24
The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School Department of Curriculum and Instruction ATTITUDES OF SECONDARY STUDENTS TOWARD PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES IN KUWAIT A Thesis in Curriculum and Instruction by Madallah A. Alenezi © 2005 Madallah A. Alenezi Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2005 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREVIEW

Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

physical education

Citation preview

Page 1: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

The Pennsylvania State University

The Graduate School

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

ATTITUDES OF SECONDARY STUDENTS TOWARD PHYSICAL

EDUCATION CLASSES IN KUWAIT

A Thesis in

Curriculum and Instruction

by

Madallah A. Alenezi

© 2005 Madallah A. Alenezi

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

May 2005

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 2: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

UMI Number: 3172952

INFORMATION TO USERS

The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy

submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and

photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper

alignment can adversely affect reproduction.

In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript

and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized

copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.

®

UMIUMI Microform 3172952

Copyright 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company.

All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against

unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.

ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road

P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 3: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

The thesis of Madallah A. Alenezi was reviewed and approved* by the following:

J. Daniel Marshall Professor of Education Thesis Advisor Chair of Committee

James F. Nolan Professor of Education

Iris M. StriedieckAssistant Professor of Education

Edgar P. YoderProfessor of Agricultural and Extension Education

Patrick Shannon Professor of Education Coordinator for Graduate Programs in Curriculum and Instruction

* Signatures are on file in the Graduate School

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 4: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

ABSTRACT

The main purposes of this study are to: 1) investigate high school students’

attitudes toward physical education classes and three specific factors of learning and

teaching, namely, curriculum, students (peers), and teacher; 2) document what

differences, if any, exist between female and male attitudes toward high school physical

education classes; and 3) explore students’ attitudes toward physical education classes in

relation to different education systems (credit and general) in the State of Kuwait.

This study utilized a questionnaire to assess students’ attitudes toward their

physical education classes. The 480 participants were selected randomly, using cluster-

sampling, from four groups. The first group consisted of 120 male students, and the

second group consisted of 120 female students, both of whom were studying in the

general system. The third group consisted of 120 male students, and the fourth group

consisted of 120 female students, both of whom were studying in the credit system. The

researcher selected these groups from the six school districts in the State of Kuwait. In

November 2004, the 480 students who represented the six school districts in the State of

Kuwait completed the questionnaire.

Descriptive statistics were used to investigate students’ attitudes toward physical

education classes in general and physical education curriculum, peers, and teachers in

particular. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine what differences, if any, existed in

students’ attitudes towards high school physical education classes when examined by

gender and what differences, if any, existed between credit system students and general

system students in their attitudes toward physical education classes.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 5: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

The findings of this study revealed that (1) Kuwaiti senior students have positive

attitudes toward high school physical education classes (M= 2.76); (2) Peers received the

highest score (M= 2.80) from students among the three factors considered [curriculum

(M= 2.78) and teachers (M= 2.69)]; (3) No statistically significant difference existed

between female and male attitudes toward their physical education classes (F= 2.802 and

p= .095); (4) A statistically significant difference existed between credit system students

and general system students in their attitudes toward physical education classes (F= 7.363

and p= .001).

Based on the results of this study, the researcher recommended more cooperation

between teachers, of both genders and school systems, to exchange ideas and experiences

and develop strategies to motivate students to participate in physical education classes.

Further, in the general school system, it is recommended that grades be applied (factored

into the GPA), more time should be available for physical education classes, and students

should be given the opportunity to select the activities in which they participate. The

researcher believes that more research is needed to extend the breath of findings

regarding the differences between general system students and credit system students in

their attitudes physical education classes. The researcher recommended the replication of

this study on middle school students (Grade Eight).

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 6: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

V

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page.LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................viiiLIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................... ixACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................... xiii

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................1The Educational System in Kuwait................................................................. 3

High School: General System................................................................ 4High School: Credit System.................................................................... 5

Physical Education in High School..................................................................6Statement of the Problem.................................................................................7Purpose of the Study........................................................................................ 8Significance of the S tudy................................................................................9Research Questions.......................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................. 11THE CONCEPT OF ATTITUDE................................................................... 11Theory of Reasoned Action..............................................................................14Rational for Studying Changing Attitudes...................................................... 16Measurement of Attitudes.................................................................................16

