Eligiusz Madejski, associate professor, Dr.Hab.
Grażyna Kosiba, professor, Dr.Hab.
Janusz Jaworski, Dr.Hab.
Academy of Physical Education, Cracow, Poland

Key words: opinions, schoolchildren, physical education classes, primary school.

Introduction. Along with other methods, the goal of physical education in the 1-3 forms of primary school is stimulation of children’s physical development, training of hygienic habits and arousing of their interest in various types of physical activity [14], and steadiness of pro-health habits in later life should be a measure of the efficiency of the process [3]. Physical education classes, at this stage of education called motor activity, are the basic means of meeting the said objectives. In spite of the fact that physical education classes in grades 1-3 of primary school are fundamentally significant for the comprehensive child development [9], they are still strongly based on biotechnical version of physical education, as many early school teachers do not understand thoroughly the essence of modern physical education [10, 13]. It is also worth mentioning that for many learners at this educational stage the participation in physical education classes is the only form of participation in organised physical activity. Therefore, the said lessons should provide children with an opportunity to gather all kinds of experiences [1]. What is worth emphasising is the fact that primary school children from grades 1-3 participate in physical education classes mainly for pleasure, emotional, sport and utilitarian reasons. Therefore, every physical activity should be planned in such a way as to provide children with exhilarating experiences and release positive emotions. As far as the pro-health aspect is concerned, physical education classes in this age group should as frequently as possible be conducted outdoors.

The purpose of the study was to test the opinions of 1-3-formers on the lessons of physical education classes immediately after they were conducted by a teacher.

The research was meant to provide answers to the following detailed questions:

1. How do primary school children from grades 1-3 perceive the physical education classes they participate in?
2. Do the opinions on physical education classes expressed by the examined children differ depending on the gender? 

Materials and methods. The research was conducted in 2005 in 64 groups of learners grades 1-3 in randomly selected primary schools in Krakow, Poland. It covered 256 learners (age 7-9), 128 girls and 128 boys. The method of categorised interview was used to gather the empirical data, as children at this age group could find it difficult to freely report their experiences and reflections on physical education classes. The said interview consists in “asking mostly close questions and always following previously prepared set, i.e. with the obligation to follow the order of the questions as they are listed in the questionnaire and without the possibility of asking additional questions” [11].

“Since in qualitative research the postulate of sample representativeness (which gives opportunities for wide generalisations) as well as reliability (which enables to repeat the research with the use of the same tool) are resigned from – the selection of the examined persons is determined exclusively by the merit-based criteria” [2]. It means that instead of random selection typical of quantitative research researchers usually decide on target selection of the sample. “However, it is always done after thorough screening of the persons qualified for the research” [12]. The basic selection criterion of the interview participants was the level of their motor skills and fitness. Two pairs (two girls and two boys) were selected from each examined grade, who represented “different types of Physical Education lesson participants” [5]. One pair consisted of learners with above average physical skills and fitness. The other pair belonged to a group of learners with low level skills and fitness. This way of sample selection for the interview resulted from the fact that good and weak learners usually express different opinions on physical education classes [6].

The interviews were conducted immediately after a physical education class, individually with each selected child, observing the principles that are obliging in standard interviews, where “particular persons answer the questions in nearly identical conditions, as a result the said answers are comparable: they can be calculated and presented in the form of number distributions” [8]. The answers of the interview participants were recorded with the use of a tape recorder, to which the examined gave their consent. When the children were asked questions, it was important that “the questions are not above their mental development, the range of vocabulary and language form” [11]. The questions referred both to the general opinion on the physical education class they participated in and its content. In order to gather reliable data the interview was organised in such a way that the persons who have finished the conversation with the interviewer could not communicate with the participants waiting for the interview. In this way the transfer of information between the examined and the influence of the answers given by the predecessor was eliminated. At the last stage of this part of research the text of the interview was recorded and the obtained data prepared for analysis and interpretation.

The statistical techniques used in the study were as follows:

- For statistical description of qualitative data contingency tables and percentages were used, in one case it was the percentage graph that was used.

- For the analysis of the relation between qualitative data the chi-square statistical significance test was used. However, when both qualitative variables were dichotomous the correlation coefficient phi was used [4, 7].

Considering the accepted coding system of gender (1: girls, 0: boys), the interpretation of the correlation for gender in all the analyses is the following: if positive, girls score better than boys. If negative, girls score worse than boys. This interpretation refers to all the analyses related to gender. One asterisk indicates the statistically significant correlation at the level of p < 0.05, and two ones p < 0.01.

Results and discussion. As graph  shows when research was conducted the lessons most frequently contained motor games (78.1%). The examined primary school learners from grades 1-3 also participated in the lessons including team sport games and gymnastics. Therefore, the children’s statements on physical education classes refer to three kinds of class, with visible majority of motor games. It is worth noticing at this point that the domination of this kind of activity at this stage of education is natural.  

