Differential roles of confidence and competence in the association between understanding and enjoyment of physical activity: developmental and demographic moderators in children and adolescents

Introduction

Enjoyment is widely recognized as a key determinant of young people's engagement in physical activity (PA) and their longer-term active behaviors. However, less is known about the cognitive and affective mechanisms that underpin enjoyment, or how these vary across groups of pupils. This study examined the association between pupils' understanding of the benefits of PA, their confidence and perceived competence, and their enjoyment of PA, and explored whether these patterns differed according to gender, ethnicity, physical activity level, SEN status, or school setting.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was completed by 637 pupils aged 8–16 years from five schools across England. Enjoyment, confidence, competence, and understanding of PA were each assessed using a single-item measure, administered alongside the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C). A path analysis model tested whether confidence and competence mediated the association between understanding and enjoyment, and multi-group structural equation modeling examined moderation; subgroup analyses were treated as exploratory.

Results

Understanding was indirectly associated with enjoyment through both confidence and competence, with confidence the stronger mediator across the full sample and for most subgroups; both indirect effects were statistically significant. Moderation analyses indicated that these patterns varied across physical activity level, school setting, and ethnicity, but not gender or SEN status. The relative contribution of confidence and competence shifted across school settings: confidence was the dominant mediator in secondary and special school settings, whereas in primary settings the two pathways did not differ reliably. Active pupils showed stronger confidence-mediated associations than less active peers. Apparent differences across ethnic groups were largely attributable to school composition.

Discussion

The study contributes to self-determination theory and physical literacy perspectives by showing how cognitive understanding is associated with the affective mechanisms linked to enjoyment, and how these associations vary across school settings. Practically, the findings suggest that PA provision may benefit from prioritizing confidence-building in secondary settings, competence-building in primary settings, and inclusive, culturally responsive pedagogies throughout; these implications follow from cross-sectional associations rather than demonstrated intervention effects. By centring enjoyment and its psychological antecedents, schools can support positive, sustainable relationships with physical activity that extend beyond the classroom.