TY - JOUR
T1 - Building School Connectedness Through Structured Recreation During School
T2 - A Concurrent Mixed-Methods Study
AU - Wilson, Kylie
AU - Ramella, Kelly
AU - Poulos, Allison
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this project was made possible by ADDPC # 0701‐02‐2020 from the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.
Funding Information:
for this project was made possible by ADDPC # 0701-02-2020 from the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American School Health Association.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - BACKGROUND: School connectedness (SC) is associated with improved health and academic outcomes. The purposes of this study were to explore factors contributing to students' perceptions of SC and if participation in structured recreation at school was associated with SC. METHODS: We used concurrent mixed-methods including cross-sectional qualitative data to explore factors contributing to SC among fifth- and sixth-grade students at 2 schools in Phoenix, AZ, USA (N = 330), and quantitative measures to explore the association between SC and recreation participation (N = 129). Students completed a journaling activity to identify factors contributing to feelings of SC. Responses were analyzed using both deductive and inductive approaches. Student surveys were analyzed using 1-way analyses of variance to assess differences between participation level and SC. RESULTS: Eight themes contributing to SC emerged: Relationships (peer, adult), Competence (competence), Autonomy (choice), Relax (relax), Recreation (structured, play), Fun (fun), Academics (academic learning), and Environment (food and safety). Participation in structured recreation programming in the classroom and at recess were associated with higher levels of SC (p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: School practitioners can integrate opportunities for structured recreation in the classroom and at recess as a fun and engaging strategy to foster adult support and peer relationships, enhancing SC.
AB - BACKGROUND: School connectedness (SC) is associated with improved health and academic outcomes. The purposes of this study were to explore factors contributing to students' perceptions of SC and if participation in structured recreation at school was associated with SC. METHODS: We used concurrent mixed-methods including cross-sectional qualitative data to explore factors contributing to SC among fifth- and sixth-grade students at 2 schools in Phoenix, AZ, USA (N = 330), and quantitative measures to explore the association between SC and recreation participation (N = 129). Students completed a journaling activity to identify factors contributing to feelings of SC. Responses were analyzed using both deductive and inductive approaches. Student surveys were analyzed using 1-way analyses of variance to assess differences between participation level and SC. RESULTS: Eight themes contributing to SC emerged: Relationships (peer, adult), Competence (competence), Autonomy (choice), Relax (relax), Recreation (structured, play), Fun (fun), Academics (academic learning), and Environment (food and safety). Participation in structured recreation programming in the classroom and at recess were associated with higher levels of SC (p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: School practitioners can integrate opportunities for structured recreation in the classroom and at recess as a fun and engaging strategy to foster adult support and peer relationships, enhancing SC.
KW - adolescents
KW - recess
KW - school connectedness
KW - self-determination
KW - structured recreation
KW - student well-being
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U2 - 10.1111/josh.13222
DO - 10.1111/josh.13222
M3 - Article
C2 - 35871538
AN - SCOPUS:85134622540
SN - 0022-4391
VL - 92
SP - 1013
EP - 1021
JO - Journal of School Health
JF - Journal of School Health
IS - 10
ER -