Graph. Kinds of physical education classes run when research was conducted (%)

 The research results presented in table 1 showed that the vast majority of children (97.6%) were satisfied with the physical education classes in which they participated. As it turned out girls more often than boys enjoyed the lessons. None of the girls, contrary to boys, declared negative opinions on a physical education class. The research revealed statistically significant gender differences.

Table 1. The answers given by the examined children to the following question: Did you like the physical education class you participated in?

Statistical significance analysis:                                       

chi2 = 6,02; p = 0,049

On the basis of the data presented in table 2 it can be stated that only every fifth child was not able to define what they liked most in a physical education class. However, most children who answered the question: What did you like in the physical education class most? were able to give a precise answer. The children enjoyed team games and all kinds of exercises most. The lack of decisive answer was more characteristic of girls than boys. This relation is statistically significant at the level p < 0.01. The boys more often than girls enjoyed team games. In this case the differences between girls and boys are statistically significant at the level p < 0.05.

Table 2. The answers given by the examined children to the following question: What did you like most in the physical education class?

 *: p < 0,05

**: p < 0,01

On the other hand, the following question that was asked to the examined children: What didn’t you like in the physical education class?, was answered by as many as 68.7% of them I don’t know. This answer was given more frequently by girls than boys and the difference turned out to be statistically significant. Nearly 8% of the children who participated in the lesson were dissatisfied with the lack of discipline and violation of fair play principles by peers during motor tasks. It appears that it is connected with the negative opinion of more than 10% of the examined children on the competition used in physical education classes. The boys more frequently than girls expressed their dissatisfaction with the participation in competition. The relations are statistically significant at the level p < 0.01. Considering all the examined, only the girls (c. 5%) did not enjoy exercises with balls. In this category of answer statistically significant gender differences were found at the level p < 0.05.

Table 3. The answers given by the examined children to the following question: What didn’t you like in the physical education class?

*: p < 0,05

**: p < 0,01

The results included in table 4 show that the majority of children (88.3%) always willingly participate in physical education classes. However, nearly one child in ten participates unwillingly. The reasons why this group of children unwillingly participate in exercises are numerous, e.g. individual unwillingness of a child to do exercises, failure in meeting children’s expectations in terms of their motor activity, poor organisation of the lesson, unattractive exercises, etc. The research has shown that it is the girls who participate in physical education class more willingly than boys. However, there were no statistically significant gender differences in the willingness to participate in the lesson.   

Table 4. The answers given by the examined children to the following question: Do you always willingly participate in a physical education class?

Analysis of statistical significance:

chi² = 2,59; p = 0,274

The research results (tab. 5) obtained in the categorised interview have shown that children from lower grades most willingly want to play various team games (46.1%), play various motor games (28.1%) and do all kinds of exercises (20.3%) during physical education classes. Girls more frequently than boys would like to do all kinds of exercises and compete. On the other hand, boys in comparison to girls more often would like to play various team games. The gender relations analysed above are statistically significant.

Table 5. The answers given by the examined children to the following question: What would you like to do most willingly in a physical education class?

*: p < 0,05

**: p < 0,01

Note: Percentage values do not add up to 100 as the examined could give many suggestions

Conclusions. The research results above all constitute an important source of information for the teachers who teach physical education to primary school children in grades 1-3. As the research has shown early school children willingly participate in physical education classes. Only one child in ten participates unwillingly. The said attitude results among others from the conditions of ontogenesis, as children at this stage of development possess an internal need for motor activity, which in literature is called “ hunger of motor activity”. However, it does not allow teachers to resign from attractive and creative lessons.

While planning physical education classes in grades 1-3 of primary school the teachers can also consider children’s expectations, which research confirmed. Boys are mainly interested in team sport games, whereas girls in all kinds of motor games. Boys also more frequently than girls expressed their dissatisfaction with competition during motor activities. Probably when teachers were running the fragments of lessons that involved competition they did not ensure that children observe the established principles, which resulted in the dissatisfaction of some learners. Therefore, teachers should pay particular attention to these moments of working with a child when emotions, in this case connected with competition, hinder or completely exclude performing the task in the correct and honest way.

On the basis of the research it was found that girls more frequently than boys want to compete with peers during physical education classes. Among all the examined children only the girls did not like exercises with balls. Maybe the exercises with this tool offered by the teachers were not attractive enough or too difficult for this group of girls.

On the basis of research results the following conclusions have been formulated:

1. In accordance with the data obtained in the interview physical education classes attract considerable interest among primary school children from grades 1-3.
2. The examined children hold clearly specified opinions on physical education classes and their participation in them. They know how to express critical opinions as well. Therefore, it is recommended that the teachers who run motor activities in grades 1-3 of primary school should be more engaged in the preparation of the said lessons beginning with the stage of planning.
3. The opinions on physical education classes expressed by the examined children in many cases differed depending on the gender. Therefore, this factor should be considered in the process of designing motor activities.

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