Probing the delivery of tertiary physical education among the generation Z students in the transition years of Philippine K to 12

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines are currently under transition due to the implementation of Republic Act 10533, also known as Enhanced Basic Education Act, which aims to strengthen the curriculum content and increase the number of years of basic education in the country. Since its implementation in 2013, Physical Education researchers have been examining the initial impact of this transition yet, investigations to determine the problems in tertiary Physical Education were barely sufficient. Hence, this research was conducted to probe the challenges of generation Z Students in the delivery of tertiary Physical Education in one of the leading state universities in the Philippines using a qualitative phenomenology research design. A total of 110 research participants were involved in focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and extensive field observations. Five (5) significant concerns transpired during the triangulation of the results. These were: duplication of activities from senior high school Physical Education, stress due to very high Physical Fitness Test standards, very time-consuming take-home tasks in Physical Education that affect their time for other matters, very high teachers’ expectations, and teachers’ absenteeism. These concerns were, for them, the leading factors that affect their interests and experiences in tertiary Physical Education. The findings served as crucial elements in drawing recommendations to better implement and contextualize the learning experiences for tertiary Physical Education adequate for generation Z Students.