Thurstone’s Equal-Appearing Interval Scale.........................................17Osgood’s Semantic Differential Scales................................................. 20Likerf s Methods of Summated Ratings................................................ 21

Measuring Students’ Attitudes toward Physical Education Classes............. 23Physical Education Class and its Factors.........................................................30

CURRICULUM.................................................................................................33Introduction........................................................................................................ 33Curriculum Planning......................................................................................... 36Curriculum Objectives...................................................................................... 37Sources of Curriculum Objectives................................................................... 38

The Needs and Interests of Students.......................................................39The Needs of Society...............................................................................40Subject Matter Specialists....................................................................... 41

Domains of Objectives...................................................................................... 43The Cognitive Domain.............................................................................44The Affective Domain.............................................................................45Psychomotor Domain...............................................................................46

Putting Objectives into Action.......................................................................... 48The Selection of Content......................................................................... 48The Selection of Activities....................................................................... 50The Selection of Materials....................................................................... 52

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 7: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

v i

The Selection of Instructional Procedures.............................................53The Selection of Evaluation or Assessment Tools............................... 53

Curriculum Objectives for Physical Education in Kuwait............................. 54Psychomotor Domain...............................................................................56Cognitive Domain....................................................................................56Affective Domain.....................................................................................57

Summary of curriculum....................................................................................57

STUDENTS “PEERS”......................................................................................60Introduction........................................................................................................60General Characteristics of Students.................................................................61Constructivism and Learner-Centered Educational Theory ..........................63

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development..........................................66Vygostsky’s Social Constructivism....................................................... 67

Interaction between Students and their Peers.................................................69Social Environment in Physical Education..................................................... 72Final Comments................................................................................................ 75

Stages of Development........................................................................... 75Constructivist Perspective....................................................................... 75How Peers Can Serve as Motivators and Teachers..............................76

TEACHER.........................................................................................................78Introduction........................................................................................................78Planning for Learning and Teaching................................................................80

Setting the Goals......................................................................................81Writing Objectives...................................................................................82Preparing the Plans..................................................................................83The Unit Plan........................................................................................... 84The Lesson Plan.......................................................................................86

Planning for Instructional Strategies................................................................87Planning for Building a Good Relationship with Students............................90Planning for Classroom Management..............................................................93Management within the Physical Education Classroom Space.................... 94Constructivist Teachers.....................................................................................96Final Comments................................................................................................ 101

CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY............................................................................ 102Selection of Participants...................................................................................102Creation of the Instrument................................................................................105

Direction and Intensity of Attitude........................................................ 105Wording of Attitudes Statements........................................................... 106Content of the Instrument....................................................................... 107The Validity and Reliability of the Questionnaire................................ I l l

Administration of the Questionnaire................................................................114

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 8: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

Data Analysis...................................................................................................... 117

CHAPTER 4. RESULTS OF THE DATA ANALYSIS.........................................119Part 1: A Description of the Research Instrument........................................... 120Part 2: Statistical Test Results for Research Questions...................................121

All Student Attitudes toward PE Classes................................................ 121Female and Male Students’ Attitudes toward PE Classes.....................130Credit and General System Students’ Attitudes toward PE Classes 138

Part 3: Students’ Attitudes toward Specific Elements within Curriculum,Peer, and Teacher..................................................................................... 147

Part 4: Background of Participants................................................................... 152Part 5: Students’ Responses on the Open-Ended Questions........................... 164

CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION...................................................................................... 166Introduction......................................................................................................... 166Findings................................................................................................................170Discussion of the Results of Statistical Tests.................................................. 171

Female and Male Students’ Attitudes toward PE Classes.....................171Researcher Interpretations........................................................................172Discussion..................................................................................................176Credit System and General System Students’ Attitudes toward PEClasses........................................................................................................ 179Researcher Interpretations........................................................................179Discussion..................................................................................................184

My Findings Compared to Other Studies.........................................................186Recommendations...............................................................................................189Recommendations for Future Research............................................................191General Assertions..............................................................................................193

REFERENCES...............................................................................................................194

APPENDICES

Appendix A. ARABIC AND ENGLISH QUESTIONNAIRES................................ 208Appendix B. LETTER OF VERIFICATION FOR THE ARABIC VERSION

OF THE INSTRUMENT FROM TRANSLATION CENTERIN KUWAIT............................................................................................ 216

Appendix C. APPROVAL FORM FOR USE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS THEPENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY...........................................218

