Perceived benefits of physical education in secondary schools : an analysis

Abstract

Perceived Benefits of Physical Education in Secondary Schools: An Analysis Evidence suggests that PE has the potential to make contributions to young people's development in each of the four domains: Physical, Social, Affective and Cognitive. This dissertation investigates the perceived benefits of PE together with the impact it has in providing students with a holistic development. To gather the necessary data, separate face-to-face interviews were conducted with two experts in the field of physical education. Furthermore, to substantiate the experts' analysis, the researchers conducted focus groups with both teachers and students coming from state, church and private schools. Three focus groups for teachers and another three for students, where each participant came from a different school, were held. A qualitative analysis of the data showed that PE has a distinctive role in the acquisition and development of children's movement skills and physical competence. It can be argued that these are necessary, if not deterministic conditions of engagement in lifelong physical activity outside school. In the social domain, there is sufficient evidence to support claims of positive benefits for young people such as leadership, decision-making and an explicit focus on learning processes. In the affective domain, PE has been positively associated with numerous dimensions of psychological and emotional development. Additionally, PE also contributes and expands students' cognitive domain. PE can improve children's concentration and arousal, which might indirectly benefit academic performance. Raising such awareness should attempt to persuade competent authorities and policy makers to value such beneficial experiences that PE can potentially offer. Ultimately, this can