Sample 1: Adult exercise behavior
The following sample extended essay is a student essay from the former curriculum; I have rewritten it to align with the new curriculum assessment criteria. The research question is: To what extent does required physical education in high school predict future exercise regimes in adulthood?
For each section, you will see the comments about the text. At the bottom of the page, you will see comments for each criterion. You will not see a TOC or page numbers. That would lower the marks for criterion A.
Physical activity is important for physical and psychological health, yet activity levels often decline during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. This makes adolescence an important period for developing exercise habits that may continue later in life. Schools may play a role in this process because physical education (PE) provides structured opportunities for physical activity, including for students who might not otherwise participate in sports or exercise outside school. However, whether compulsory participation in PE encourages individuals to remain physically active after leaving school is less certain.
Research suggests that physical activity demonstrates some stability across the lifespan. Telama (2009) reviewed longitudinal studies and found that adolescents who were physically active were more likely to remain active as adults, although the relationship was generally weak to moderate. This suggests that adolescent activity may predict later behavior without necessarily determining it. Trudeau and Shephard (2008) also suggested that school-based PE may have long-term benefits, although the evidence for its influence on adult physical activity is inconsistent. These findings raise the research question: To what extent does required physical education in high school predict future exercise regimes in adulthood?
For this essay, required physical education refers to compulsory participation in school-based PE during adolescence. Researchers have operationalized this in several ways, including the number of PE lessons per week, minutes of compulsory physical activity provided by schools, and participation in enhanced PE programs. These measures are not necessarily equivalent because scheduled lesson time does not accurately represent the amount or quality of physical activity experienced by individual students.
Future exercise regimes in adulthood will be defined as relatively regular patterns of voluntary physical activity after leaving high school. Research commonly measures this through weekly physical activity, participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sports participation, or whether individuals meet recommended physical activity guidelines. However, general physical activity is not necessarily equivalent to a deliberate exercise regime. For example, an individual may meet physical activity recommendations through walking to work without regularly participating in structured exercise.
The term predict is also important. A relationship between compulsory PE and adult exercise does not necessarily demonstrate that PE causes individuals to remain active. Other factors, including socioeconomic status, family attitudes toward exercise, previous sports participation, physical competence, and access to recreational facilities, may influence both adolescent and adult physical activity.
This essay will argue that compulsory PE predicts adult exercise to a limited-to-moderate extent. Although sustained participation may increase the likelihood of later physical activity, compulsory attendance alone does not consistently predict adult exercise. The development of physical competence and autonomous motivation may help explain why some students continue exercising after leaving school while others do not.
To address the research question, this essay will examine longitudinal and prospective studies investigating the relationship between school-based PE and physical activity in adulthood. Lahti et al. (2018), Trudeau et al. (2004), and García-Hermoso et al. (2023) will be used to examine evidence supporting a positive long-term relationship, while Cleland et al. (2008) and Palakshappa et al. (2015) will provide evidence challenging the predictive value of compulsory PE. Jaakkola et al. (2016) will also be considered to examine whether motivation and perceived physical competence may help explain differences in later exercise behavior.
An effective Extended Essay introduction should accomplish five things:
- Establish the psychological problem and its significance.
- Present a focused research question and operationalize its key variables.
- Identify the theoretical framework and explain its relevance.
- Establish the central argument that the essay will investigate.
- End with a methodology explaining which research will be used and why it was selected.
Self-determination theory (SDT), developed by Deci and Ryan (2000), provides a psychological framework for understanding how compulsory physical education may influence voluntary exercise later in life. The theory proposes that individuals differ in the extent to which their behavior is controlled by external demands or guided by personal interests and values. This distinction is particularly relevant when considering whether behavior that is initially required will continue once the requirement is removed.
SDT distinguishes between controlled and autonomous forms of motivation. Controlled motivation occurs when individuals engage in behavior because of external pressure, rewards, punishment, or feelings of obligation. For example, a student may participate in PE because attendance is compulsory, performance is graded, or participation is necessary to avoid disciplinary consequences. In these circumstances, the motivation to exercise depends largely on external conditions.
Autonomous motivation occurs when individuals participate because they enjoy an activity or personally value its benefits. This includes intrinsic motivation, in which behavior is performed because it is inherently enjoyable, and more internalized forms of extrinsic motivation, in which individuals recognize the personal importance of an activity. For example, a student may initially exercise because it is required but eventually choose to exercise because they value its contribution to their health or enjoy the sense of achievement it provides.
According to SDT, autonomous motivation is more likely to support sustained behavior because individuals no longer depend on external pressure to participate. This suggests that compulsory PE may contribute to future exercise habits if students gradually internalize the value of physical activity. However, if participation remains entirely controlled by school requirements, students may have little motivation to continue exercising once they leave school.
SDT proposes that the development of autonomous motivation is supported by the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Autonomy refers to the experience of having choice and ownership over one's behavior. In PE, autonomy may be supported when students can select activities, establish personal goals, or participate in decisions about their learning. Although PE attendance may be compulsory, students can still experience autonomy within lessons if they feel that their participation reflects their own interests and preferences.
Competence refers to feeling capable of successfully performing an activity and developing skills. Students who experience improvement, receive constructive feedback, and encounter achievable challenges may develop confidence in their ability to exercise. This may be particularly important for future exercise because individuals who believe they lack the necessary skills may be reluctant to participate voluntarily.
Relatedness refers to feeling accepted, supported, and connected to others. Positive relationships with teachers and classmates may help students associate physical activity with belonging and enjoyment. Conversely, experiences of exclusion, embarrassment, or negative peer comparison may undermine their willingness to participate.
These three needs provide a possible explanation for how compulsory PE might influence exercise after high school. PE may initially create participation through external requirements, but positive experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness could encourage students to develop more autonomous forms of motivation. Once participation becomes voluntary, these students may be more likely to continue exercising because physical activity has acquired personal value.
However, SDT also suggests that compulsory PE will not necessarily have the same effect on every student. Students who experience repeated failure, limited choice, or social exclusion may associate physical activity with pressure rather than enjoyment. Consequently, compulsory participation may produce immediate physical activity without developing the motivation necessary for long-term exercise.
SDT therefore suggests that the relationship between required PE and adult exercise may depend not only on the amount of PE students receive but also on whether their experiences support the development of autonomous motivation.
The theoretical framework provides a psychological explanation for the relationship being investigated in the research question.
In this essay, self-determination theory explains why compulsory PE may lead to lasting exercise habits in some students but not others. The framework should clearly explain the theory’s central concepts. The purpose is not to review or evaluate research but to establish a theoretical foundation that can be used to interpret the empirical evidence throughout the essay.
One argument supporting the relationship between required PE and adult exercise is that repeated participation during adolescence may establish patterns of physical activity that continue after school. Compulsory PE provides regular opportunities to develop physical skills, experience different activities, and incorporate exercise into daily routines.
Lahti et al. (2018) provide evidence supporting this argument through a prospective study conducted in Sweden. The researchers investigated whether substantially increasing compulsory PE during school would influence physical activity after the intervention ended. Students attending one school received approximately 200 minutes of PE per week, compared with approximately 60 minutes in control schools. The enhanced PE program continued for seven years, providing sustained exposure to physical activity throughout an important period of development. Participants were then followed for an additional four years after the intervention ended.
At baseline, physical activity levels were similar between the groups. However, by the end of the intervention, students receiving increased PE were more physically active than those attending control schools. This difference remained after compulsory participation ended. At age 19, participants in the intervention group reported an average of 7.4 hours of physical activity per week, compared with 4.7 hours in the control group.
These findings support the argument that PE may predict later physical activity. The continuation of the difference after the intervention ended is particularly important because it suggests that the program may have influenced behavior beyond immediate compliance with school requirements. The prospective design strengthens the research because PE exposure was established before adult physical activity was measured. Furthermore, the similarity between groups at baseline reduces the possibility that the intervention group was simply more active before receiving additional PE.
However, the study cannot conclusively establish that increased PE caused the difference in later activity. Students were not randomly assigned to schools, meaning that differences between socioeconomic status and community resources families may have influenced the results. For example, students attending the intervention school may have had different opportunities for extracurricular sports or access to gym facilities. The relatively small follow-up sample also limits the generalizability of the findings. Another limitation is that the study examined a substantial, long-term enhancement of PE rather than ordinary compulsory provision. Therefore, its findings cannot necessarily be generalized to schools offering only one or two required lessons per week.
Nevertheless, Lahti et al. provide evidence that prolonged exposure to compulsory PE may be associated with increased physical activity after students leave school.
Further support comes from the Trois-Rivières longitudinal research conducted by Trudeau et al. (2004). This research followed participants who had experienced enhanced school-based PE during childhood and examined their physical activity approximately 35 years later. The study investigated whether participation in an enhanced PE program was associated with long-term differences in physical activity. The findings indicated some positive relationships between childhood PE experiences and adult activity, suggesting that early exposure to structured physical activity may have lasting benefits.
An important strength of this research is the length of the follow-up period. Whereas Lahti et al. examined activity during early adulthood, Trudeau et al. investigated behavior after participants had experienced major transitions in education, employment, and lifestyle. Physical activity at approximately 35 years of age may therefore provide a more meaningful indication of adult behavior than activity immediately after leaving school.
However, the relationships between childhood and adult physical activity were generally weak. This suggests that early PE experiences explained only a limited proportion of the differences in adult activity levels. Factors encountered after leaving school, including employment, family responsibilities, health, and access to exercise opportunities, may have influenced whether participants remained active. Furthermore, because the enhanced PE exposure occurred during childhood, the findings do not directly establish the predictive value of compulsory PE specifically during high school.
Despite these limitations, Trudeau et al. suggest that the influence of school-based physical activity may extend beyond adolescence, although the relationship becomes less consistent over time.
García-Hermoso et al. (2023) provide additional evidence through their analysis of data from the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The researchers examined whether PE participation during adolescence was associated with health behaviors when participants were 33–39 years old. The study found that more frequent adolescent PE participation was associated with a greater likelihood of meeting combined health recommendations in adulthood.
The large longitudinal dataset and extended follow-up period strengthen the findings because they allow adolescent PE exposure to be examined in relation to behavior decades later. This is important because any relationship that remains detectable after such a long period may suggest that adolescent experiences contribute to later behavioral patterns.
However, the measurement of the dependent variable limits the conclusions that can be drawn. The adult outcome combined physical activity with sleep and screen-time recommendations. Meeting these combined guidelines is not equivalent to maintaining a regular exercise regime. An individual could meet physical activity recommendations through transportation or occupational activity without intentionally exercising. Consequently, García-Hermoso et al. support an association between adolescent PE and healthier adult behavior, but they provide less direct evidence that compulsory PE predicts established exercise routines.
Taken together, these longitudinal studies suggest that compulsory PE may have a positive relationship with adult physical activity. However, the strength of this relationship varies, and evidence of increased general physical activity does not necessarily demonstrate the development of regular voluntary exercise. The positive relationships identified in some longitudinal studies may be partly explained by the development of autonomous motivation and physical competence during adolescence.
Jaakkola et al. (2016) investigated this possibility through a longitudinal study of 333 Finnish students followed from Grade 7 to Grade 12. The researchers examined whether motivational factors, including perceived physical competence, autonomous motivation, and enjoyment in PE, predicted later physical activity. The findings indicated that perceived physical competence predicted later total, moderate, and vigorous physical activity. However, autonomous motivation and enjoyment in PE did not significantly predict later activity. These findings suggest that students who believe they are physically capable may be more likely to remain active over time. This is relevant to compulsory PE because repeated opportunities to develop physical skills may increase students' confidence in their ability to exercise independently.
The findings are partly consistent with SDT, which identifies competence as a basic psychological need supporting motivation. However, the absence of significant longitudinal relationships for autonomous motivation and enjoyment challenges the assumption that all motivational components are equally important in predicting later activity. The longitudinal design strengthens the research because motivational characteristics were measured before later physical activity. This establishes temporal order and provides stronger evidence of prediction than a cross-sectional association.
However, the study does not establish that compulsory PE caused increases in perceived competence. Students who already possessed greater physical ability may have felt more competent and been more likely to exercise outside school. Previous sports participation or family support could therefore explain both competence and later activity. Furthermore, participants were followed only until Grade 12. The study therefore provides evidence about the development of activity during adolescence rather than directly establishing the relationship between compulsory PE and adult exercise.
Nevertheless, Jaakkola et al. provide a possible psychological explanation for why sustained PE may predict later physical activity in some students. Compulsory participation may be more likely to support lasting behavior when students develop confidence in their ability to exercise rather than simply completing required lessons.
Overall, the supporting research suggests that compulsory PE may contribute to later physical activity through repeated exposure and the development of physical competence. However, the evidence does not establish that these processes necessarily produce regular exercise in adulthood.
The supporting argument should use relevant empirical research to build a convincing, evidence-based response to the research question. Each study should be explained in sufficient detail to establish its aim, methodology, findings, and relevance to the argument.
Evaluation should be integrated into the discussion of each study rather than presented as a formulaic list of strengths and limitations. Strengths must be developed just as thoroughly as limitations, explaining how particular methodological features increase confidence in the findings and strengthen the argument. For example, a longitudinal design is not simply a strength because it follows participants over time; its value lies in establishing temporal order and examining whether physical activity continues after compulsory PE has ended.
Similarly, limitations should be selected according to their relevance to the research question and explained in terms of how they affect the conclusions that can be drawn.
Ethical considerations should not be included automatically, as they are often irrelevant to evaluating the strength of the evidence in this type of research.
The evaluation should demonstrate critical thinking by considering how convincingly each study supports the argument, rather than simply demonstrating knowledge of research methods.
Other longitudinal evidence challenges the claim that increasing compulsory PE necessarily creates more active adults. Cleland et al. (2008) analyzed data from the Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey. Secondary schools were classified as providing low, medium, or high amounts of compulsory physical activity. Low provision was less than 150 minutes per week, while high provision was at least 190 minutes. Approximately twenty years later, adults who had attended schools providing more compulsory physical activity were not significantly more active than those from schools providing less (Cleland et al., 2008). This directly challenges the idea that simply increasing required school activity creates lasting exercise habits.
The study has important strengths. The original sample was large, and the 20-year follow-up allowed researchers to examine behavior well into adulthood. However, there was an important measurement problem. Researchers measured how much activity the school provided, rather than how much exercise each student actually performed.
Hollis et al. (2017) demonstrate why this distinction matters. Their review found that secondary students spent only about 40% of PE lesson time in MVPA. Therefore, a school providing 200 minutes of PE does not necessarily provide 200 minutes of meaningful exercise. Cleland et al.'s independent variable may therefore have had limited construct validity.
Palakshappa et al. (2015) provide another important counterargument. They analyzed 1,774 participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health over approximately 12 years. Students were categorized according to whether they received no PE, some PE, or daily PE. During adolescence, students receiving more PE were more active. Therefore, required PE successfully predicted physical activity while students were in school. However, physical activity declined as participants entered adulthood. Students who had received some or daily PE showed larger declines than students who had received no PE (Palakshappa et al., 2015).
It would be incorrect to conclude that PE caused students to become less active. Those receiving daily PE began at a higher level and therefore had more opportunity to decline. However, the results demonstrate that required PE did not prevent the general decrease in physical activity as students entered adulthood. A teenager may exercise because PE is required without developing any desire to exercise once the requirement disappears.
Research on adults' memories of PE provides additional evidence that the type of experience may matter. Limmeroth et al. (2026) studied 692 German adults and examined remembered PE enjoyment and experiences of being selected for teams. Positive memories of PE enjoyment were associated with higher current MVPA, while negative experiences such as being selected last were associated with lower activity.
However, these relationships were small, meaning that PE memories explained only a limited amount of adult activity. More importantly, the study was retrospective. Adults who currently exercise may remember PE more positively, while inactive adults may reconstruct school experiences more negatively. Therefore, the research cannot establish which variable came first.
Nevertheless, the findings are consistent with White et al.'s (2021) review showing that experiences of competence, choice, peer support, comparison, and teasing can influence students' motivation in PE. Requiring PE may therefore create positive experiences for some students and negative experiences for others. Overall, the counterargument does not show that required PE has no effect. Instead, it demonstrates that compulsory attendance alone is an inconsistent predictor of adult exercise.
The counterargument does not need to directly contradict the main argument. Instead, it should introduce nuance by examining circumstances in which the main argument may not be supported, alternative explanations for the findings, or factors that influence the strength of the relationship.
In this essay, the research suggests that compulsory PE may predict adult exercise in some circumstances but not others. Each study should be explained in sufficient detail to demonstrate how its methodology and findings contribute to a more balanced understanding of the research question.
This section should deepen the argument by demonstrating that psychological relationships are often complex and that the evidence may support different conclusions depending on the conditions, populations, and methods being investigated.
The evidence presents a mixed picture. Some longitudinal studies find that greater PE exposure predicts later physical activity, while others find little or no long-term relationship. A major difficulty is separating prediction from causation. Longitudinal research can show that PE comes before adult exercise, but this does not prove that PE causes later activity. There are many possible confounding variables. Parents who value exercise may encourage children to participate enthusiastically in PE, pay for extracurricular activities, and model exercise themselves. Socioeconomic status may affect access to sports facilities both during adolescence and adulthood. Students who are naturally more physically competent may enjoy PE more and be more likely to exercise later. These variables could create a relationship between PE and adult exercise even if PE itself is not the main cause.
Lahti et al. (2018) provide stronger evidence because students were exposed to a long-term intervention and the groups were similar at baseline. However, the absence of random assignment means alternative explanations remain possible. Randomized experiments would provide stronger evidence, but they are difficult in this area. Researchers would need to randomly assign students to different amounts of PE and follow them for many years. Schools also have educational and ethical reasons for determining how much PE is provided to students at specific ages, making long-term experimental control difficult. Therefore, required PE may increase the likelihood of later exercise, but it does not guarantee it.
Bias also affects the evidence. Longitudinal studies are especially vulnerable to attrition bias because participants are lost over time. Individuals who continue participating in a health study for 10 or 20 years may differ from those who leave. For example, they could be more interested in health or more physically active. Selection bias may also reduce generalizability. Studies have been conducted in countries including Sweden, Finland, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United States. PE programs and attitudes toward exercise differ across cultures, so findings from one educational system may not apply equally to another.
Retrospective studies such as Limmeroth et al. (2026) are vulnerable to recall bias. Adults may not accurately remember PE experiences from many years earlier. Their present relationship with exercise could also influence those memories. Finally, much of the research relies on self-reported physical activity. Participants may exaggerate exercise because being active is socially desirable. This reduces the accuracy of the dependent variable.
Measurement may be the most important issue because researchers do not operationalize "required PE" in the same way. Cleland et al. (2008) measured minutes of school-provided activity. Palakshappa et al. (2015) measured frequency of PE participation. Lahti et al. (2018) compared a long-term enhanced PE program with standard provision. These are all measures of PE, but they do not represent exactly the same experience.
Hollis et al. (2017) show another problem: scheduled lesson time does not equal actual physical activity. Students may spend time listening to instructions, changing clothes, waiting for equipment, or watching other students. Most studies also fail to measure the quality of PE. This may be particularly important. Research based on SDT suggests that autonomy, competence, relatedness, teacher behavior, and peer experiences affect motivation (Vasconcellos et al., 2020; White et al., 2021).
The dependent variable also varies. Some researchers measure MVPA, others total activity, and others whether adults meet health guidelines. An adult could walk several hours per week because of transportation and be classified as active without having a deliberate exercise regime. These measurement differences could explain why studies appear to contradict one another. They may actually be measuring somewhat different independent and dependent variables.
The positive findings from Lahti et al. (2018) suggest that substantial, sustained PE can have effects beyond school. However, Cleland et al. (2008) and Palakshappa et al. (2015) show that greater PE exposure does not consistently predict adult activity. Competence appears particularly important. Jaakkola et al. (2016) found that perceived physical competence predicted later activity, while White et al. (2021) showed how PE environments can either support or damage students' feelings of competence and relatedness.
Therefore, the amount of PE should not be considered separately from its quality. Five compulsory lessons in which a student repeatedly feels unsuccessful may not have a more positive long-term effect than two lessons in which the student develops skills and confidence.
A strong discussion should move beyond evaluating individual studies to synthesize the research and explore what the evidence collectively suggests about the research question. Unlike the main argument, which is generally organized around individual studies, the discussion should be organized thematically around important psychological concepts, such as causality, bias, and measurement. Each concept should be used to examine patterns, inconsistencies, and methodological issues across multiple studies, rather than repeating the evaluation of individual research.
The theoretical framework should also be revisited to consider how effectively it explains the overall findings.
