Abstract:

Many researchers and scholars have done research and published theses, dissertations, scholarly papers and articles on the benefits and positive impacts of physical activities (exercise, sports, sports participations, and other related physical activities) on students’ academic performance as well as overall personal development. In fact, these PA (physical activities) can be considered as the backbones of the lives of students. However, most of these studies have been done mostly in a quantitative approach, synchronically, which makes it difficult to find out what changes these physical activities can bring to the lives of students in the long run. The present study is a qualitative, longitudinal and descriptive individual case study, which investigated the benefits and positive impacts of sports and physical activities on a single male student’s academic performance and his overall personal development during his 9 and half years of compulsory education in Taiwan region. For authenticity, reliability and validity, the research data were collected using a triangulation data collection approach - observation, documentation, and face-to-face interviews over a period of nine and half years of compulsory education in Taiwan. Results: First, there was a strong link between the case study subject’s involvement level and frequency in sports and physical activity and his academic performance. Second, higher intensity and higher frequency yielded better academic results. Third, a slight declining tendency was found in both physical activity and academic performance over the course of the study. Fourth, doing sports and physical activities regularly not only helped the case study subject to be active, energetic and healthy but also helped him to outperform academically those physically inactive students. Fifth, the case study subject improved physically and academically and became more disciplined, self-confident and responsible. 

Keywords: