Attitudes of 7-12th Grade Students of Secondary and Specialized Music and Arts Schools toward the Evaluation in Physical Education

Abstract

According to the Lithuanian General Education Plans for Secondary and High School Programs (2009), students in Physical Education (PE) lessons can be assessed by a mark or using “Pass / Fail” system, depending on the decision of the school community. In our previous study we found that students of secondary schools are satisfied with the existing evaluation mode in PE classes, and that in their opinion, evaluation does not have a significant impact on physical activity during their leisure time, but students who were assessed by a mark, as opposed to students who were assessed by “Pass / Fail” system, indicate that evaluation encourage them to be physically active during PE lessons. It is interesting to find out, what opinion dominates among students of specialized music and art schools. Performing artists are professionals, bodies of whom are being overused by different ergonomic positions that may lead to musculoskeletal problems. Artists’ health disorders are individual, in the treatment of which, physical activity plays a crucial role and is more important than most people think: for example, playing a musical instrument requires both physical and mental skills, and very often these health disorders are caused by long-term professional loads, therefore the exercises for strength, endurance and flexibility development are especially important for musicians. The aim of this study is to investigate the opinion of 7 – 12th grade students of specialized music and art schools from one of the biggest cities of Lithuania about the assessment mode in PE and its impact on their physical activity during PE lessons and in leisure-time, and compare it with secondary high schools students’ opinion. The study was conducted in specialized schools of music and art (n=3) and in secondary high schools (n=3) of the same city. The study involved students of 7 – 12th grades, who took part in the survey on the basis of the consent of the school administration. In total, the data of 486 students, who have met all the requirements of the survey (i.e. voluntarily agreed to participate in the study and answered all questions), were selected for the statistical analysis of the results. A questionnaire was used from Emeljanovas & Trinkūnienė (2011) study on the students’ viewpoint on the progress and achievements in PE lessons. It was found that students of specialized schools of music and art, in contrast to students of secondary high schools, were not satisfied with the current nature of the assessment in PE lessons, i.e. those, who are assessed by a mark, preferred to be assessed by “Pass / Fail” system, and those who are assessed by “Pass / Fail” system would like to be completely exempted from evaluation. Again in contrast to secondary high school students, in the opinion of students from specialized music and art schools the evaluation in PE lessons does not affect their physical activity during PE lessons or in leisure time. Keywords: physical education, performing arts, schoolchildren, evaluation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/sm.2015.14