The Effects of Physical Exercise on Adolescents’ School Adjustment and Path Analysis—Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey

Tang, Shaohua; Chen, Hanwen; Lu, Tianci; Tao, Baole; Yan, Jun

doi:10.3390/bs15121602

This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Physical Exercise on Adolescents’ School Adjustment and Path Analysis—Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey

by

Shaohua Tang

^†

,

Hanwen Chen

^†,

Tianci Lu

,

Baole Tao

and

Jun Yan

^*

College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1602; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121602

Submission received: 9 October 2025 / Revised: 17 November 2025 / Accepted: 20 November 2025 / Published: 21 November 2025

Download Versions Notes

Abstract

Considering the role of school adjustment in the development of adolescent populations, it is particularly essential to find ways to improve the school adjustment of middle school students and to develop further the socialization of adolescents. Based on the 2014–2015 data of the China Education Panel Survey, the effects of physical exercise on adolescents’ school adjustment and possible mechanisms were systematically explored. Based on the ordinary least squares method, instrumental variable method, and propensity score matching method, the results of the study showed that physical exercise significantly improved adolescents’ school adjustment. The results of the mediation effects test indicated that physical exercise not only enhances adolescents’ school adjustment by alleviating negative emotions, but also enhances adolescents’ school adjustment by improving prosocial behavior. This study reveals the mechanism of physical exercise and adolescents’ school adjustment, and provides reasonable and effective suggestions for better promoting adolescents’ school adjustment and formulating related policies.

Keywords: physical exercise; adolescents; school adjustment; China Education Panel Survey

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Tang, S.; Chen, H.; Lu, T.; Tao, B.; Yan, J. The Effects of Physical Exercise on Adolescents’ School Adjustment and Path Analysis—Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1602. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121602

AMA Style

Tang S, Chen H, Lu T, Tao B, Yan J. The Effects of Physical Exercise on Adolescents’ School Adjustment and Path Analysis—Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(12):1602. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121602

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tang, Shaohua, Hanwen Chen, Tianci Lu, Baole Tao, and Jun Yan. 2025. "The Effects of Physical Exercise on Adolescents’ School Adjustment and Path Analysis—Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 12: 1602. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121602

APA Style

Tang, S., Chen, H., Lu, T., Tao, B., & Yan, J. (2025). The Effects of Physical Exercise on Adolescents’ School Adjustment and Path Analysis—Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey. Behavioral Sciences, 15(12), 1602. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121602

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Menu

The Effects of Physical Exercise on Adolescents’ School Adjustment and Path Analysis—Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI