The Mediating Role of Value Orientations in the Relationship Between Interest in Physical Education and Sports and Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities in Early Adolescence

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine how interest in physical education and sports influences students’ attitudes toward peers with disabilities through the mediating role of value orientations during early adolescence. The study was conducted using a relational survey design and included 385 students (180 girls, 205 boys; age M = 12.22 ± 1.35) attending the second stage of primary education in Denizli/Acıpayam during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected using the Interest in Physical Education and Sports Scale, the Physical Education Student Value Orientation Scale, and the Chedoke–McMaster Attitudes Toward Children with Disabilities Scale. Mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap samples. The findings indicated that interest in physical education and sports strongly predicted value orientations, and that value orientations positively predicted attitudes toward peers with disabilities. While the direct effect of interest on attitudes was not statistically significant, the indirect effect was significant. In conclusion, the results reveal that interest in physical education and sports strengthens attitudes toward peers with disabilities indirectly through value orientations rather than directly.