Associations Between Elementary Students’ Victimization, Peer Belonging, Affect, Physical Activity, and Enjoyment by Gender During Recess

Abstract

School recess scholars have called for more research into collective relations between social, personal, and physical factors on students’ engagement and enjoyment of recess. Overall and by gender, this study serves to investigate a proposed model among 355 elementary school students from victimization to enjoyment through peer belonging, positive affect, and physical activity. Consenting students completed an online survey, and structural equation modeling (overall and in boys and girls) revealed an excellent fit of the data to the model (comparative fit index [CFI] and goodness of fit index [GFI] > .95, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] < .08, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] < .10). Each of the path regression coefficients was significant (p < .001) except for between victimization and positive affect. Results by gender revealed that all factor loadings were significant for both males and females, and all pathways between factors were significant for males, whereas for females, all pathways were significant except from victimization to affect and from physical activity to enjoyment. Boys were also significantly higher in victimization and physical activity during recess. For enhanced recess enjoyment among elementary school students, some schools may need to better consider how to support students’ reciprocal needs for peer belonging, affect, physical activity, and reduced victimization.