THE ZHANG SAH CASE STUDY: DO RELATIONSHIPS EXIST BETWEEN FITNESS, SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT?

Abstract

The study involved 87 school-age participants in the Zhang Sah afterschool program located in Philadelphia, PA during the 2015-2016 school years. The study sought to identify if relationships exist between the participants’ results for physical competency as measured by Fitnessgram™, socio-emotional competency as measured by SAYO™, and cognitive competency as measured by school report card grades and literacy levels. The study’s findings revealed participants’ achieving levels of competency in fitness, socio-emotional learning and academic achievement. The most significant variables related to the participants’ results were adiposity, Body Mass Index, and low socio-economic status. The older school-age participants’ results revealed few significant associations between fitness and socio-emotional learning except for associations between core body strength and leadership, and resilience and science grades. The young school-age participants’ results revealed significant associations between flexibility and science grades, as well as socio-emotional learning and grades and reading level.