Exploring the Factors that Influence Female Students’ Decision to (Not) Enrol in Elective Physical Education: A Private School Case Study

Abstract

This article presents the results from a qualitative case study that examined the influencers upon a somewhat unique group of female students who opted out of elective physical education (PE). More specifically, this study focused upon female students attending an affluent private school, investigating why—when they transitioned from middle school to senior high school and PE became optional—they opted out of the class. Employing a research design that relied principally upon in-depth interviews, seven themes emerged from the students’ stories: perspectives on policy and PE programming, co-ed problems; friends’ influence, parental support for opting out, A+ academic achievement, free time and electives, and adequate physical activity accumulation outside of school. By considering these themes, particularly as they align with an Ecological Systems Theory, or EST (Bronfenbrenner, 1977) social-ecological framework, it is possible to more fully comprehend contributing influencers to these students’ decisions. Moreover, with this comprehension, we offer suggestions for future practice and inquiry.