The Relationship Between Study Habits and Academic Performance of It Students
JOURNAL OF TEACHINO IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION, 1991.11, 3 M 6
Gender Differences in Adolescents ' Attitudes Toward School Physical Education
Moira D. Luke and Gary D. Sinclair University of British Columbia
The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the potential determinants of male and female adolescents ' attitudes toward school physical education. Students (N=4SS), randomly selected from four large metropolitan schools, were asked to comment on their school physical education experience from kindergarten through Grade 10. A systematic content analysis was used to categorize these responses. Three main questions were addressed: What factors in the K-10 physical education experience of male/female students contribute to the development of positive/negative attitudes toward physical education? Are these factors different for males and females? Are they different for students electing to take school physical education? Five main determinants of attitude were identified in ranked order: curriculum content, teacher behavior, class atmosphere, student self-perceptions, and facilities. Overall, male and female students identified the same determinants in the same order of priority. Adolescence is usually defined as the period of transition from childhood to adult status, a time ripe with possibilities to become a fully functional and capable individual. It is a time when personal limits are explored and lifetime attitudes and patterns of living begin to be established. For this reason there is current concem about the low levels of fitness among adolescents and their attitudes toward physical activity, as these factors are considered to be crucial in the development of a healthy and active adult lifestyle. Research has indicated a dramatic drop in fitness levels and an increase in health problems during the adolescent years (Bailey, Mirwald, Faulkner, Fairbum, & Owen, 1982; King, Robertson, & Warren, 1985). This infonnation has influenced many countries '
Gender Differences in Adolescents ' Attitudes Toward School Physical Education
Moira D. Luke and Gary D. Sinclair University of British Columbia
The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the potential determinants of male and female adolescents ' attitudes toward school physical education. Students (N=4SS), randomly selected from four large metropolitan schools, were asked to comment on their school physical education experience from kindergarten through Grade 10. A systematic content analysis was used to categorize these responses. Three main questions were addressed: What factors in the K-10 physical education experience of male/female students contribute to the development of positive/negative attitudes toward physical education? Are these factors different for males and females? Are they different for students electing to take school physical education? Five main determinants of attitude were identified in ranked order: curriculum content, teacher behavior, class atmosphere, student self-perceptions, and facilities. Overall, male and female students identified the same determinants in the same order of priority. Adolescence is usually defined as the period of transition from childhood to adult status, a time ripe with possibilities to become a fully functional and capable individual. It is a time when personal limits are explored and lifetime attitudes and patterns of living begin to be established. For this reason there is current concem about the low levels of fitness among adolescents and their attitudes toward physical activity, as these factors are considered to be crucial in the development of a healthy and active adult lifestyle. Research has indicated a dramatic drop in fitness levels and an increase in health problems during the adolescent years (Bailey, Mirwald, Faulkner, Fairbum, & Owen, 1982; King, Robertson, & Warren, 1985). This infonnation has influenced many countries '