This study aims at examining the relationship between the gender role identities and physical self-concepts of middle school students following participation in sports clubs. For this, participants in sports clubs who are attending middle schools in metropolitan city B in 2015 were selected as the population and convenience sampling, which is a type of nonprobability sampling, was used and 647 students were chosen as research subjects.
Of these, 610 were valid sample used in the analysis of this study. Data analysis used one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analysis and the results were as follows. First, with differences in gender role identities according to gender, masculinity was high in males and femininity was high in females and with differences in physical self-concepts according to gender, sports confidence and flexibility was higher in males than in females and body fat and physical appearance was higher in females than in males.
Second, with differences in gender role identities and physical self-concepts according to participation events, students participating in group events showed higher masculinity than students participating in individual events, man-to-man events, and new sports events. With differences in physical self-concepts according to participation events, sports confidence was higher in students participating in group events than in students participating in individual events, man-to-man events, and new sports events, physical appearance was higher in students participating in group events than in students participating in new sports events, and flexibility was higher in students participating in group events than in students participating in individual events or man-to-man events.
Third, with differences in gender role identities according to participation forms, masculinity was shown to be higher in all male classes than in coed classes or all female classes and femininity was shown to be higher in all female classes than in coed classes and all male classes.
With differences in physical self-concepts according to participation forms, sports confidence was higher in all male classes than in coed classes or all female classes, physical appearance was higher in all female classes than in all male classes, and flexibility was higher in all male classes and coed classes than in all female classes.
Fourth, masculinity, which is a sub-factor of gender role identities, had a positive effect on sports confidence, which is a sub-factor of physical self-concepts, and femininity, which is a sub-factor of gender role identities, had a positive effect on flexibility, which is a sub-factor of physical self-concepts.