HEALTH-RELATED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REPORT CARD APPLICATIONS: AN INITIAL EXAMINATION OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ VIEWS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to reveal whether physical education teachers' views on health-related Physical Activity Report Card Applications differ according to gender and teaching experience variables. The participants were 33 female and 58 male teachers. The mean age of teachers was 36.96 (SD= 5.75), and the mean teaching experience was 10.74 (SD= 5.64). The Physical Activity Report Card Applications Assessment Scale [PARCAAS] was used to gather data. The results of the study revealed that the scores obtained from the sub-dimensions of “Enforcement”, “Competence” and “Support” differed significantly between gender of teachers. It was also revealed that the scores obtained by female and male teachers in the sub-dimensions of "Applicability", "Impact" and "Difficulties" were similar. No significant differences were found in teaching experience on the scores obtained from the sub-dimensions of PARCAAS. Also, significant differences in “Enforcement”, “Competence” and “Support” subdimensions were found; but no difference was found in “Applicability”, “Impact”, and “Difficulties” subdimensions between female and male physical education teachers. Both male and female physical education teachers had similar views on the "Applicability", "Impact," and "Difficulties" sub-dimensions of the PARCAAS, and it was concluded that they had difficulties during the report card application. Still, they thought that PARCAAS was applicable and practical. It was supposed that physical education teachers with teaching experience of 10 years or less and 11 years and above had difficulties applying for the report card, considered themselves moderately competent, received sufficient support, and thought that report card applications were applicable and practical.

Keywords

• physical fitness
• physical activity report card
• physical education
• teacher