PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 2 Table of Contents Nature of the Problem………………………………………………………………........7 Literature Review……………………………………………………………..….8 PE reduced or Eliminated…………………………………………….......8 Benefits of PE…………………………………………………………...10 Academic benefits…………………………………………….....10 Health benefits…………………………………………………...13 Affective benefits………………………………………………...15 Students’ Perspective…………………………………………………….16 PE Not Required….……………………………………………………...17 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….18 PURPOSE………………………………………………………………………………..19 METHOD………………………………………………………………………………..20 Participation……………………………..…………………………………….....20 Instruments………………………………………………………………….…...20 Procedures………………………………………………………………….…....21 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………....22 RESULTS…………………………………………………………………………….….23 Perspectives of Physical Education………………………………………….…..23 Outside Factors…………………………………………………………….…….25 Perceived Importance…………………………………………………………....30 DISCUSSION……………………………………………………………………….…..32 PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 3 Perspectives of Physical Education……………………………………………..32 Outside Factors………………………………………………………………….33 Perceived Importance…………………………………………………………...34 Limitations…………………...………………………………………………….34 Recommendations………………..……………………………………………..35 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………....37 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………….38 Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………..43 Appendix B……………………………………………………………………………..48 Appendix C……………………………………………………………………………..49 Appendix D……………………………………………………………………………..53 PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 4 List of Tables Table 1. School Sponsored Activities……………………………………………………26 Table 2. Non School Sponsored Activities……………………………………………....27 PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 5 List of Figures Figure 1 . What PE Should Teach……………………………………………………….23 Figure 2 . How Often PE Should Be…………………………………………………….24 Figure 3 . PE How Many Days a Week…………………………………………………24 Figure 4 . After School Activities……………………………………...………………..27 Figure 5 . Average Number of Days a Week Participated………………………………28 Figure 6 . Grade Importance…………………………………………………………….29 Figure 7 . Grades………………………………………………………………………...29 Figure 8 . Enjoyment vs, Importance……………………………………………………30 Figure 9 . Benefits of PE………………………………………………………………...31 PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 6 Abstract This study sought to discover junior high students’ perceptions about physical education. It was conducted in response to the Utah Board of Education decision to reduce the required credit hours for a student to have in PE throughout their junior and senior high experience. The three following research questions were sought to be answered: (a) What is junior high school students’ perspective of physical education? (b) How do other factors influence the students perspective of physical education? (c)) What is the perceived importance of physical education? Participants were obtained through a convenience sample of one northern Utah junior high school grades, seventh through ninth. With IRB permission and parent consent, students took a 54 question survey. This survey clearly demonstrates the students not only enjoy PE, but find value and benefits in having PE in school. The students find PE to be as important as core subjects such as, science, history, and English. They feel what they learned in PE will help them stay healthy and maintain their fitness levels beyond high school. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 7 NATURE OF THE PROBLEM Since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2002, schools districts have reduced or eliminated areas such as physical education (PE) so instructional time in areas of English and math could be increased (Trost & van der Mars, 2010). Research shows physical education continues to be at risk of being reduced or eliminated from schools (Cook, 2005; Trost & van der Mars, 2010). While PE is being cut in order to provide more class time for core subjects, the many benefits of PE are being overlooked. PE has the potential to increase academic achievement in the classroom, by raising standardized test scores in both math and reading (Ardoy et al., 2014; Carlson et al., 2008; Stevens et al., 2008). Research has found PE to be critical with the rising epidemic of childhood obesity, especially among the low socioeconomic class (So et al, 2011). PE keeps students active and involved and teaches them good habits with ways to live an active healthy lifestyle (Ogden et al., 2006). PE also has the potential to improve cognition, health and social aspects of all students that participate (Bailey 2006). With Utah no longer requiring PE as a core subject, physical educators feel their subject is marginalized. As of August 2017, PE in middle school and junior high are no longer a core requirement. It has been left up to each school district and charter school to decide what credits are required, if any, for physical education ( Cortez, 2017). Physical educators feel the larger class sizes, lack of resources, and little support, is evidence enough of the little respect PE has as a credible subject (Lux & McCullick, 2011; Stroot, Collier, O’Sullivan, & England, 1994). Therefore, this study will examine students’ perceptions of physical education and its overall impact and benefits. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 8 Literature Review Through the action of the federal government and now the local government, PE has been on the backburner of importance in schools. Policies that have put an emphasis on state testing of core subjects have caused elective classes to be left behind. This change is one reason physical educators felt their subject has little respect as a legitimate subject ( Sallis et al., 1999; Stroot, Collier & O’Sullivan, 1994 ) . Physical educators felt the true benefits of PE were being overlooked. Academic achievement, health, and affective domain could be positively impacted through participation in PE (Ardoy et al., 2014). This literature review will explore the policies that are in place that put emphasis on high test scores. It will review the potential benefits of PE and the perspective of students and physical educators. PE Reduced or Eliminated The NCLB Act of 2002 and the focus of high stakes testing has led many schools to reduce or even eliminate certain subjects including PE to increase time in math and reading (Davis, 2006; Graham, Parker, Wilkins, Fraser, Westfall, & Tembo, 2002; Trost & van der Mars, 2010). The Center of Education Policy (2007) reported 62% of school districts have increased time for math and/or English in elementary schools, while 20% of schools districts have followed suit for secondary schools. To accommodate the extra time for these subjects, 44% of districts reduced time in areas such as social studies, science, art, music, PE, and recess. Averaged out, time lost in those areas was 30 minutes per day. In 2015 President Obama signed a new act into law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This act was implemented in schools starting in 2018. ESSA still has the requirements of state mandated testing and being held accountable for low test scores, but instead of the PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 9 federal government holding the schools accountable, it is up to the states to hold their local school districts accountable (U.S. Department of Education, 2018). This may seem to be a step in the right direction, but unfortunately there was no change made for PE in this new act (the74, 2018). Although NCLB is no longer in effect, NCLB caused subjects such as PE to be reduced or eliminated and ESSA has not changed that. NCLB has changed the focus of teachers (Graham et al., 2002; Wilkins et al., 2003). The demand for higher test scores have driven teachers to replace interactive teaching strategies with “teach to the test” strategies (Graham et al., 2002; Wilkins et al., 2003). Teachers have felt the pressure of high-stakes tests and teacher accountability leading to more direct instruction and drills (Graham et al., 2002). This pressure has also led to the reduction of the more social or enjoyed subjects by students that may have kept them interested in school (Davis, 2006). Many policies about time spent away from the classroom while in PE were based on the idea that it was detrimental to academic achievement, many studies have found this reaction not to be true ( Bugge et al., 2018; Stevens et al., 2008; Trudeau & Shephard, 2008). Trudeau and Shephard (2008) found not only does taking time for PE not hinder other subject areas, but taking time from PE may be detrimental to the students' health. In a study done by Bugge et al. (2018) six intervention schools tripled their PE time to six lessons per week while the control schools stayed at two lessons per week. The study concluded there was no positive correlation on academic achievement between intervention and control schools, but there was also no negative effects on the intervention school students that increased their PE lessons and decreased their classroom time. