Exploring the Role of Physical Education in Supporting School Belonging, Self Worth and Mental Wellness Among First Nations Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19737316Keywords:
First Nations students, mental wellness, physical education, school belonging, self-worth, student well-beingAbstract
This study positioned physical education as a potentially important school-based pathway for strengthening psychosocial well-being among First Nations students. It investigated the role of physical education in supporting school belonging, self-worth, and mental wellness among First Nations students in Manitoba using a cross-sectional explanatory quantitative design. Data were gathered through a validated researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The findings showed that physical education experiences were generally rated high, while school belonging was also high. Self-worth registered at a moderate to high level, whereas mental wellness received the lowest mean and remained at a moderate level, indicating a continuing area of concern. Measurement model results confirmed acceptable reliability and validity of the constructs. Structural model analysis revealed that physical education experiences significantly predicted school belonging, self-worth, and mental wellness. The strongest effect was found on school belonging, followed by self-worth, while the weakest but still significant effect was observed on mental wellness. The results suggest that physical education functioned most effectively as a relational and affirming school context that fostered inclusion, recognition, and positive self-perception. However, its limited explanatory power for mental wellness indicates that broader school and community supports remain necessary. The study concludes that physical education can contribute meaningfully to student well-being when implemented as an inclusive, culturally affirming, and supportive educational space.
Downloads
References
Allen, K.-A., Greenwood, C. J., Berger, E., Patlamazoglou, L., Reupert, A., Wurf, G., May, F., O’Connor, M., Sanson, A., Olsson, C. A., & Letcher, P. (2024). Adolescent school belonging and mental health outcomes in young adulthood: Findings from a multi-wave prospective cohort study. School Mental Health, 16(1), 149–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-023-09626-6
Chartier, M. J., Brownell, M., Star, L., Murdock, N., Campbell, R., Phillips-Beck, W., Horton, M., Meade, C., Au, W., Schultz, J., Bowes, J.-M., & Cochrane, B. (2024). The mental health of First Nations children in Manitoba: A population-based retrospective cohort study using linked administrative data. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry / La Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 69(2), 120–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437241226998
Future of Sport in Canada Commission. (2025, August 28). Why sport is important to Canadians and Canada. Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada.
Future of Sport in Canada Commission. (2026, March 24). Chapter 6: Indigenous-led sport and the Canadian sport system: Structures, interactions and reconciliation. Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada.
Granero-Gallegos, A., Gómez-López, M., & Manzano-Sánchez, D. (2023). Effect of a physical education teacher’s autonomy support on self-esteem in secondary-school students: The mediating role of emotional intelligence. Children, 10(10), Article 1690. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10101690
Kyoon-Achan, G., Ibrahim, N., Eni, R., Phillips-Beck, W., Lavoie, J., Kinew, K. A., & Katz, A. (2021). Beyond care: Validating a First Nations mental wellness framework. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 40(1), 67–80. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2021-005
Laurier, C., Pascuzzo, K., Jubinville, V., & Lemieux, A. (2024). Physical activity and its benefits on adolescents’ mental health through self-esteem. Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 3, Article 1503920. https://doi.org/10.3389/frcha.2024.1503920
Li, B., Ng, K., Tong, X., Zhou, X., Ye, J., & Yu, J. J. (2023). Physical activity and mental health in children and youth during COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 17, Article 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00629-4
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning. (2021). Connecting mental health literacy and well-being to the physical education/health education curriculum. Government of Manitoba.
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning. (2025). Annual report 2024/2025. Government of Manitoba.
Rose, I. D., Lesesne, C. A., Sun, J., Johns, M. M., Zhang, X., & Hertz, M. (2024). The relationship of school connectedness to adolescents’ engagement in co-occurring health risks: A meta-analytic review. The Journal of School Nursing, 40(1), 58–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405221096802
Ruiz-Ranz, E., & Asín-Izquierdo, I. (2025). Physical activity, exercise, and mental health of healthy adolescents: A review of the last 5 years. Sports Medicine and Health Science, 7(3), 199–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smhs.2024.10.003
Valero-Valenzuela, A., Camerino, O., Manzano-Sánchez, D., Prat, Q., & Castañer, M. (2021). The role of controlled motivation in the self-esteem of adolescent students in physical education classes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), Article 11602. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111602
World Health Organization. (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2025, September 1). Mental health of adolescents. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