Appendix D. INFORMED CONCENT FO RM .......................................................... 221

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 9: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

viii

LIST OF FIGURESPage

Figure 2.1 Factors that Comprise a Learning and Teaching Situation(Physical Education Class)........................................................................................... 32

Figure 2.2 The Organization of Curriculum Section..................................................35

Figure 4.1 Means of Students’ Attitudes toward PE Classes based on theirBeliefs of the Importance of PE Class.........................................................................156

Figure 5.1 The Effect of Gender and School System on the Grand Mean............... 171

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 10: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

LIST OF TABLES

PageTable 2.1 A Selection of Some Items from a Thurstone Scale of Attitudes

toward the Church...............................................................................................19

Table 2.2 Example of using Likert Scale to Measure Students’ Attitudestoward Physical Education Classes................................................................... 22

Table 2.3 Levels of Cognitive Domain......................................................................... 44

Table 2.4 Levels of Affective Domain.......................................................................... 45

Table 2.5 Levels of Psychomotor Domain....................................................................46

Table 2.6 Example of Lesson Plan for Fitness Activities........................................... 49

Table 2.7 Physical, Cognitive, Social Development at Different Age Levels...........62

Table 2.8 A Comparison of the Major Characteristics of ConstructivistPerspectives........................................................................................................65

Table 2.9 Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development..................................................66

Table 3.1 Sample of Students from the Six School Districts in Kuwait....................104

Table 3.2 Distribution of Curriculum Items................................................................. 108

Table 3.3 Distribution of Peer Items..............................................................................109

Table 3.4 Distribution of Teacher Items....................................................................... 110

Table 3.5 Summary of the Data Analysis..................................................................... 118

Table 4.1 Factors of Physical Education Classes and AssociatedQuestionnaire Items...........................................................................................121

Table 4.2 Means for Students’ Attitudes toward All Items, Arrangedfrom the Highest to the Lowest Mean Value...................................................123

Table 4.3 Means for Students’ Attitudes toward Curriculum Items, Arrangedfrom the Highest to the Lowest Mean Value................................................. 126

with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 11: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

Table 4.4 Means for Students’ Attitudes toward Peer Items, Arranged from theHighest to the Lowest Mean Value.................................................................. 127

Table 4.5 Means for Students’ Attitudes toward Teacher Items, Arranged fromthe Highest to the Lowest Mean Value.............................................................129

Table 4.6 ANOVA Results for Differences in Female and Male Students’ Attitudestoward PE Classes...............................................................................................130

Table 4.7 ANOVA Results for Differences in Female and Male Students’ Attitudes toward PE Curriculum....................................................................................... 131

Table 4.8 ANOVA Results for Differences in Female and Male Students’ Attitudes toward Peers........................................................................................................ 131

Table 4.9 ANOVA Results for Differences in Female and Male Students’ Attitudes toward PE Teachers........................................................................................... 131

Table 4.10 Means of Females and Males Attitude toward PE Curriculum............... 133

Table 4.11 Means of Females and Males Attitude toward Peers............................... 135

Table 4.12 Means of Females and Males Attitude toward PE Teachers....................137

Table 4.13 ANOVA Results for Difference between Credit and General Studentsin their Attitudes toward PE Classes................................................................139

Table 4.14 ANOVA Results for Difference between Credit and General Studentsin their Attitudes toward Curriculum............................................................... 139

Table 4.15 ANOVA Results for Difference between Credit and General Studentsin their Attitudes toward Peers..........................................................................140

Table 4.16 ANOVA Results for Difference between Credit and General Studentsin their Attitudes toward Teachers................................................................... 140

Table 4.17 Means of Credit and General Students’ Attitudes toward PECurriculum.......................................................................................................... 142

Table 4.18 Means of Credit and General Students’ Attitudes toward Peers............. 144

Table 4.19 Means of Credit and General Students’ Attitudes toward Teachers 146

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 12: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

Table 4.20 ANOVA Results of the Differences between Females and Males intheir Attitude toward Curriculum, Peers, and Teachers Elements.................150

Table 4.21 ANOVA Results of the Differences between Credit and General Students in their Attitude toward Curriculum, Peers, and Teachers Elements............................................................................................................. 151

Table 4.22 Frequencies and Percentages of Students Participatingin Organized Sport Activities............................................................................153