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 10 Although research varies between each study, Keeley and Fox (2009) found outlining reasons some studies may have found a correlation between PE and academic achievement. One possible reason a connection was found is parental support. They believe parents that encourage and support academic achievement are more likely to encourage physical activity. The second reason found were children tend to emulate their parents, if the parents were academically strong the child would be as well, likewise with physical activity ( Keeley & Fox, 2009) Benefits of PE While PE is being cut in order to provide more class time for core subjects, the many benefits of PE are being overlooked. The benefits of PE include improved academic achievement, better physical health and a stronger affective domain in school (Ardoy et al., 2014; Carlson et al., 2008; del Pozo et al., 2017; Ericsson & Karlsson, 2011). Academic achievement and cognitive performance is increased in general areas (Ardoy et al., 2014) and also in specific areas such as math and reading (Carlson et al., 2008). Both girls and boys benefit academically from PE with the most significant improvements being found in girls (Carlson et al., 2008; Grissom, 2005). Academic benefits. PE has been found to have a positive effect on academic achievement including math and reading. A systematic review of 45 studies of physical fitness and academic performance in youth revealed that more than one half of the studies found a positive relationship between physical fitness and academic performance, and the others found a relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and academic performance (Santana et al., 2017). If the results of these studies were found to be true with larger sample sizes, it would be beneficial to implement more physical activity in the school day to improve academic PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 11 achievement. Parents’ cognitive ability and socioeconomic status (SES) were not taken into account within these studies and could be related to the positive effects found between academic achievement and PE (Santana et al., 2017). Math and reading have been areas shown to improve from both increased PE time and increased intensity in PE (Carlson et al., 2008; Stevens et al., 2008). In 2008, Carlson et al. conducted a teacher-reported longitudinal study of Physical education and academic achievement in elementary school. Classroom teachers logged the amount of minutes per day students spent engaged in PE during a week. According to the teachers’ logs, the girls who spent the highest amount of time in PE (70-300 minutes per week) showed a modest, but favorable, increase in math and reading over the girls who spent minimal time (0-35 minutes per week) in PE. This result indicated that girls with more PE time during the week have improved their chance in doing better in math and reading (Carlson et al., 2008). The relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement was higher for girls than boys. As girls’ physical fitness increased, so did their academic achievement. Boys also showed improvement but at a slower rate than the girls (Grissom, 2005). Carlson et al. (2008) concluded girls showed a favorable increase in math and reading but found no correlation for the boys. It was suggested that “boys are generally more fit than girls, and thus the stimulus achieved during physical education may not be sufficient in boys to produce the same physiological effect experienced by girls” (Carlson et al., 2008, p. 725). The physiological effect of increased fitness that leads to academic achievement is missing for boys in PE, which explains that lack of correlation between PE and academic achievement for the boys (Carlson et al., 2008). PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 12 A trial study in southeastern Spain consisted of three groups: a control group and two experimental groups [EG1, EG2] (Ardoy et al., 2014). The control group participated in PE the mandated time of two sessions per week. The EG1 and EG2 increased PE sessions to four sessions a week, and EG2 added high intensity to the four sessions. Cognitive performance and academic achievement were measured in two different ways. Cognitive performance was measured by six aspects, all included in the Factorial Intelligence Test, and academic achievement was measured by the students’ grades. The EG2 improved to an average of 75%, in all cognitive performance areas except for one (verbal reasoning). In EG2, the students’ grades increased to 96%. Little or no difference was found between the control group and EG1, in either cognitive performance or academic achievement. Based on this study, PE was found beneficial not by the increased sessions per week, but by increased intensity of the sessions (Ardoy et al., 2014). In an early childhood longitudinal study, Stevens et al. (2008) investigated the relationship between physical activity and physical education on academic achievement. Both prior academic achievement and SES served as predictors of prior and present achievement. Stevens et al. concluded Given children spend much of their day in the public school setting where they receive physical education only 1-2 times weekly, their opportunity for physical activity and meeting healthy guidelines is limited. This is troubling not only for the implications related to children’s health but also because physical activity seems to be positively associated with academic achievement. The present findings do not indicate that physical education is ineffective at influencing PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 13 academic achievement. Rather, the findings suggest that physical education should include physical activity and be offered regularly throughout the week. (pp. 384-385) Stevens et al. also believed the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement could build in strength over time, meaning as physical activity increases so will academic achievement. A study done by del Pozo, Alonso, Alvarez, Orr and Cantarero (2017) had similar results, concluding that it is not the amount of time spent in PE, but the productivity of it. If the intensity of PE was high enough to increase the physical fitness of the student, the probability of increased academic performance and cognitive performance would be greater (del Pozo et al., 2017). Ericsson and Karlsson (2014) related PE to motor skill and school performance. In a nine-year longitudinal study the intervention group participated in PE five times a week with additional motor skill training if needed. The control group participated in PE two times a week, the standard amount for Swedish school children. Ericsson and Karlsson found those in the intervention group had less of a motor skill deficit than those in the control group by year nine. They linked higher motor skills not only to better school performance but also to a higher percentage that qualified for higher studies beyond high school (Ericsson & Karlsson, 2014). Health benefits. The benefits of PE are often explored in relation to academic achievement, but this may result in overlooking or minimizing the benefits students receive in improved physical health ( Cale & Harris, 2013). Students who participate in PE during the school day enjoy greater physical health and developmental benefits which are then suggested to improve academic achievement ( Cale & Harris, 2013). These students learn the basic skills and PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 14 knowledge of physical activity that will carry over into their everyday lives and into adulthood ( Cale & Harris, 2013) Castillo, Clark, Butler, and Racette (2015) found PE to be more important in low income suburban areas than higher income areas. Castillo et al. concluded PE provided a critical opportunity for physical activity for those in low SES groups, that they otherwise would not have. In their study measuring moderate to vigorous physical activity while in school, both boys and girls had greater moderate to vigorous physical activity during the days they were in PE as opposed to days they did not have PE. This in turn led to better health and increased academic achievement (Castillo et al., 2015). Childhood obesity has been on the rise and continues to be so ( Castillo et al., 2015 ). The World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health concerns, calling it a “rising epidemic” ( Etienne, 2014) Unfortunately it has been found about 