The effect of physical exercise on sense of school belonging in middle school students: The mediation role of perceived social support from different sources

This study constructed a mediation model to explore the effects of physical exercise (PE) on the sense of school belonging (SSB) and the mediation role of perceived social support (PSS) in middle school students. About 743 middle school students from Chengdu in China participated in this survey. The findings revealed that PE had a significant positive effect on middle school students’ SSB, and that perceived support from friends and others (e.g., teachers) mediated the relationship between PE and SSB. In contrast, perceived support from family did not mediate the relationship between PE and the SSB. The study confirms the mediating role of PSS in the relationship between PE and the SSB, clarifying how PSS from different sources influences this relationship.