Regular physical activity is essential for college students, yet maintaining consistent participation remains challenging. Sports apps offer a promising solution, but evidence on their effectiveness among Chinese students is scant. This study examined the influence of sports apps on the sports behavior of college students in Huainan City. A mixed-method design was adopted, combining a quantitative survey questionnaire administered to 180 students from six colleges and qualitative semi-structured interviews with 12 purposively selected students. The findings demonstrated that sports apps were “very influential” on students’ sports performance and attitudes, enabling them to improve their athletic prowess and cultivate a more positive attitude toward physical activity. They were rated “influential” on sports motivation and sports values, suggesting that although apps help in these areas, their functionality and design still need to be improved. Qualitative results supplemented these insights by identifying key app features supporting exercise continuity, user-perceived challenges, and targeted improvement suggestions. These insights provide a basis for APP-integrated teaching approaches.

Han Wang. Influence and Integration of Sports Apps on Sports Behavior of College Students. Frontiers in Educational Research (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 3: 53-60. https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2026.090308.

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