Physical Education Participation and Holistic Wellness Among High School Learners

Abstract

This study addressed the growing need to understand learner wellness as a multidimensional condition shaped not only by physical health but also by emotional, social, and personal functioning. It investigated the influence of physical education participation on holistic wellness among high school learners using a quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional predictive design. Data were gathered through a researcher-developed questionnaire that underwent expert validation, pilot testing, and reliability analysis prior to full administration. The findings revealed that physical education participation was high overall, with learners showing stronger engagement in structured and teacher-guided class activities than in voluntary physical activity beyond required sessions. Holistic wellness was likewise high, particularly in physical well-being and social wellness, although emotional balance and personal wellness habits registered comparatively lower results. Measurement model assessment established acceptable indicator loadings, internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Structural model analysis further showed that physical education participation significantly and positively influenced holistic wellness and explained a meaningful portion of the variance in learner wellness outcomes. The results indicated that physical education functioned as an important school-based mechanism for supporting learner development, although it did not fully account for all dimensions of wellness. The study concluded that stronger, more engaging, and wellness-oriented physical education experiences remained essential in promoting balanced adolescent development.