K-12 Classroom Teachers' Perceptions of Physical Education

Background/Purpose: It is well established that quality physical education provides opportunities for youth to develop skills and knowledge to lead a physical active lifestyle (SHAPE, 2014). Although the benefits of physical education (PE) and physical activity are well documented, over the past few decades, the debate regarding the status of PE in the U.S. K-12 curriculum has intensified. Many schools are eliminating PE or reducing the amount of time or required credit hours due to the perceived lack of value and importance. Perceptions about the value or importance of PE are influential in determining the amount of time and resources allocated to one’s program (Mitchell & Earls, 1987). Little research has been conducted on classroom teachers’ perceptions of PE. Therefore the purpose of this study was to examine how PE is perceived by K-12 classroom teachers.

Method: K-12 classroom teachers (N = 230) with between one and forty four years of experience from the Midwestern U.S. completed an online survey that examined their perceptions of PE and personal experiences with PE. The survey, created by the investigators, consisted of demographic, Likert-scale, and an open-ended question. The open-ended question asked participants to describe their personal experiences with PE.

Analysis/Results: Descriptive statistics were used to analyze all demographic and Likert-scale data. Open coding and constant comparative techniques were used to identify themes and categories from the one open-ended question. Results indicated 93% of the participants believed that PE was an important component of the school curriculum, while 87% believed PE should be a required subject. Additionally, 70% of participants believed PE was just as important as other core academic subjects. However, only 50% of the participants believed PE should be a core subject. Seventy-seven percent of the participants perceived that their students’ enjoy PE, while 97% believe students benefit from participating in PE. Although 93% of the participants felt PE should be taught by a certified PE teacher, 34% indicated they felt qualified to teach PE. Peer debriefing was used to verify themes and categories and develop the final categories. Findings are reported in three main themes, a) Positive PE experiences b) Neutral PE experiences and c) Negative PE experiences.

Conclusions: Results indicate K-12 classroom teachers have primarily positive perceptions of PE. This study indicates there is additional support from K-12 faculty for PE other than physical educators. Additionally, positive PE experiences have made an impact on the value and importance of PE.