Differences of Gender and Race on the Level of Physical Fitness of Students at Two Midwestern Middle Schools in United States

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese.
 This quantitative study measured physical strength and endurance fitness scores of 132 students at two Midwestern middle schools who participated in daily and non-daily physical education classes. A comparison for gender and race was made for the two schools during the 2005/06 school year. Data was gathered using the Fitnessgram, a tool that evaluates fitness performance using criterion-referenced standards. Results indicated that students at the daily physical education on an average scored higher (m=24.5) on push-ups than students at the non-daily school (m=11.9). However, the non-daily PE students scored higher on sit-ups (m=48.2) than the daily PE students (m=36.8). It was concluded that although the state of Iowa does not mandate physical education in elementary, middle, and high school, it was essential that school children have daily physical education to ensure good health and promotion of high academic performance.
 本文通過對美國中西部地區一所有每天體育課學校和一所沒有每天體育課學校的132名中學生進行了身體力量和耐力水準的定量測試。所得資料依照Fitness-Gram標準，從性別和種族層面分析，比較和評價了2005-2006年兩校中學生的體質狀況。研究發現，開設每天體育課學校的學生俯臥撐的平均分(m=24.5)高於沒有開設每天體育課學校的學生平均分(m=11.9)；而沒有開設每天體育課學校的學生仰臥起坐的平均分(m=48.2)高於開設每天體育課學校的學生平均分(m=36.8)。儘管愛荷華州並未對本州小學、中學和高中體育課設置統一的標準，但值得注意的是學生堅持每天上體育課不僅有益身體健康也有利於學習成績的提高。