Examining the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Mathematical Proficiency Among High School Students in the Philippines

Mathematical proficiency remains a persistent academic challenge in the Philippines, with national assessments revealing that only 19% of Filipino Grade 10 students meet proficiency levels in mathematics (Department of Education, 2022). In light of growing international evidence linking physical activity to cognitive and academic outcomes, this study investigated the relationship between physical activity, as proxied by Physical Education (PE) grades, and mathematical performance among high school students in the Philippines, while exploring potential gender differences. Using a correlational research design, the study analysed the grades in PE and Math of 317 high school students (aged 14–17) from three public secondary schools. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling to ensure gender balance and grade level representation. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant, moderate positive relationship between PE and Math grades (r = .42, p < .001). Multiple regression analysis further demonstrated that PE grades significantly predicted Math grades (β = .36, p < .001), even after accounting for gender. Independent samples t-tests showed that female students scored significantly higher in Math (M = 85.63, SD = 7.32) than males (M = 83.92, SD = 7.58), t(315) = 2.21, p = .028, although no significant difference emerged in PE grades. Fisher’s z-transformation revealed no statistically significant gender difference in the strength of the correlation between PE and Math (z = 1.23, p = .218). As the first study in the Philippines to examine this relationship using actual school grades, the findings provide novel empirical evidence to support the integration of physical activity into the academic curriculum. Practical implications include re-evaluating the role of PE in secondary education and promoting movement-based learning strategies to improve both health and academic performance among Filipino youth.