Effect of physical activity on academic performance

The present diploma thesis assesses the influence of physical activity on academic performance. Its main objective is to find out whether there is any link, and if so, what the extent of this connection is, between regular sport activity and the academic average of full-time students of the MA Management and Art Management programme at the Faculty of Business Administration. Based on a literature and expert research, which concurred in identifying that active movement has a positive influence on academic results, four hypotheses were identified. These were tested on randomly selected students of the Faculty of Business Administration of the University of Economics. Data stemming from a quantitative research (questionnaire surveys) were analysed using statistical methods including correlation and linear regressions. The results of the analysis did not confirm that the practice of regular sport activity would have a positive influence on academic results, however, they showed that students who engage in a regular aerobic physical activity have better academic average. The age of students was identified as another important determinant of academic success (on the test sample, a better academic average was demonstrated in men and younger students). There are many other factors which may have an effect on academic performance. For the sake of clarity, however, these were not taken into account in the present diploma thesis. More research is needed to identify these factors and assess their potential level of influence. As a recommendation for further research, it is suggested to extend the scope of the study beyond the VŠE environment, monitor the results from other academic programme, and allow for a comparison in time.