Sports Moral Identity, Achievement Motivation, Physical Fitness, and Academic Procrastination Among Junior High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors

  • Longbing Yin Changsha Foreign Language School, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
  • Jiashuo Qi College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, P.R. China
  • Yuxian Cao Sun Yat-sen University Affiliated Middle School, Zhuhai, P.R. China
  • Cong Liu* College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, P.R. China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61360/BoniCETR262020500802

Keywords:

academic procrastination, achievement motivation, moral identity, physical fitness, physical education, junior high school students

Abstract

This cross-sectional study of 570 junior high school students (266 boys, 304 girls) examined the relationships among sports moral identity, achievement motivation, physical fitness, and academic procrastination, alongside the mediating roles of sports moral identity and 50-m sprint performance. Questionnaire data and school-based fitness records were analyzed using correlations, hierarchical regression, and parallel mediation models. Sports moral identity and success-approaching motivation were negatively associated with procrastination, whereas failure-avoiding motivation was positively associated, with psychological variables explaining 55.7% of the variance versus only 0.9% added by fitness indicators. Among fitness measures, only the 50-m sprint score independently predicted procrastination (β = 0.095), though its indirect effect was small, while the indirect effect via sports moral identity was substantially larger (effect = −0.205 vs. −0.015). These findings indicate that sports moral identity and achievement motivation are dominant psychological correlates of academic procrastination, with overall fitness showing no direct link, and suggest that physical education should prioritize moral identity development alongside motivational and behavioral intervention strategies.

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Published

2026-08-27

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Section

Research Articles

How to Cite

Sports Moral Identity, Achievement Motivation, Physical Fitness, and Academic Procrastination Among Junior High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. (2026). Contemporary Education and Teaching Research, 7(8), 236-243. https://doi.org/10.61360/BoniCETR262020500802

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