Student choices regarding activity participation are often influenced by their perceptions of their physical education classes and/or their attitudes toward physical activity (Lee, Kang, & Hume, 1999; Silverman & Subramaniam, 1999), which in turn can influence their fitness levels and ultimately their health. An examination of students' perceptions of physical education and their perceived levels of fitness and physical activity has the potential to provide insight into the relationship between students' beliefs and the choices they make regarding participation in physical education and physical activity. The purpose of this study was to employ a cognitive mediational framework to investigate students' perceptions of physical education, perceptions of personal fitness, physical activity and the use of pedometers.
Method
Participants were 48 (23 male and 25 female) middle school children enrolled in two suburban public schools in the southeastern United States. Classes were taught by physical education specialists who incorporated pedometers in their classes. This was part of a larger study in which students completed a series of surveys and fitness assessments. Students were purposively selected for this phase from those who demonstrated either high or low levels of fitness. They were interviewed individually, with questions focusing on their attitudes toward physical education and perceptions of their own fitness and activity levels. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis.
Analysis/Results
Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method, unitizing and categorizing responses to identify themes that represented the participants' perceptions. Most students reported enjoying their physical education class very much. Their responses reflected positive attitudes mostly related to either having “a good teacher” or the types of activities incorporated in classes. Both high fit and low fit students indicated that they valued fitness, but students in the low fit group tended to over estimate their fitness levels. Many students indicated that they did not learn anything new from the use of pedometers, but they did demonstrate an understanding that that the goal was to “take more steps.”
Conclusions
The results of this study support the notion that students' perceptions of physical education are often based on interactions with the teacher and the types of activities. Findings indicate that students may not routinely make cognitive links between fitness activities and their personal perspectives and decisions, and demonstrate the importance of emphasizing the instructional aspects of fitness activities.
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