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Attitude of second year junior college students towards physical activity : a case of one junior college
Author
Mohd Azman Mohd Sidek
Supervisor
Wright, Steven Charles
Abstract
Educators all over the world are constantly reviewing their curriculum and teaching methodology in order to ensure a balanced programme for students (Earl & Stennett, 1987). Programmes are challenged by the needs of our youths and as physical educators, we are constantly searching for ways to motivate our students "to develop lifelong physical activity habits" (p. 78, Tannehill & Zakrajsek, 1993). Therefore, students become a valuable source of information in helping teachers with their tasks.
The purpose of this study was to look at second year junior college students' attitude towards physical activity. The study was centred around the following themes: general attitudes, physical education experiences, sentiments towards National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) and being trim and fit. For all areas, a comparison was made between males and females.
A pilot study was carried out with a group of 31 students. After slight refinement, the main study questionnaire was given to 558 students (233 males and 325 females).
The findings were: the general attitudes of the students were positive (Williams & Nelson, 1983) and they indicated that they were able to plan their own activities (or exercise patterns) to maintain a healthy lifestyle; other than the preferences of sports and games, males and females generally have the same attitudes towards physical activity; a large majority of the students were concerned with maintaining an ideal weight and were aware that the best way to obtain this state is from a combination o f both exercise and diet; sentiments are equally strong for both males and females; about two thirds of the students were concerned about doing well in the NAPFA test and this included three quarters of the males and about half the females surveyed.
The implications for physical education teachers are : i) to focus on the process of physical activity as a means of gaining fitness; ii) to incorporate fitness development into skill teaching (Ward, et al., 1998); iii) to enable students to plan their own fitness programmes (Strand, Scantling & Johnson, 1998) and iv) to teach students, through experiential learning, that regular, moderate physical activities will help to improve and/or maintain health related fitness.
The purpose of this study was to look at second year junior college students' attitude towards physical activity. The study was centred around the following themes: general attitudes, physical education experiences, sentiments towards National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) and being trim and fit. For all areas, a comparison was made between males and females.
A pilot study was carried out with a group of 31 students. After slight refinement, the main study questionnaire was given to 558 students (233 males and 325 females).
The findings were: the general attitudes of the students were positive (Williams & Nelson, 1983) and they indicated that they were able to plan their own activities (or exercise patterns) to maintain a healthy lifestyle; other than the preferences of sports and games, males and females generally have the same attitudes towards physical activity; a large majority of the students were concerned with maintaining an ideal weight and were aware that the best way to obtain this state is from a combination o f both exercise and diet; sentiments are equally strong for both males and females; about two thirds of the students were concerned about doing well in the NAPFA test and this included three quarters of the males and about half the females surveyed.
The implications for physical education teachers are : i) to focus on the process of physical activity as a means of gaining fitness; ii) to incorporate fitness development into skill teaching (Ward, et al., 1998); iii) to enable students to plan their own fitness programmes (Strand, Scantling & Johnson, 1998) and iv) to teach students, through experiential learning, that regular, moderate physical activities will help to improve and/or maintain health related fitness.
Date Issued
1997
Call Number
GV303.S5 Moh
Date Submitted
1997