Motivated for leisure in the future: A person-centred longitudinal study in the lowest level of secondary education

Long-term future time perspective on leisure has been found to relate negatively to school effort. This was studied further by recognizing types of students based on developments in long-term leisure perspectives and comparing their development in motivation and academic achievement. Around 1200 12–13 year old students attending the lowest level of secondary education in the Netherlands participated in the research. Questionnaires were administered four times during a year and report marks were collected. We distinguished three groups of students: a small group with low and slightly decreasing, a group with intermediate and slightly decreasing; and a group with quite high and increasing long-term leisure perspectives. We expected the last group, which contained almost half of the students, to be problematic, and indeed these students less often resisted leisure opportunities in favour of pursuing chosen important academic future goals. Nevertheless, they had a more positive development in well-being.

Research highlights
► Identification of different types of students based on their long-term future time perspectives on leisure.
► Participants were around 1200 12–13 year old students attending the lowest level of secondary education in the Netherlands.
► Data on school motivation and academic achievement was collected which were analyzed using Growth Mixture Modelling.
► Three groups of students with different growth patterns in their long-term future perspectives on leisure were distinguished: A group with an intermediate and slightly decreasing; a group with a quite high and increasing; and a small group with a low and slightly decreasing long-term leisure perspective.
► The group with the high and increasing leisure perspective less often resisted leisure opportunities in favour of pursuing chosen important academic future goals. Nevertheless, they had a more positive development in well-being.