Causal Model of Participation, Perceived Enjoyment, and Learning Attitudes in “the 0th Period Physical Education Class” of Middle Schools in South Korea

This study aims to establish the basis for the institutional implementation of the 0th period physical education class to promote the health and academic performance of Korean teenagers. To achieve this goal, this study determined the impact of middle school students’ participation in physical activities during the 0th period on perceived enjoyment and learning attitude. To examine the model, 282 questionnaires were collected from middle school students in a metropolitan city in South Korea. The samples were obtained using the convenience sampling method, and correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were performed using SPSS 21.0 and Amos 21.0. The findings are as follows: first, the participation of middle school students in physical activities during the 0th period had a statistically significant effect on perceived enjoyment. Second, perceived enjoyment had no statistically significant effect on learning attitude. Third, participation was shown to have a significant effect on learning attitudes. These findings supported the academic basis for the implementation of the 0th period physical education class for middle school students and application of practical measures to encourage their participation.