Table 4.23 ANOVA Results for Difference between Students who are/are notParticipating in Organized Sport Activities......................................................154

Table 4.24 Frequencies and Percentages of Participants’ Belief inthe Importance of Physical Education Class................................................... 155

Table 4.25 Student Levels of Participation in Physical Education Classfor the Senior Year.............................................................................................158

Table 4.26 ANOVA Results for Difference between High-Participation Credit andGeneral Senior-Year Students in their Attitudes toward PE Classes............ 159

Table 4.27 Student Levels of Participation in PE Classes duringElementary School..............................................................................................161

Table 4.28 Student Levels of Participation in PE Classes duringMiddle School..................................................................................................... 162

Table 4.29 Student Levels of Participation in PE Classes duringHigh School........................................................................................................ 163

Table 4.30 Students Responses to the Open-Ended Questions....................................165

Table 5.1 Male and Female Attitudes toward Curriculum, Peers, andTeachers...............................................................................................................172

Table 5.2 Male and Female Attitudes toward Curriculum Elements........................ 174

Table 5.3 Male and Female Attitudes toward Peer Elements....................................175

Table 5.4 Male and Female Attitudes toward Teacher Elements............................... 176

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 13: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

Table 5.5 General and Credit System Students Attitudes toward Curriculum,Peers, and Teachers.......................................................................................... 179

Table 5.6 General and Credit students Attitudes toward Curriculum Elements....... 181

Table 5.7 General and Credit Students Attitudes toward Peer Elements...................182

Table 5.8 General and Credit students Attitudes toward Teacher Elements............. 183

Table 5.9 Number of PE Periods per Week in General and Credit SystemSchools................................................................................................................186

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 14: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to thank Allah for his limitless support and help.

He has given me many blessings throughout my life.

This study could not have been completed without the assistance and support of

the experts whom I was fortunate to meet during the time I studied at The Pennsylvania

State University. Sincere gratitude must go to my advisor, Dr. J. Daniel Marshall, for his

thoughtful advice, continuous encouragement, and direction that elevated the quality of

this study.

Special acknowledgement goes to my committee members, Dr. James F. Nolan,

Professor of Education; Edgar P. Yoder, Professor of Agricultural and Extension

Education; and Dr. Iris M. Striedieck, Assistant Professor of Education, for their valuable

assistance and professional advice during my years of study.

I would like to express my hearty appreciation to my wife, Fauzah Alenezi, for

her patience, moral support, and continuous encouragement throughout the duration of

my study in the United States. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to my

children, Barak, Dalai, Sweidan, Ebrahim, and Saad for being patient while their father

was pursuing his studies.

I am indebted to my parents, brothers, sisters, and friends for their love, prayers,

and support throughout my study.

My special thanks are extended to the Kuwaiti students who participate in this

study, their teachers, and their principals for their cooperation and help during the data

collection.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 15: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Developing favorable attitudes toward learning is a universal objective o f instruction and certainly one that finds a place in the goals o f most subject areas (Figley, 1985. p, 229).

Many studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of factors such as

curriculum, other students, and teachers on students’ attitudes toward physical education

classes (Cope, 1990; Carlson, 1995; Graham, 1995; Portman, 1995). The research

findings suggest that improving these factors helps to motivate students to participate in

classroom activities, and will make these classes useful and valuable for later life.

Bloom (1976) asserted that students’ attitudes, feelings, and emotions are

variables that have an impact on student learning. So, how a student thinks and feels

about physical education has a significant impact on his or her willingness to participate.

Thus, I believe that being aware of the negative factors in the learning and teaching

situation may be the first step toward improving learning and teaching situation.

Many factors can contribute to the creation of negative or positive attitudes

among students towards learning and teaching. Students’ cultural background is one

factor that has been found to affect student attitudes toward learning and teaching

(Gilbert, 2001; Albeialy, 2000). Gender of the students and teacher can also influence

student attitudes toward learning and teaching (Hastie, 1998; Kenyon, 1968; Silverman &

Subramaniam, 1999). Many studies cite curriculum and teacher as the most important

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 16: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

2

factors in influencing students’ attitudes toward school subjects, like physical education

(Carlson, 1995; Chung & Allen, 2002; Graham, 1995; Luke & Sinclair, 1991).

