Factors relating to children's enjoyment of physical education

Abstract

The notion that positive attitudes toward physical recreation in adulthood are conditioned by experiences in childhood prompted an investigation into the attitudes of children towards physical education. The philosophical, a priori assumption is that finding joy in an experience is a primary determinant of positive attitude formation. A view was taken of the child as a totally integrated being in which attitudes to physical education may be infleunced by physiological, psychological, cognitive, cultural and socio-economic factors. A questionnaire was designed to find out whether children enjoy physical education and to identify variables which enhance or negate their enjoyment. Data was obtained from 138 children in a random sample of five, intermediate school, form 2 classes in the Wellington Education Board area. A score on enjoyment was related to a number of demographic, attitudinal and physical variables using chi square analysis. This showed that the majority of children enjoy physical education with enjoyment significantly related to age, sex, popularity, confidence of motor ability, finding interest, fun and a sense of exhilaration, the challenge of new skills and challenge against oneself or another. Enjoyment was also significantly related to having a lesser degree of fat tissue, being a later-maturing girl and being a high achiever in reading. Other variables, such as cultural origin and aspects of teacher influence had such low numbers in the subgroups that adequate use of chi square analysis was precluded. There are strong indications that a relationship may be established by further testing of appropriately selected samples. The results also indicate considerable cause for concern about children's health and the quality of teaching. Compared with overseas and previous New Zealand samples, the children in this study showed greater dimensions of weight and fat tissue, lower respiratory function and lower performances in motor tests. The perceptions of the children strongly suggest that teachers do not fully appreciate or cater for individual needs and differences. The general impression is that children of 12 and 13 find joy in movement, but in spite of, rather than because of, their experiences in physical education.