Attitudes toward physical education and physical activity of students enrolled in the classes of Teachers of the Year

Lisa L Hicks, Purdue University

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to (a) examine and describe student attitudes toward physical education and self-reported physical activity scores in classes taught by a Teacher of the Year (TOY), (b) investigate determinants for the development of these student attitudes toward physical education, (c) investigate the relationship between student attitude toward physical education and physical activity, and (d) explain the influence of the pedagogical characteristics of two Teachers of the Year in Physical Education (TOYs) on student attitude. Male and female middle school students (N = 156), their teachers (N = 2), and other adult individuals (N = 9) from two different middle schools in a Midwestern state completed quantitative and qualitative measures. Quantitative measures included the Student Attitude toward Physical Education Survey (SATPES) and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). Qualitative measures included open-ended survey responses, individual interviews, observation and document analysis. Few studies have been conducted assessing student attitudes toward physical education during middle school (Stewart, Green, & Heulskamp, 1991) and no research could be found correlating these attitudes to physical activity at this level. In addition, little research has been conducted with physical education TOYs. Student attitudes were very positive with 82.7% reporting a mean total attitude score of the SATPES above a 3.0. Physical Activity Levels on the PAQ-A appeared average with students reporting averages of 2.85. Overall, the quantitative data revealed that attitude scores reported by this sample were mostly positive, with one TOY's students reporting higher scores than the other. There was no practical difference between gender or grade of students. The attitude variable of teacher explained the most amount of variance, followed by enjoyment and usefulness of the curriculum. Physical activity scores indicated moderate levels of perceived physical activity with no significant difference between gender or grade. Students reported a high perception of skill as 89% reported an above average score. Correlation analysis revealed that a relationship was demonstrated between perceived skill and perceived physical activity as well as perceived skill and usefulness of the curriculum. Qualitative analysis revealed that the TOY was perceived as a significant influence on student attitudes, with the curriculum the teacher provided and student assessment procedures as main determinants. The Theory of Planned Behavior and TOY award process are also discussed.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Templin, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Physical education|Secondary education

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