Children\'s perceptions of physical education and school sports at selected South African Schools

Abstract

Students' perceptions and value orientation could assist curriculum developers to design and implement a Physical Education (PE) curriculum that would address the needs of post-independent South African schools. PE and School Sport (SS) in South Africa demonstrate extremes and inequities. Contrast is visible in all aspects of South African life, but most significant in education. White and urban schools are relatively problem free, whereas black and rural schools have been adversely affected by the past governments' apartheid and separate development policies. Some schools have well developed facilities, while the majority has next to nothing. PE teachers are qualified in some cases and grossly unqualified in many others. PE programmes in white schools and urban cities offer a wide and balanced variety of activities while in others opportunities are limited to a few movement activities. PE as a school subject has been neglected, misunderstood, seen as being of little importance and regarded as inferior when compared to other subjects in the school curriculum. In order to find out the perceptions of PE and school sport among school children aged 7-15 years, we administered the modified Sport in Education (SpinEd) project questionnaire to 923 school children in two provinces and contrasting geographical locations in South Africa. The questionnaire focused on five main domains referring specifically to aspects of children's perceptions and understanding of PE and SS. The results showed some disparity in the perceptions and understanding of PE and SS among the respondents by gender, age group and geographical location, specifically with regard to feeling about PE and SS, outcomes of PE and SS, comparison of PE and SS with other school subjects and perceived competence in PE and SS. Results are discussed in the light of their implications for provision of quality PE and SS in South African schools.