802. https://doi.org/10.17309/tmfv.2023.5.19
Synytsia, A., Koval, I., Kuzhelnyi, S., Dzhemesiuk, S., Kudin, S., Kuzhelnyi, A., … Zhula, L. (2025). The role of physical education in shaping soft skills and self-regulation in senior students: an economic perspective. SPORT TK-EuroAmerican Journal of Sport Sciences, 14, 6. https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.644821
Trudeau, F., & Shephard, R. J. (2010). Relationships of Physical Activity to Brain Health and the Academic Performance of Schoolchildren. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4(2), 138–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827609351133
Vasconcellos, D., Parker, P. D., Hilland, T., Cinelli, R., Owen, K. B., Kapsal, N., Lee, J., Antczak, D., Ntoumanis, N., Ryan, R. M., Ryan, R. M., & Lonsdale, C. (2020). Self-Determination theory applied to physical education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(7), 1444–1469. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000420
Ventaja-Cruz, J., Cuevas Rincón, J. M., Tejada-Medina, V., & Martín-Moya, R. (2025). Psychological determinants of performance in women’s football: a systematic review on resilience, anxiety, motivation and cohesion. Retos, 64, 242–253. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v64.111614
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhad Fatoni, Agam Akhmad Syaukani, Pungki Indarto, Imron Nugroho Saputro, Ismi Husniyah Musyfiroh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