80% of youth who are obese remain obese into adulthood (So et al., 2011). Using a self-reported survey So et al. did a study with 72,399 participants to find the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and frequency of PE attended in a week. It was found those with a normal or underweight BMI had PE more frequently than overweight students and overweight students had PE more often than obese students. Not only could increasing the frequency of PE classes decrease the rate of obesity in childhood, it could also decrease the prevalence of obesity into adulthood (So et al., 2011) decreasing their chances of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other serious ailments ( Woodson-Smith, Dorwart, & Linder, 2015) . PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 15 Physical Education and/or sports in school should be the main institute for physical skill development and physical activity (Bailey, 2006; del Pozo et al., 2017; Stevens et al., 2008). Not only is school a place where students spend much of their day, but it is a cost effective option, meaning it does not cost the student or school additional funds to run an effective PE class (Bailey, 2006; Stevens et al., 2008). Youth who developed a strong sense of fundamental movements were more likely to stay active into adulthood, fighting the battle of adult obesity (Bailey, 2006). Affective benefits. Although sporting events have a reputation for overzealous spectators and aggressive athletes, physical education does not have to be the same. Character development is not easy to measure and is certainly not the same for everyone, because of this difficulty, the research is limited (Jones, 2005). Jones believed the physical educator’s values and character play a critical role in the moral development of their students because they were a powerful part of the moral atmosphere. It is critical for PE teachers to create a culture of fairplay, cooperation, acceptance, effort, and so forth in hopes to avoid the “winning is everything” attitude (Jones, 2005; Pennington, 2017). Physical educators have the opportunity to not only develop motor skills and teach healthy habits, but they also have the opportunity to help mold character development in each student. PE is the perfect setting to create teaching moments for moral and character development (Pennington, 2017). PE is a highly collaborative subject. If students participate as intended the social benefits are increased. Cooperation, personal responsibility, and empathy are a few of the social characteristics that can be developed in PE ( Bailey et al., 2009). Bailey et al. (2009) agreed with PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 16 Jones (2005) and Pennington (2017) that a respectful, honest and positive PE teacher is critical to the students' social development. Not only has PE been shown to help develop social skills, but they found some evidence to support the idea that physical activity, PE, and school sports may help students’ attendance, behavior, and attitude while in school as well as reducing negative behaviors outside of school. Bailey et al., (2009) made note of the inconclusive evidence of the exact impact of the youth programs through physical activity, PE and school sports. There could be outlying forces that could have been helping develop the social behavior of these students. Although there could be outlying forces, Bailey et al. believed the evidence was strong enough to conclude PE and school sports had a positive impact on social development. Students’ Perspective Subramaniam and Silverman (2007) conducted a study measuring the attitudes of students from 6th to 8th grade. The domains of “enjoyment” and “perceived usefulness” were both measured using the Likert scale. Enjoyment scored higher for both genders and all age groups . Similar results were found in a study by Bibik, Goodwin, and Orsega-Smith (2007). Bibik et al. went beyond the two domains of “enjoyment” and “perceived usefulness” with a 31 item survey. A correlation was found between those who enjoyed PE and enjoyed school. It was also found that the students who understood the “why” behind the PE activities tended to have a more positive attitude toward PE. Most importantly, nearly half (43.5%) of the students surveyed rated PE as an important part of their high school experience, rating it a 3.24 on a 5 point scale just behind math, English, and science (Bibik et al., 2007). PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 17 A unique three year study, which followed students from fourth grade through sixth grade, found different results (Mercier, Donovan, Gibbone, & Rozga, 2017). Although students started with a positive attitude toward PE in fourth and fifth grade, the positive attitudes diminished quickly as the students transitioned from fifth to sixth grade and continued to decline into seventh. Understanding this research gives physical educators the opportunity to address the decline in attitudes towards PE (Mercier et al., 2017). PE Not Required The Deseret News reported on August 7, 2017 that physical education, health, arts, and college and career readiness courses would no longer be state requirements. The paper reported the requirement would be left up to each school district and charter school. The new policy merely stated school districts should offer certain courses, but it is the choice of the student and parent on which course they should take. That means if a school district chooses not to require PE, then students could finish middle school without taking a single PE class (Cortez, 2017). Carol Lear, a board member of the Utah State Board of Education, disagreed with the passing of the new policy. She felt it was taking the rights away from students and giving them to the school districts. She felt those schools in smaller districts and some charter schools would not be able to afford those suggested courses; therefore, the students would be missing the opportunities PE could provide (Cortez, 2017). The new policy is one reason physical educators feel their subject is marginalized, but there are several other significant reasons. Stroot, Collier, and O’Sullivan (1994) studied the workplace conditions of 11 physical educators using questionnaires, interviews, observations, and reflective journals. The study revealed the physical educators felt they had a big PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 18 responsibility exposing the students to lifetime activities and fitness that would continue into adulthood but also to develop them into responsible citizens. While trying to teach these concepts, physical educators felt they were not viewed as equals, by both classroom teachers and administrators. One reason could be that George and Curtner-Smith (2017) found administration and classroom teachers did not understand the goals and purposes of PE. Physical education teachers felt PE was a dumping ground for students to make their schedule work for other classes, and little regard was paid to the PE teachers as to class sizes and student groupings. They felt parents viewed PE the same way, not important to their child's education, but more of a recess for them (Stroot et al., 1994). Conclusion With the state of Utah no longer requiring PE as a core subject, physical educators continue to defend their subject area trying to prove it has value in and out of the classroom ( Sallis et al., 1999) . Not many researchers would argue with the health benefits PE can provide, but many are skeptical about the benefits it can have on academics (Trost & van der Mars, 2010; Trudeau & Shephard, 2008). If there were consistent findings to connect PE and academic achievement, the struggle for PE teachers to prove PE as a legitimate subject may be over (Sallis et al., 1999). PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 19 PURPOSE Despite the research supporting the many benefits of physical education, many states have decided to reduce time for physical education and increase instructional time for areas such as math and reading. Many studies show time taken away from core subjects for PE is not detrimental to academic success in those core subjects. Research has shown the wide variety of benefits PE has to offer, benefits such as academic achievement, improved health, and improved affective domain. The state of Utah removed PE as a core requirement and has left it up to the school districts and charter schools to decide if PE should be required in grades 7 and 8. This decision from the board of education is one reason, among others, physical educators feel PE is not viewed as a legitimate subject. The purpose of this study was to determine students’ perspective of PE, which focused on the following research questions: 1. What is junior high school students’ perspective of physical education? 2. How do other factors influence the students perspective of physical education? 