Physical education is an important subject in Kuwaiti education. As a physical

education teacher for five years, I observed many secondary students who stopped

participating in physical education classes. This behavior interested me, and as my

graduate research I chose to investigate factors that might influence the creation of

negative attitudes among Kuwaiti students toward their physical education classes and

which might contribute to a decrease in students’ level of participation in high school.

This lack of participation among high school students is not uncommon. For example,

King, Robertson, and Warren (1985) asserted that Canadian students become less active

as they get older, while Van Wersch, Trew, and Turner (1992) also claimed that

children’s level of participation and interest in physical education reduced as they got

older (as cited in Treasure and Roberts, 2001). Alenezi (2003) reported similar findings

in his investigation of Kuwaiti high school seniors, who characterized their high level of

participation in physical education classes during elementary school at 71%, while by

middle school their high level of participation had dropped to 51.8%, and by high school,

to 8.7%. So, investigating students’ attitudes toward these classes might help explain the

decreased participation among high school students.

Studying all possible factors that might affect students’ attitudes toward learning

and teaching is impossible in a single study. I reviewed many studies that focused on

multiple factors that affect students’ attitudes toward physical education classes, and

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 17: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

3

selected as the focus of my study three factors that were repeated in many studies,

namely, curriculum, students (peers), and teacher. I concur with the many scholars who

believe that these three are the most important factors in the learning and teaching

situation. More details about these factors are presented in Chapter 2.

The Educational System in Kuwait

The Kuwaiti public educational system consists of three basic levels of education

(elementary, intermediate, and secondary) and four grades within each level, for a total of

12 years of schooling. Schooling is mandatory for all Kuwaiti citizens at the elementary

and intermediate levels (eight years). The government, represented by the Ministry of

Education, provides free schooling for all Kuwaitis and resident non-Kuwaitis. While the

educational system in Kuwait separates males and females in general schooling, all

students receive equal rights of schooling. Also, all female and male students in the three

levels of public education receive equal facilities and resources — textbooks, buildings,

teachers, and curriculum — provided by the Ministry of Education. Female and male

students are taught virtually identical subjects by separate staff of the same gender in

separate school buildings.

Kuwait has given great attention to education for many years. Article 40 in the

Constitution of the State of Kuwait (The State of Kuwait, 1962) states that:

Education is a right for Kuwaitis, guaranteed by the State in accordance

with law and within the limits of public policy and morals. Education in its

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 18: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

4

preliminary stages will be compulsory and free in accordance with law.

The State will devote particular care to the physical, moral and mental

development of youth (p.l 1).

There are two different systems in high school: the General and the Credit

systems. In the eighth grade, students select one of these two systems for their

four years in high school, grades 9-12. The following section presents details

about the differences and similarities between these two systems.

High School: General System

All students in elementary school, until fourth grade, study mathematics, Arabic

and English languages, Islamic education, music, art, science, national education,

physical education, and social science. In the intermediate level and during the first two

years of secondary level, students continue their study of these same subjects plus

computer science, social studies, and home economics for females and technical and

practical studies for males.

In the last two years of secondary school, all students have the option to study

either the literacy track or the scientific track. Literacy tracks include Arabic, French,

English language, Islamic education, mathematics, art, computer science, physical

education, social studies, along with home economics (for females) and technical and

practical studies (for males). Scientific tracks include Arabic and English languages,

Islamic education, mathematics, science, art, physical education, and computer science,

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 19: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

5

along with home economics (for females) and technical and practical studies (for males)

(Kuwait Ministry of Education, 1996).

High School: Credit System

The credit system began in Kuwaiti high school level at the end of 1970 (Jamal,

1987). It is not a private system, but is a public system operated by the Ministry of

Education. Parents and students have a choice to select either the general or credit

system. Both systems are very similar in many respects, but in some respects they are

different. One of these differences can be seen in the way in which they offer physical

education.

According to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education (1996) the credit system school

year consists of two 15-week sessions and a seven-week summer session. In order to

graduate from high school, students must complete at least 40 credits that include

common curriculum, track requirements, supplementary requirements, and elective

courses (Physical education is one of these). According to Jamal (1987), students’ grades

in this system “are averaged by multiplying the number of units for each class times the

points earned, adding these products, and dividing the sum by the total number of

units”(p.20).