The discussion and conclusion have different objectives and structures: the discussion is an extended analysis that explores the complexities of the evidence. The conclusion, by contrast, should be considerably shorter and should not introduce new analysis. Its purpose is to draw together the most important insights from the essay and provide a clear, balanced, and justified answer to the research question. In other words, the discussion explores how the evidence should be interpreted and why, while the conclusion establishes what the evidence ultimately allows us to conclude.
Required physical education in high school predicts future exercise regimes in adulthood to a limited-to-moderate extent. There is evidence for a positive relationship. Lahti et al. (2018) found that students exposed to substantially increased PE remained more active after the program ended. Trudeau et al. (2004) found some continuity between childhood and adult activity, and García-Hermoso et al. (2023) found that adolescent PE attendance was associated with healthier movement behavior decades later.
However, the relationship is inconsistent. Cleland et al. (2008) found no significant adult advantage from attending schools providing more compulsory activity. Palakshappa et al. (2015) also showed that required PE did not prevent physical activity from declining as adolescents entered adulthood.
Methodological issues make a simple conclusion difficult. Longitudinal studies cannot completely eliminate confounding variables, are affected by attrition, and frequently rely on self-report. There are also major differences in how researchers measure both required PE and adult exercise.
The theoretical evidence suggests that what happens during PE may be as important as how much PE students receive. Developing competence, skills, and more autonomous forms of motivation may increase the likelihood that physical activity continues once participation becomes voluntary. In contrast, requiring participation without creating positive experiences may produce activity only while the requirement remains.
Required PE should therefore be viewed as a probabilistic rather than deterministic predictor. It can provide repeated opportunities for adolescents to develop the skills and attitudes needed for future exercise, but it cannot guarantee that they will become active adults. Adult exercise is better explained by the interaction of school experiences, motivation, individual differences, social influences, and opportunities available later in life.
A strong conclusion should provide a clear, balanced, and justified answer to the research question, drawing together the most important insights developed throughout the essay.
In this essay, the conclusion directly addresses the extent to which compulsory PE predicts adult exercise, acknowledges that the findings are inconsistent, and explains how self-determination theory helps account for this complexity. It also recognizes the limitations of the evidence without repeating detailed evaluations of individual studies.
A good conclusion should not introduce new research; it should demonstrate what the investigation has established and how confidently the research question can be answered. The final statements should return to the central psychological argument and leave the reader with a clear understanding of what can reasonably be concluded, what remains uncertain, and why.
Cleland, V., Dwyer, T., Blizzard, L., & Venn, A. (2008). The provision of compulsory school physical activity: Associations with physical activity, fitness and overweight in childhood and twenty years later. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 5, Article 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-5-14
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
García-Hermoso, A., Ezzatvar, Y., & López-Gil, J. F. (2023). Association between daily physical education attendance and meeting 24-hour movement guidelines in adolescence and adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Health, 73(5), 896–902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.06.014
Hollis, J. L., Sutherland, R., Williams, A. J., Campbell, E., Nathan, N., Wolfenden, L., Morgan, P. J., Lubans, D. R., Gillham, K., & Wiggers, J. (2017). A systematic review and meta-analysis of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels in secondary school physical education lessons. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14, Article 52. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0504-0
Jaakkola, T., Yli-Piipari, S., Watt, A., & Liukkonen, J. (2016). Perceived physical competence towards physical activity, and motivation and enjoyment in physical education as longitudinal predictors of adolescents' self-reported physical activity. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19(9), 750–754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2015.11.003
Lahti, A., Rosengren, B. E., Nilsson, J.-Å., Karlsson, C., & Karlsson, M. K. (2018). Long-term effects of daily physical education throughout compulsory school on duration of physical activity in young adulthood: An 11-year prospective controlled study. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 4(1), Article e000360. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000360
Limmeroth, J., Leisterer-Härtig, S., Hagemann, N., & Ladwig, M. A. (2026). Last in line, lasting in mind? A retrospective investigation of the relationship between physical education experiences and adult physical activity. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 48(1), 46–54. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2025-0008
Palakshappa, D., Virudachalam, S., Oreskovic, N. M., & Goodman, E. (2015). Adolescent physical education class participation as a predictor for adult physical activity. Childhood Obesity, 11(5), 616–623. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2015.0024
Trudeau, F., Laurencelle, L., & Shephard, R. J. (2004). Tracking of physical activity from childhood to adulthood. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(11), 1937–1943. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000145525.29140.3b
Vasconcellos, D., Parker, P. D., Hilland, T., Cinelli, R., Owen, K. B., Kapsal, N., Lee, J., Antczak, D., Ntoumanis, N., Ryan, R. M., & Lonsdale, C. (2020). Self-determination theory applied to physical education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(7), 1444–1469. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000420
White, R. L., Bennie, A., Vasconcellos, D., Cinelli, R., Hilland, T., Owen, K. B., & Lonsdale, C. (2021). Self-determination theory in physical education: A systematic review of qualitative studies. Teaching and Teacher Education, 99, Article 103247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103247
When I began my Extended Essay, I assumed that compulsory physical education would positively influence exercise habits in adulthood. Having experienced PE throughout high school, I believed that repeated participation would naturally encourage students to develop lasting habits. However, as I investigated the research, I realized that the relationship was considerably more complex. This challenged my initial assumptions and encouraged me to approach the evidence more critically.
