Author(s): PARK, H., LEE, J., Institution: JEJU NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, Country: KOREA, SOUTH, Abstract-ID: 2550

This study examined how structurally distinct forms of leisure sport participation—competitive and self-challenging—are associated with adolescents’ socio-emotional school adjustment. Physical education is increasingly recognized as contributing not only to physical development but also to broader educational and social outcomes. However, limited research has differentiated the structural characteristics of sport experiences when examining their potential transfer to students’ socio-emotional functioning at school. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study conceptualized leisure sport participation as an informal learning context structured either around competitive (norm-referenced, performance-oriented) or self-challenging (self-referenced, mastery-oriented) task formats. Rather than assuming that sport participation uniformly benefits students, we examined whether these structural differences are associated with distinct patterns of psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), which in turn may relate to socio-emotional school adjustment. Participants were 148 high school students (Mage: 17.0±0.8 years) classified into competitive (n=81) and self-challenging (n=67) groups based on their primary leisure sport involvement. Leisure sport frequency was assessed using Godin’s (2011) Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Psychological need satisfaction in sport contexts was measured using the Basic Psychological Needs Scale in Sport. Socio-emotional school adjustment (emotional stability, peer relationships, sense of belonging) was assessed using the School Adjustment Scale (SAS). Independent t-tests, hierarchical regression analyses, and mediation analyses (PROCESS Model 4; 5,000 bootstrap samples) were conducted controlling for gender, GPA, and weekly study hours. Competitive sport participants reported higher competence satisfaction (p<.001, d=0.55), whereas self-challenging participants reported higher autonomy satisfaction (p<.001, d=0.50). No direct group difference emerged in school adjustment. However, competence (β=.29, p<.001), autonomy (β=.24, p<.01), and relatedness (β=.22, p<.01) were positively associated with socio-emotional adjustment, explaining an additional 28% of variance (ΔR2 =.28, p<.001). Significant indirect effects were observed via competence and relatedness in competitive sports and via autonomy in self-challenging sports. Findings suggest that sport structure, rather than participation per se, is associated with distinct motivational pathways relevant to adolescents’ socio-emotional school adjustment. Competitive sport participation may strengthen competence- and relatedness-based resources, whereas self-challenging participation may foster autonomy-based regulation. From a sport pedagogy perspective, integrating competitive and mastery-oriented task structures in physical education may cultivate transferable socio-emotional competencies that support broader school development.