3. What is the perceived importance of physical education? PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 20 METHOD In order to achieve the above purpose, a survey was given to gather quantitative data to gain insight of the students perspective towards physical education. The state of Utah may not consider PE as important as other subjects such as math, English, or science, but through this study, the researcher aimed to discover the value junior high students place on PE; how it will help them in the future; and what has influenced their perspective. Participants This study included 73 total participants: 36 seventh grade, 17 eighth grade, and 20 ninth grade students from one northern Utah inner city public school. The students consisted of 45 females, 26 males, and two students who preferred not to state their gender. The dominant ethnicity was white with 48 participants. The other participants identified as follows: 19 as Hispanic or Latino/a, 2 as Asian, 2 Native American or American Indian, and 2 “other”. One student who selected “other” stated they were “half latina and half white,” and the other student stated “white, black”. All participants were currently enrolled in a PE class at this school, and 60 out of 73 of these participants stated they enjoy school as a whole. The results for the future plans for the students was 80% plan to attend a 4 year college, 13% plan to go to a 2 year college and 5% plan to go into the military or a trade school. This shows the subjects of this study all have plans for after graduation, which could correlate with enjoying school, caring about their grades including PE. Instruments In order to seek a better understanding of how students perceive the importance and value of PE, participants filled out a survey (see Appendix A). The survey was given using Google PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 21 forms. The survey consisted of three sections. The first section included demographic questions ie. gender, grade, ethnicity, and etc. The second section contained questions pertaining to their grade average for all subject areas including PE, their enjoyment of each subject, and their perceived importance of each subject area for their future. The third section focused on PE and activities outside of school. Using Likert-scale questions, students were asked to rank what they felt was the most important aspect PE should teach, one being not important to five being very important. The original survey was obtained through research on students’ perspective of PE. Through email, permission was received to use a survey created by Bibik et al. (2007, see Appendix B). This survey was modified by removing some questions that did not pertain to the study at hand and adding a few other questions. These modifications were done in order to better answer the research questions. Procedures The study was reviewed and approved through Weber State’s and the school district’s institutional review boards. A letter of consent was sent home with the students in both English and Spanish. To participate in the study, parents signed the consent form, and the students returned it to one of the three PE teachers. The teachers then return them to the researcher. On Feb 27, 2020, the students completed the survey using the Google form in one of the school’s computer labs during their regularly scheduled physical education class. When participants completed the survey, data were collected, sorted, and analysed. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 22 Data Analysis The data were collected and organized into a table and graphs. The data were analyzed using simple statistics - means of the questions that are on the Likert-scale. The table and graphs consisted of the survey questions and grouped by the students’ responses. Organization into tables and graphs facilitated the analysis of the students’ responses. The open-ended questions were examined for similarities and differences and presented using the students’ own words. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 23 RESULTS The results are presented based on the three research questions. Briefly, those questions focused on students’ perspectives of PE; other factors that might influence their perspectives; and how important they perceive PE to be in relation to other subjects. The data are presented through those three key topics for the research. Perspectives of Physical Education The students were asked to rank from one to five the five areas of physical education: fitness activity, individual games/activities, team sports, health benefits of activities, and skills. One being least important and five being most important. Figure 1 displays that the students found health benefits of activities and team sports were the most important aspect to be taught in PE. Figure 1. The students ranked what they felt physical education should teach. The rankings were 1 for the least important to 5 for the most important. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 24 Overwhelmingly students felt PE should be all year as illustrated in Figure 2. This result connects well with Figure 3 displaying that over 80% of students felt PE should be three times a week or more. Figure 2 . Students’ perspective on how often PE should be in the school year. Figure 3 . Students perspective how often they should have PE during the week. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 25 An open-ended question related to the students’ perceptions of physical education, what do you like most about PE?, elicited several interesting responses. The responses varied from “not sitting all class” to “having fun with friends”. The most common and similar responses included comments such as (quotes being kept exactly as the student wrote), “Having fun and still getting the excerise in”, “playing games’, “I enjoy becoming more fit and playing team sports ” and “I like working out and playing with my friends”. What the students’ enjoyed about PE was far more broad than what they enjoyed least about PE, which included answers such as, “fitness testing”, “push ups”, “changing” and “people who don’t try”. Outside Factors Table 1 lists all the different school sponsored activities, and how many students participate in each. Nearly 90% of students reported participating in school sponsored sports, clubs, or musical activities. Sports and musical activities both being reported with over 60% participation. Because the students could select as many activities they participate in, the total exceeds 150. This response indicates that many students participate in a variety of school sponsored activities. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 26 Table 1 School Sponsored Activities Activities Total number of participating students Number of girls participating Number of boys participating Prefer not to say YMCA 8 4 4 0 Book Club 1 1 0 0 flag football 2 0 2 0 boys’ soccer 3 0 3 0 girls’ soccer 13 13 0 0 volleyball 9 9 0 0 girls’ basketball 8 8 0 0 boys’ basketball 5 0 5 0 softball 0 0 0 0 baseball 2 0 2 0 cross country 12 9 3 0 track & field 14 11 2 1 cheerleading 4 4 0 0 band/orchestra 27 19 8 0 drama 7 6 1 0 choir 26 19 7 0 yearbook 8 5 3 0 Latinos in Action 1 1 0 0 Student Body 1 0 1 0 Hope Squad 1 1 0 0 Military 1 0 1 0 Note. Students who participated in more than one activity were able to select all that they participated in, which accounts for the total number of responses being 153. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 27 Students’ involvement does not stop with school sponsored activities but continues outside of school with over 70% participating in after school activities (Figure 4). Table 2 displays self reported activities outside of school, which fit into 4 different categories: sports, youth group, music, and artistic. Sport, again being the number one reported activity. Figure 4. Fifty two students participate in activities outside of school sponsored clubs or sports. Table 2 Non School Sponsored Activities. Activities Total Participants Girls’ Responses Boy’s Responses Others’ Responses Sports 29 15 13 1 Youth Group 8 4 4 0 Music (voice or instrument) 10 7 3 0 Artistic (cooking, pottery, Legos®) 3 1 2 0 Note. Students were able to include all activities they do after school in a free write answer. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 28 Outside of listening to music, which can be done while being sedentary and active, students reported they exercise more often during the week than any other activity with sports right behind. Watching TV was reported to be under 4 days a week, meaning students are being more active than sedentary outside of school. Figure 5. Illustrates the average of days per week students participate in each activity. Students feel their parent(s)/guardian cares about their grades as much as they do except for one student who answered their parent(s)/guardian did not feel their grades were important (see Figure 6). Figure 7 shows students PE grade falls in line with the rest of the subject areas. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 29 Figure 6 . Comparing how students and parent(s)/guardians feel about their grades. Figure 7 . Comparing students grade average for all subjects compared to their physical education grade. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 30 Perceived Importance of Physical Education On the survey, students were asked to rank how much they enjoyed each subject. They were then asked to rank the importance of each subject as it relates to their future. Students acknowledged they enjoyed art and music more than they thought it was important for their future. It is interesting to note PE falls just behind math in the students perspective of importance. Figure 8. This bar graph shows the average of the students' enjoyment of each subject versus their perspective of the importance the subject will be for their future. In responding to a question about the benefits of PE, staying healthy and maintaining their fitness level is how students thought PE would help them after they graduate high school (see Figure 9). The two “others” both stated “work ethic” as a benefit. It is interesting to note, not one student answered “I do not believe physical education will help me at all”. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 31 Figure 9 . Students saw these as the benefits PE would give them after high school graduation. Students were able to select more than one benefit. Overall, according to this study, the students’ perceptions about PE are favorable. A majority indicated that PE was important in their lives now and in their futures. The results of the present study suggest students both enjoy and find value in PE. From the students’ perspective, their parents also find PE to be an important part of their education with 69 out of 73 stating their parents care about PE. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 32 DISCUSSION This study sought to discover junior high students’ perceptions about physical education. It was conducted in response to the Utah Board of Education decision to reduce the required credit hours for a student to have in PE throughout their junior and senior high experience. Even though the board has reduced the importance of this subject, junior high students do understand its value. Perspective of Physical Education Based on the current study of junior high students, it appears they recognize the benefits and the importance in PE. Although the students in this study enjoyed PE, they also seemed to understand its importance in their lives. This result is contrary to the results of Subramaniam and Silverman (2007) who concluded students enjoyed PE more than they perceived its usefulness in their lives. Additionally, Mercier et al. (2017) and Subramaniam and Silverman (2007) found the enjoyment of PE declined with age or grade. These results were not found in the present study. There was no trend found with upper grades enjoying PE less than lower grades. Over 75% of the students responding they enjoy PE with a 4 or 5 (very much) on a Likert scale. S tudents felt PE should be offered more frequently. At this school, PE is two to three times a week because the junior high follows an A/B schedule; however, over 85% of the respondents felt that PE should be 3 or more days a week. Likewise, currently PE is only required half the school year, where over 68% felt PE should be all year. These findings are similar to Bibik et al. (2007) study with results of 58% of students wanting PE five days a week. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 33 Cale and Harris (2013) believed childhood obesity leads to more than just health problems but also social and psychological problems. When asked what should be taught in PE students said PE should teach the health benefits of activities. These health benefits could be physical, mental, or social. This response is promising in light of the rising epidemic of obesity ( Etienne, 2014) . According to Bibik et al. (2007), if students understand the why behind the activities done in PE, their attitudes would be more positive. Putting both of these together, teaching the students the health benefits of the activities they are taught and the why, will help these students avoid the problems that come with childhood obesity, such as cardiovascular risk factors, cardiac disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and more. Outside Factors Many outside factors influence students’ perspectives of PE. Sixty-eight percent of students participated in school sponsored sports, and 40% participated in additional sports outside of school. It could be said those who value competitive sports outside of school find value in PE. This result is similar to Pennington’s (2017) conclusion that competitive sports and PE go hand in hand. Pennington found that both competitive sports and PE have the power to teach more than health but good sportsmanship and decision-making skills. When asked if the students would prefer to have PE with other students who have better ability than them, the same ability as them, or worse ability than them in activities, the results were overwhelmingly (75%) the same ability as them. One student answered they would like to have PE class with students with worse ability than them, and 23% said they would like to have PE with students with better ability than them. This response was not surprising when a PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 34 common answer to the questions of what students liked least about PE was, having students in their class that did not try at activities. Perceived Importance of Physical Education Through this study, it was clearly found students saw the difference between enjoying a subject and the value of the subject for the future. This result is demonstrated clearly through their responses about rating how much they enjoy a subject and then rating how important they feel that subject is to their future. Their perception of the importance of PE (4.26) fell just behind math (4.41) on a 5 point scale. English (4.16) and history (4.15) were close but fell short to PE. These results differ from Bibik et al. (2007), although both studies found students ranked math highest on the scale, science and English were both higher than PE. Bibik et al. (2007) surveyed slightly older students and their sample size was larger, which could explain the difference in perspective. When asked, “ When I graduate from high school, what I have learned in physical education classes will help me?”, 72% of the students answered, “stay healthy”. Not one student answered, “I do not believe physical education will help me at all”. This strong indicator supports the idea that students find importance in what they are learning today in PE. Other researchers also had similar finding ( Bibik et al., 2007; Woodson-Smith, Dorwart, & Linder, 2015) Limitations The most limiting factor of this study was the sample size. Consent had to be obtained from each student’s parent/guardian. With this as a requirement, the responsibility was completely on the student, not only to get the consent form signed but to bring it back. Over PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 35 60% who brought back the consent were female, and 65% who did were white, which is not a good representation of the school demographics. The students who returned their consent forms are most likely the ones who are responsible and care about their grades. This return rate could explain the high number of subjects who participated in activities outside of school and the high grade average that was reported. Therefore, the data might be skewed towards those more responsible students who returned their consent forms. I feel this was a huge limiting factor to this study because the school’s full demographics are not represented in these data. Another limitation could be the survey questions may not have been clear or understood. When asked to rank in order what should be taught in PE, 1 being least important and 5 being the most important, only 8 students answered that question correctly. Because it was misunderstood by the majority of the students who ranked each on the Likert scale, the data were a bit problematic; however, the responses are still valid because students ranked what they thought was important, (e.g., they just assigned most important to more than one area). Another problem with the survey questions was that a few clubs were missing from the list to choose from. These students were able to write them in, but without it being an answer they could select, other students may have neglected writing it in. Unlike other studies, this study did not take into