Physical education class is considered one of the main subjects that all students

must study from elementary school through intermediate and secondary school in

Kuwait. The importance of physical edt*gg$qn for all students in the three levels of

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 20: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

6

schooling appears in the Kuwaiti constitution. Article 10 states: “The country cares for

the young and protects them from exploitation and from moral, physical, and spiritual

neglect.” Also, the third of the secondary education goals requires supporting students to

help them build their identity, emotionally and physically (Kuwait Ministry of Education,

1996).

Physical Education in High School

Physical education is an integral part of the Kuwaiti curriculum for both males and

females, at all levels — elementary, intermediate, and high school — and in every

region, although the curriculum is different in some aspects at each level and between

genders. According to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education (2004), the activities of

physical education for boys and girls at the secondary level (the level related to my

study) are as follows:

1. Boys’ activities

a. Team sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, and field handball)

a. Track and field events (short and long distance running; relay races;

hurdling; shot put; and long, high, and triple jump)

c. Gymnastics

2. Girls’ activities

a. Team sports (basketball, volleyball, and field handball)

b. Track and field events (short and long distance running, relay races,

hurdling, javelin and discus throw, shot put, and long and high jump)

c. Gymnastics

d. Physical or aerobic exercises with music

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 21: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

7

In addition to the above activities, students in the credit system can select

activities as elective courses such as tennis, racquetball, health education, etc. Also,

students in the credit system receive physical education class three times per week with

50-minute periods, and their physical education class performance results in a grade that

is factored into the students’ GPA based on their performances in classes and exams. But,

in the general system, students participate in physical education class only once per week

for 45 minutes, and their participation does not earn a grade that counts as part of the

student’s GPA. Also, there is no exam for physical education in the general system

(Teacher guide, 2001).

Based on my own experience as a physical education teacher for five years, I

found that many teachers in Kuwait have complaints about the lack of secondary student

participation in physical education classes, particularly students in the general system.

Thus, my study investigated students’ attitudes toward their physical education classes in

an attempt to identify explanations for this lack of participation by students in physical

education classes at the high school level.

Statement of the Problem

The 480 Kuwaiti high school seniors who were interviewed in Alenezi’s (2003)

study described their own high levels of participation in physical education class as

decreasing from 71% participation in elementary school, to 51.8% participation in middle

school and, finally, to 8.7% participation in high school. Jamal (1987), in his comparison

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 22: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

8

study of physical fitness between high school students in Kuwait and their counterparts in

the United States, found that Kuwaiti students were less fit than American students

because “the lack of motivation to participate regularly in appropriate physical exercises

has led to these low levels of fitness among boys and girls in Kuwait” (p. 112). For the

purpose of this study, I believe that adolescent physical fitness is a direct result of

participation in the many activities offered within physical education class. To better

understand possible reasons for the lack of participation among students in physical

education activities in Kuwait, as verified in these earlier studies by Alenezi and Jamal, I

investigated students’ attitudes toward important factors that make up these classes:

curriculum, peers, and teacher.

Purpose of the Study

The purposes of this study are to: 1) investigate high school students’ attitudes

toward physical education classes in the State of Kuwait; 2) uncover the relationship

between students’ attitudes toward physical education classes and three specific factors of

learning and teaching, namely, curriculum, students (peers), and teacher; 3) document

what differences, if any, exist between female and male attitudes towards high school

physical education classes in Kuwait; and 4) explore student attitudes towards physical

education classes in relation to the different education systems (credit and general).

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 23: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

9

Significance of the Study

After an extensive review of studies that investigate student attitudes toward

physical education classes and its activities, I found that the most frequently cited factors

are curriculum, peers, and teacher.

This study could help the Ministry of Education in Kuwait to make decisions

about improving physical education classes in particular, and other school subjects in

general, if the study were replicated in other subjects such as mathematics, science,

language, etc. This study is comprehensive in that it investigates students’ attitudes

toward physical education classes and assesses three measures (curriculum, peers, and

teacher) within the same study.

Research Questions

1 .What are students’ attitudes toward their physical education classes during high

school years?

1. A - What are students’ attitudes toward their physical education

curriculum during high school years?

1. B - What are students’ attitudes toward their physical education class

peers during high school years?

1. C - What are students’ attitudes toward their physical education teachers

during high school years?

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW

Page 24: Attitudes of Secondary Students Toward Physical

10

2. What differences, if any, exist in students’ attitudes toward physical education

classes during high school years when examined by gender?

3. What differences, if any, exist between credit system students and general system

students in their attitudes toward physical education classes during high school

years?

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

PREVIEW