Children’s and Adults’ Perceptions of Elementary School Physical Education

Abstract

This article offers a brief review of research that has examined the perceptions of physical education held by 2 groups: (1) adults (including parents, teachers, and school administrators), and (2) children and adolescents. Most surveys of adults reveal generally positive perceptions of physical education, as well as the corollary belief that the subject should be part of the school curriculum. The views of classroom teachers and school administrators, however, are more complex and less uniformly positive—particularly when questions are posed about the distribution of instructional time. In contrast, the perceptions of children appear to be shaped by 3 factors: (1) the nature of the content and pedagogy provided, (2) gender, and (3) motor ability. Despite the relative scarcity of research on the topic, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the perceptions formed through children’s encounters with physical education may serve as precursors of adult dispositions toward physically active lifestyles.