consideration parents’ education level, socioeconomic class, or the level of involvement in the students’ lives. These items could play a role in the type of student who returned the consent form and participated in the survey. Recommendations In order to improve upon this study a bigger sample size is needed with wider demographics. This would be helpful in truly understanding the students perspective of PE. A PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 36 longer study of the same cohort would be useful, as well, to see how or if their perspectives change. A longer study would also support the limited amount of studies done by Bibik et al. (2007), Mercier et al. (2017), and Subramaniamand and Silverman (2007). This study did not take into account parents' background in school or their involvement in sports and exercise. Adding some additional questions to the survey, such as, did your parents enjoy PE when they were in junior high, are your parents currently active in playing sports or exercising, do your parents care about your PE grade and do your parents encourage you to be active would give more insight on what is happening outside of school. Keeley and Fox (2009) thought children tend to emulate their parents, meaning if their parents value athletics and academics so will their child. Adding those additional questions would have given better insight into why these students not only enjoy PE, but also fine value in it. Through this current study it was found parents do care about PE, which is contrary to what Stroot et al. (1994) found in their study of the physical educators. Their study not only included what parents thought of PE, but classroom teachers and administration as well. Another study on the perspective of classroom teachers and administrators would need to be conducted to address those issues. It is recommended, based on the current study, PE teachers should group students with similar abilities. This will help make students feel more comfortable in playing activities. Additionally, PE teachers should continue to teach team sports with an emphasis on the health benefits. Students feel these two areas are important and that the benefit of these two areas would help them stay healthy after graduation. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 37 Conclusion According to the present study PE teachers should feel confident in their role as an important part of students’ education. Although Stroot et al. (1994) found PE teachers felt marginalized by students, faculty, administrators, and parents, this study found both students and parents feel PE to be enjoyable and important. The students perspective from this study shines a positive light on PE. The majority of students enjoy PE, which for PE teachers is hard to see sometimes when you have students not wanting to dress out for class, put their phones down and participate. The students obviously see value and the importance of what is being taught in PE, this again is a positive for PE. Oftentimes PE teachers wonder if they are doing any good in the students' lives. This study has reinforced the effort of all PE teachers that it is well worth the time and effort. I found the most positive aspect coming from this study is that students feel what they have learned from PE will benefit them in the future. Not only benefit them in a way they know how to play different sports correctly, but that what they have learned will help them stay healthy and maintain their fitness levels. If this holds true in larger studies, PE teachers are an extremely important part of a students education, so they may lead a healthy, active, and productive adult life. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 38 REFERENCES Ardoy , D. N., Fernández-Rodríguez , J. M., Jiménez-Pavón, D., Castillo, R., Ruiz, J. R., & Ortega, F. B. (2014). A physical education trial improves adolescents’ cognitive performance and academic achievement: the EDUFIT study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports , 24 (1), e52–e61. doi: 10.1111/sms.12093 Bailey, R. (2006). Physical education and sport in schools: A review of benefits and outcomes. Journal of School Health , 76 (8), 397 – 401. Bailey, R., Armour, K., Kirk, D., Jess, M., Pickup, I., Sandford, R., & Education, B. P. (2009). The educational benefits claimed for physical education and school sport: an academic review. Research Papers in Education , 24 (1), 1 – 27. Bibik, J. M., Goodwin, S. C., & Orsega-Smith, E. M. (2007). High school students’ attitudes towards physical education in Delaware. Physical Educator , 64 (4), 192 – 204. Cale, L., & Harris, J. (2013). ‘Every child (of every size) matters’ in physical education! Physical education's role in childhood obesity. Sport, Education and Society , 18 (4), 433 – 452. Carlson, S. A., Fulton, J. E., Lee, S. M., Maynard, L. M., Brown, D. R., Kohl III, H. W., & Dietz, W. H. (2008). Physical education and academic achievement in elementary school: Data from the early childhood longitudinal study. American Journal of Public Health , 98 (4), 721 – 727. Castillo, J. C., Clark, B. R., Butler, C. E., & Racette, S. B. (2015). Support for physical education as a core subject in urban elementary schools. American Journal of Preventive Medicine , 49 (5), 753 – 756. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 39 Cook, G. (2005). Killing PE is killing our kids the slow way. The Education Digest , 71 (2), 25 – 32. Cortez, M., (2017, August 7) PE, health, arts no longer middle school core requirements. Deseret News . Retrieved from https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865686321/PE-health-arts-no-longer-middle-school -core-requirements.html Davis, M. R. (2006). Study: NCLB leads to curbs for some subjects. Education Week , 25 (30), 5–14. del Pozo, F. J. F., Alonso, J. V., Álvarez, M. V., Orr, S., & Cantarero, F. J. L. (2017). Physical fitness as an indicator of health status and its relationship to academic performance during the prepubertal period. Health Promotion Perspectives , 7 (4), 197 – 204. Ericsson, I., & Karlsson, M. K. (2014). Motor skills and school performance in children with daily physical education in school–a 9-year intervention study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports , 24 (2), 273 – 278. Etienne, C. F. (2014). Countries pledge action to reduce child obesity in the Americas. The Lancet , 384 , 2021. George, M. L., & Curtner-Smith, M. D. (2017). School principals' perceptions of and expectations for physical education. Physical Educator , 74 (3), 383 – 404. Graham, G., Parker, S., Wilkins, J. L., Fraser, R., Westfall, S., & Tembo, M. (2002). The effects of high-stakes testing on elementary school art, music, and physical education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance , 73 (8), 51 – 54. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 40 Grissom, J. B. (2005). Physical fitness and academic achievement. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online , 8 (1), 11 – 25. Keeley, T. J., & Fox, K. R. (2009). The impact of physical activity and fitness on academic achievement and cognitive performance in children. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology , 2 (2), 198 – 214. Lux, K., & McCullick, B. A. (2011). How one exceptional teacher navigated her working environment as the teacher of a marginal subject. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education , 30 (4), 358-374. Mercier, K., Donovan, C., Gibbone, A., & Rozga, K. (2017). Three-year study of students’ attitudes toward physical education: grades 4–8. Research quarterly for exercise and sport , 88 (3), 307-315. Pennington, C. G. (2017). Moral development and sportsmanship in physical education and sport. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance , 88 (9), 36 – 42. Sallis, J. F., McKenzie, T. L., Kolody, B., Lewis, M., Marshall, S., & Rosengard, P. (1999). Effects of health-related physical education on academic achievement: Project SPARK. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport , 70 (2), 127 – 134. Santana, C. C. A., Azevedo, L. B., Cattuzzo, M. T., Hill, J. O., Andrade, L. P., & Prado, W. L. (2017). Physical fitness and academic performance in youth: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports , 27 (6), 579 – 603 . So, W. Y., Sung, D. J., Swearingin, B., Baek, S. I., Rhi, S. Y., Webb, D., & Fuller, T. M. (2011). Prevalence of obesity in Korean adolescents and its relationship with the weekly PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 41 frequency of the physical education classes. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine , 10 (4), 679 – 684. Stevens, T. A., To, Y., Stevenson, S. J., & Lochbaum, M. R. (2008). The importance of physical activity and physical education in the prediction of academic achievement. Journal of Sport Behavior , 31 (4), 368 – 388. Stroot, S. A., Collier, C., O’Sullivan, M., & England, K. (1994). Contextual hoops and hurdles: Workplace conditions in secondary physical education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education , 13 (4), 342 – 360. Subramaniam, P. R., & Silverman, S. (2007). Middle school students’ attitudes toward physical education. Teaching and teacher education , 23 (5), 602-611. The 74, 2018, 2018: The year the every student succeeds act shifts from planning to practice and states face their first test on accountability, Retrieved from: https://www.the74million.org/article/2018-the-year-the-every-student-succeeds-act-shifts -from-planning-to-practice-and-states-face-their-first-test-on-accountability/ Trost, S. G., & van der Mars, H. (2009). Why we should not cut PE. Educational Leadership , 67 (4), 60 – 65. Trudeau, F., & Shephard, R. J. (2008). Physical education, school physical activity, school sports and academic performance. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity , 5 (1), 10 –22 . U.S. Department of Education, 2018, Every student succeeds act (ESSA), Retrieved from: https://www.ed.gov/essa PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 42 Wilkins, J. L. M., Graham, G., Parker, S., Westfall, S., Fraser, R. G., & Tembo, M. (2003). Time in the arts and physical education and school achievement. Journal of Curriculum Studies , 35 (6), 721–734. Woodson-Smith, A., Dorwart, C. E., & Linder, A. (2015). Attitudes toward physical education of female high school students. Physical Educator , 72 (3), 460 –471 . PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 43 Appendix A Your responses to this survey will be confidential. This survey will be used to help improve the physical education programs being offered in the state. Thank you for your assistance. 1) Gender M F prefer not to answer 2) Grade 7 8 9 3) Do you enjoy school? Yes No 4) Specify your ethnicity: ● White ● Hispanic or Latino ● Black or African American ● Native American or American Indian ● Asian ● Pacific Islander ● Other specify_______________ 5) What school-sponsored activities are you involved in? Please circle all that apply. Band/Orchestra Drama Chorus Yearbook Other (specify)__________________ 6) What after school, school-sponsored activities are you involved in? Please circle all that apply. Sports: flag football boys’ soccer girls’ soccer volleyball girls’ basketball boys’ basketball softball baseball cross country track & field Club (specify) _____________________________ 7) Do you participate in activities outside of school? Yes No Please specify______________________________ 8) How many hours per day do you watch TV during the school year? PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 44 None 1 2 3 4 5 or more 9) During your free time how many days per week do you do each of the following? Activity Read 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Play sports 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Exercise (walking, jogging, etc.) 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Play video games 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Hang out with friends 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Play cards/board games 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Go to the mall/shopping 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Go to the fitness/health club 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Listen to music 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Watch TV 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Other favorite __________________ 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never Other favorite __________________ 7-6 5-3 2-1 times/week never 10) How important are grades to you? Not important very important 1 2 3 4 5 11) What is your average grade (all subjects)? A B C D F 12) Are your grades important to your parent(s)/guardian(s)? Not important very important 1 2 3 4 5 13) Please indicate how much you enjoy each of the following subjects: Not at all Very Much Art 1 2 3 4 5 English 1 2 3 4 5 Foreign Language 1 2 3 4 5 Health 1 2 3 4 5 History 1 2 3 4 5 CCA 1 2 3 4 5 Math 1 2 3 4 5 Music 1 2 3 4 5 PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 45 Phys. Ed. 1 2 3 4 5 Science 1 2 3 4 5 14) How important do you think each of the following subjects are to your future? Not at all Very Much Art 1 2 3 4 5 English 1 2 3 4 5 Foreign Language 1 2 3 4 5 Health 1 2 3 4 5 History 1 2 3 4 5 CCA 1 2 3 4 5 Math 1 2 3 4 5 Music 1 2 3 4 5 Phys. Ed. 1 2 3 4 5 Science 1 2 3 4 5 15) When you graduate from high school, what do you plan on doing? _____ Work _____ Go into the military _____ Go to a trade school _____ Go to a 2 yr. college or community college _____ Go to a 4 yrs. College _____ Other (specify)___________________________ 16) When I graduate from high school, what I have learned in physical education classes will help me… _____ Perform my job better _____ Relax _____ Maintain my fitness level _____ Stay healthy _____ I do not believe physical education will help me at all _____ Other - please explain ___________________________ 17) Physical education classes should teach (please number in order of importance) _____ Fitness activities(strength, cardiovascular, flexibility) _____ Individual games/activities _____ Team games _____ Health benefits of activity _____ Skills _____ Other - please specify _______________________________ PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 46 18) What do you like most about physical education? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 19) What do you like least about physical education? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 20) What have you learned in physical education that you consider useful? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 21) How often would you like to have physical education? Full year Half year One marking period Never 22) When you have physical education, how many days per week should you have it? 0 1 2 3 4 5 23) What could be done to make physical education more fun for you? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 24) What could be done to make physical education more meaningful for you? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 25) Would you enjoy physical education more with people who are: PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 47 _____ Better than you in the activities _____ Same ability as you in the activities _____ Worse than you in the activities 26) Do you have any other comments or suggestions you think would be helpful? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Thank you for your participation! PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 48 Appendix B Good morning Professor Bibik, My name is Amy Dannehl and I am a graduate student at Weber State University in Ogden Utah. I am working on my thesis and in the midst of my research I came upon your study, High School Students' Attitudes Toward Physical Education in Delaware. I was very excited to read your research because it is very similar to what I would like to do for my final project. In talking with my Professor she told me to reach out to you and see if I could get permission to use the same survey you and your colleagues used for your study. Could I get your permission to use the same survey? Thank you so much for your time and all the effort you have put into your research! Amy Dannehl Hi Amy, I apologize for my late response but I have been away from my office for the month of July. You can definitely use our survey. I have attached it to this email. Best wishes on your thesis. Jan Bibik PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 49 Appendix C IRB STUDY #19-ED-023 WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY INFORMED CONSENT Physical Education: Students’ Perspective You are invited to participate in a research study of students’ perspective on physical education. You were selected as a possible subject because you are currently in a physical education class . We ask that you read this form and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be in the study. The study is being conducted by Coach Amy Dannehl, physical education teacher at Mount Ogden Junior High and Master’s of Education student at Weber State University. STUDY PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to examine the perspective students have on physical education. With the data collected physical education programs can be altered and improved. NUMBER OF PEOPLE TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: If you agree to participate, you will be one of many Mount Ogden Junior High subjects who will be participating in this research. PROCEDURES FOR THE STUDY: If you agree to be in the study, you will do the following things: During your physical education class, you will sign into the school computer. Once signed into the school computer you will