Evaluation of Physical Education Courses

Abstract

In physical education courses, how to learn sports has to be developed, along with movement skills and physical fitness. This competence would depend greatly upon attitudes toward the physical education courses.The present study was desingned to compare successful classes with unsuccessful classes, evaluated by the attitude measurement. Using our physical education inventory, the attitudes were measured for 2nd grade children, who constituted five classes in some elementary schools, twice on May and July in 1979. After first measurement, all the sounds of teaching and learning behavior on successive three lessons were tape-recorded each of five classes, respectively. In addition, all the class teachers were requested to draw up the teaching sheets on above the three lessons. The result obtained through the attitude measurement were discussed in relation to the analysis of the recorded tapes and the teaching sheets.In two classes named successful classes, the attitude score increased, particularlly in the score of four items; “refreshingness obtained from physical activities”, “the mental set toward effort exercise”, “a habit of effort” and “enjoyment of learning”. In the other unsuccessful classes, considerable decreases were discernible in the score of six items; “pleasure for the physical education courses”, “refreshingness obtained from physical activities”, “lesson presentation”, “impression on the physicaleducation courses”, “sharing pleasure among friends” and “likes and dislikes to physical education courses”. Results obtained from analysis of teaching and learning behavior showed that the successful classes were instructed under a problem-solving method in sub-groups and the other classes instructed under a systematic sequence in whole-class learning. The activities of instruction in the successful classes were characterized by searching heuristic questions about skillful development and rules of games. In the unsuccessful classes, however, teacher's directions on movement patterns were emphasized.From these results were concluded that the attitude score might show teaching and learning behavior in learning process.