The attitude of 13-14 year old children towards physical education and sports participation and the effects of such participation on academic performance

Abstract

Physical Education has had different aims and objectives throughout history, but today's knowledge about the health benefits derived from physical activity has promoted the idea that Physical Education should be the inducing of children to adopt a physically active lifestyle which they can maintain throughout adolescence and adult life. However, although the analysis of the data collected in this study has showed a general positive attitude towards Physical Education by Form 3 children, it has also revealed that, approximately, only half of the same children participate in a sport or any other physical activity after school. One major concern which is often voiced by parents and which is a possible reason for such a low percentage of physically active children is the belief that physical activity is not compatible with academic performance, but in fact this study found no statistical evidence that participants and non-participants in physical activity achieve differently in academic performance.