obtain the survey by signing into your school email. You will receive an email containing a google form for the survey. This survey will take approximately 15 minutes. Once the survey is submitted your part of the study will be done. RISKS OF TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: The survey is anonymous, and there are no known risks to participating. BENEFITS OF TAKING PART IN THE STUDY You will not receive payment for taking part in this study. You will not receive a grade or extra credit for participating in this study. Your responses may help change the physical education program at the school. ALTERNATIVES TO TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: It is optional to participate in this study, or to not to participate in this study. You will remain in the physical education class with the other teachers. CONFIDENTIALITY Efforts will be made to keep your personal information confidential. We cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality. Your personal information may be disclosed if required by law. Your identity will be held in confidence in reports in which the study may be published and databases in which results may be PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 50 stored. Organizations that may inspect and/or copy your research records for quality assurance and data analysis include groups such as the study investigator and his/her research associates, the Weber State University Institutional Review Board or its designees, and (as allowed by law) state or federal agencies, specifically the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [for FDA-regulated research and research involving positron-emission scanning], the National Cancer Institute (NCI) [for research funded or supported by NCI], the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [for research funded or supported by NIH], etc., who may need to access your medical and/or research records. CONTACTS FOR QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS For questions about the study, contact the researcher Amy Dannehl at 801-737-8585 or the researcher’s mentor Peggy Saunders at 801-626-6278. For questions about your rights as a research participant or to discuss problems, complaints or concerns about a research study, or to obtain information, or offer input, contact the Chair of the IRB Committee IRB@weber.edu. VOLUNTARY NATURE OF STUDY Taking part in this study is voluntary. You may choose not to take part or may leave the study at any time. Leaving the study will not result in any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are entitled. Your decision whether or not to participate in this study will not affect your current or future relations with Mount Ogden Junior High, your teachers, or your grades. SUBJECT’S CONSENT In consideration of all of the above, I give my assent to participate in this research study. I will be given a copy of this informed consent document to keep for my records. I agree to take part in this study. Printed Name of Parent : ________________________________________________________________ Signature of Parent : ___________________________________________________ Date: ___________ Subject’s Printed Name: ________________________________________________________________ Subject’s Signature: __________________________________________ Date: ____________________ (must be dated by the subject) Printed Name of Person Obtaining Consent: ________________________________________________ Signature of Person Obtaining Consent : _________________________________ Date : _____________ PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 51 ESTUDIO IRB #19-ED-023 WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY CONSENTIMIENTO INFORMADO Educación física: perspectiva de los estudiantes Usted está invitado a participar en un estudio de investigación sobre la perspectiva del estudiante sobre educación física. Usted fue seleccionado como posible sujeto porque actualmente está en una clase de educación física. Le pedimos que lea este formulario y haga cualquier pregunta que pueda tener antes de aceptar participar en el estudio. El estudio está siendo realizado por la entrenadora Amy Dannehl, maestra de educación física en Mount Ogden Junior High y estudiante de maestría en educación en Weber State University. PROPÓSITO DEL ESTUDIO El propósito de este estudio es examinar la perspectiva que los estudiantes tienen sobre la educación física. Con los datos recopilados, los programas de educación física pueden modificarse y mejorarse. NÚMERO DE PERSONAS QUE PARTICIPARON EN EL ESTUDIO: Si acepta participar, será uno de los muchos sujetos de Mount Ogden Junior High que participarán en esta investigación. PROCEDIMIENTOS PARA EL ESTUDIO: Si acepta participar en el estudio, hará lo siguiente: Durante su clase de educación física, Necesitara registrarse en la computadora de la escuela. Una vez que haya iniciado sesión en la computadora de la escuela, tendrá acceso a la encuesta usando su correo electrónico. Recibirá un correo electrónico con un formulario de Google para la encuesta. Esta encuesta tomará aproximadamente 15 minutos. Una vez que se envíe la encuesta, se realizará su parte del estudio. RIESGOS DE PARTICIPAR EN EL ESTUDIO: La encuesta es anónima y no se conocen riesgos para participar. BENEFICIOS DE LA PARTICIPACION EN EL ESTUDIO: No recibirá dinero por participar en este estudio. No recibirá una calificación o crédito adicional por participar en este estudio. Sus respuestas pueden ayudar a cambiar el programa de educación física en la escuela. ALTERNATIVAS PARA PARTICIPAR EN EL ESTUDIO: Es opcional participar en este estudio. Permanecerá en la clase de educación física con los otros maestros. CONFIDENCIALIDAD Se realizarán esfuerzos para mantener la confidencialidad de su información personal; sin embargo, no podemos garantizarle una confidencialidad absoluta. Su información personal puede divulgarse si así lo exige la ley. Su identidad se mantendrá confidencial en los informes en los que se puede publicar el estudio y en las bases de datos en las que se pueden almacenar los resultados. Las organizaciones que PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 52 pueden inspeccionar y/o copiar sus registros de investigación para garantizar la calidad y el análisis de datos incluyen grupos como el investigador del estudio y sus asociados de investigación, la Junta de Revisión Institucional de Weber State University o sus designados, y (según lo permite la ley) o agencias federales, específicamente la Oficina de Protección de la Investigación Humana (OHRP). y la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos (FDA) [para investigación regulada por la FDA e investigación que involucra escaneo de emisión de positrones], el Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI) [para investigación financiada o respaldada por NCI], los Institutos Nacionales de Salud (NIH) [ para investigaciones financiadas o respaldadas por NIH], etc., que pueden necesitar acceder a sus registros médicos y/o de investigación. CONTACTOS PARA PREGUNTAS O PROBLEMAS Para preguntas sobre el estudio, comuníquese con la investigadora Amy Dannehl al 801-737-8585 o con la mentora del investigador Peggy Saunders al 801-626-6278. Para preguntas sobre sus derechos como participante de la investigación o para discutir problemas, quejas o inquietudes sobre un estudio de investigación, o para obtener información u ofrecer comentarios, comuníquese con el presidente del Comité IRB IRB@weber.edu . ESTUDIO VOLUNTARIO Participar en este estudio es voluntario. Puede elegir no participar o puede abandonar el estudio en cualquier momento. Abandonar el estudio no dará lugar a ninguna castigo o pérdida de beneficios a los que tiene derecho. Su decisión de participar o no en este estudio no afectará sus relaciones actuales o futuras con Mount Ogden Junior High, sus maestros o sus calificaciones. CONSENTIMIENTO DEL SUJETO En consideración a todo lo anterior, doy mi consentimiento para participar en este estudio de investigación. Se me entregará una copia de este documento de consentimiento para guardar en mis registros. Acepto participar en este estudio. Nombre del padre en letra de molde: ______________________________________________________ Firma del padre : ___________________________________________________ Fecha : _____________ Nombre en letra de molde del sujeto: _____________________________________________________ Firma del sujeto: _________________________________________ Fecha: _______________________ (fecha escrita por el sujeto) Nombre de la persona que obtiene el consentimiento en letra de molde: ________________________ Firma de la persona que obtiene el consentimiento: _________________________ Fecha: __________ PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 53 Appendix D PHYSICAL EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 54