One of my first challenges was developing a sufficiently focused research question. Initially, I wanted to investigate whether PE was beneficial for lifelong physical activity. However, I realized that this was too broad and would make it difficult to establish a clear argument. By focusing specifically on compulsory PE and adult exercise, I was able to identify relevant longitudinal research. I also learned the importance of operationalizing variables. For example, I initially treated physical activity and exercise as interchangeable, but later recognized that walking to work is not necessarily equivalent to maintaining a deliberate exercise regime. This distinction significantly influenced how I interpreted the findings.
My understanding of research methodology developed considerably during the investigation. Initially, I believed that longitudinal studies provided strong evidence of causation because they followed participants over time. However, comparing Lahti et al. (2018) with Cleland et al. (2008) challenged this assumption. Although both examined long-term outcomes, their findings differed. I realized that establishing temporal order does not eliminate confounding variables such as family attitudes, socioeconomic status, or previous sports participation. This changed my approach to evaluating research. Rather than simply identifying methodological strengths and limitations, I began considering how these affected the conclusions that could reasonably be drawn.
Another important development involved my use of self-determination theory. Initially, I treated the theory as background information that needed to be included because this was a Psychology essay. However, I gradually recognized that it could help explain why compulsory PE might encourage lasting exercise habits in some students but not others. The distinction between controlled and autonomous motivation was particularly valuable because it challenged my assumption that repeated participation automatically produces long-term behavior.
Writing the discussion was probably my greatest challenge. My first approach was to summarize the supporting and opposing studies again. Through revision, I learned that a discussion should synthesize evidence and explore broader issues, particularly causality, bias, and measurement. This helped me develop a more balanced argument rather than attempting to prove my original position.
Overall, this investigation has changed how I approach psychological research. I have become more comfortable with uncertainty and more willing to reconsider my assumptions when evidence challenges them. I can transfer these skills to future academic work by questioning operational definitions, distinguishing correlation from causation, and evaluating how methodological decisions influence conclusions. Most importantly, I have learned that successful research is not about confirming an initial belief but developing a justified conclusion through critical engagement with evidence.
Total word count: 480 words
What makes a good reflection?
1. It is evaluative rather than descriptive.
2. It uses specific examples from the investigation.
3. It demonstrates personal and intellectual growth.
4. It shows transfer of learning. The final paragraph explains how the skills developed through the Extended Essay can be applied to future academic work.
5. It demonstrates growth throughout the reflection, not just at the end. The student consistently uses a pattern of identifying an initial understanding, describing a challenge or discovery, and explaining how their thinking or approach changed. This is important because the highest markband requires reflection that is consistently evaluative and consistently demonstrates growth and transfer of learning.
Assessment
A. Framework
B. Knowledge and understanding
C. Analysis and line of argument
The essay develops a clear and sustained line of argument linking the research question, theoretical framework, empirical evidence, and conclusions. Individual studies are analyzed in relation to their contribution to the argument rather than simply described. The essay also recognizes that the relationship between compulsory PE and adult exercise is complex and may depend on motivational experiences and physical competence.
However, Trudeau et al. (2004) examine PE during childhood rather than specifically during high school. These differences limit how directly some findings address the research question. 5 marks
D. Discussion and evaluation
E. Reflection
Total marks and predicted grade
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