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Pedersen JH1, Thornquist E2, Natvik E2, Råheim M1
1University of Bergen, Global Public Health and Primary Care, Bergen, Norway, 2Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
Background: Physical education (PE) is mandatory for all pupils in Norway. Various perspectives, from the subject´s introduction in 1889, have affected the subject´s aim, content and the ways that teaching has been and still is conducted. Research reports an increasing group of students who do not participate in PE. In Norway, failure in passing the subject has consequences for further education and work career. Research points to negative experiences with PE as mainly due to students´ psychological and/or social challenges, and PE as an arena where exposure of bodily skills and appearance increase social vulnerability.
Purpose: In Norway, researching high school students' first-person perspective is scarce, and the purpose of the present study was therefore to explore second year high school students' experiences with and thoughts about ordinary PE classes.
Methods: Participants were recruited from five high schools, a purposeful mixture of schools with general studies, vocational studies, and a mixture of both. Oral presentation of the project was given to the classes approximately one week before data collection. Of 327 second year, high-school students that had consented to participate, 316 took part, 152 boys and 164 girls, mean age of 17 years. They answered an assignment, during one school hour, that consisted of ten open-ended questions related to experiences with and thoughts about PE classes. The data material was analyzed according to content analysis.
Results: The findings reveal a wide range of experiences with physical education classes. Most students liked the subject, and welcomed it as a respite in an otherwise sedentary and theory focused school day. Nevertheless, many students expressed frustration and a desire for change on what they experience as a one-sided focus on tests and assessments. Some students found tests and assessments inspirational, but most students found it problematic. The majority of students wished for more varied lessons, with a possibility for choice of a variety of activities/sports, and stronger emphasis on play, togetherness and spontaneous unfolding. They thought that this change could dedicate more students to take actively part in PE lessons, making room for everyone to thrive and experience mastery.
Conclusion(s): PE is under pressure from different competing perspectives, from building social competence and good citizens, establishing health-promoting habits as to physical activity, to national standards that must be followed and tested. Teachers and students seem to be left with less possibilities to form the subject accordingly. Further, in the present PE context, it seems difficult to embrace individual differences, counteract pressure on performance and skills, making it difficult for all students to enjoy being physically active within the framework of PE.
Implications: Knowledge from this study can be used to facilitate dialogue with young girls and boys that find it problematic to participate in PE lessons. Further, it can inspire promoting best possible ways of adjusting physical activity to all students in school.
Keywords: physical education, high school students experiences, participation
Funding acknowledgements: None
Purpose: In Norway, researching high school students' first-person perspective is scarce, and the purpose of the present study was therefore to explore second year high school students' experiences with and thoughts about ordinary PE classes.
Methods: Participants were recruited from five high schools, a purposeful mixture of schools with general studies, vocational studies, and a mixture of both. Oral presentation of the project was given to the classes approximately one week before data collection. Of 327 second year, high-school students that had consented to participate, 316 took part, 152 boys and 164 girls, mean age of 17 years. They answered an assignment, during one school hour, that consisted of ten open-ended questions related to experiences with and thoughts about PE classes. The data material was analyzed according to content analysis.
Results: The findings reveal a wide range of experiences with physical education classes. Most students liked the subject, and welcomed it as a respite in an otherwise sedentary and theory focused school day. Nevertheless, many students expressed frustration and a desire for change on what they experience as a one-sided focus on tests and assessments. Some students found tests and assessments inspirational, but most students found it problematic. The majority of students wished for more varied lessons, with a possibility for choice of a variety of activities/sports, and stronger emphasis on play, togetherness and spontaneous unfolding. They thought that this change could dedicate more students to take actively part in PE lessons, making room for everyone to thrive and experience mastery.
Conclusion(s): PE is under pressure from different competing perspectives, from building social competence and good citizens, establishing health-promoting habits as to physical activity, to national standards that must be followed and tested. Teachers and students seem to be left with less possibilities to form the subject accordingly. Further, in the present PE context, it seems difficult to embrace individual differences, counteract pressure on performance and skills, making it difficult for all students to enjoy being physically active within the framework of PE.
Implications: Knowledge from this study can be used to facilitate dialogue with young girls and boys that find it problematic to participate in PE lessons. Further, it can inspire promoting best possible ways of adjusting physical activity to all students in school.
Keywords: physical education, high school students experiences, participation
Funding acknowledgements: None
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing; Primary health care
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: The Norwegian Regional Ethics Committee REK
Ethics committee: The Norwegian Regional Ethics Committee REK
Reason not required: The main objective of the project is to develop systematic knowledge of the youth's experiences with physical education, about their relationship with their own body and physical activity more generally. REK is of the opinion that the purpose of the study is not to seek new knowledge of health and disease as such and finds that the study is outside the Health Research Act and that it is therefore not necessary to apply for approval from REK.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
