Title: Decline in enjoyment of physical education among culturally and linguistically diverse youth

Authors: Dean A. Dudley; Anthony D. Okely; Philip Pearson; Peter Caputi; Wayne G. Cotton

Addresses: School of Human Movement Studies, Faculty of Education, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Ave, Bathurst NSW, 2795, Australia ' Interdisciplinary Educational Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong NSW, 2522, Australia ' Interdisciplinary Educational Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong NSW, 2522, Australia ' Interdisciplinary Educational Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong NSW, 2522, Australia ' Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW, 2006, Australia

Abstract: Enjoyment of physical education (PE) is frequently cited as a legitimate outcome in many PE curricula in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations (Dudley et al., 2011). The purpose of this study was to examine how student enjoyment of PE changed during the first two years of secondary schooling in Australia. Participants were 586 students enrolled in six culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) secondary schools (2 x co-educational, 2 x all girls' and 2 x all boys'). A prospective cohort design was used with data collected using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PE version) (PACES PE). There was a small (MD = −1.8, d = −0.30) but significant (p < .001) decline in overall enjoyment of PE between Grade 7 and Grade 8. The decline in enjoyment of PE was greatest among girls (regardless of school-type) and having to change uniforms had the largest negative effect (d = −0.42) of that decline. Peer relationships had the largest negative effect (d = −0.40) on boys enjoyment of PE. It is recommended that schools examine PE uniform policies and increasing teacher and peer support strategies in PE to maintain enjoyment during middle/high school.

Keywords: middle schools; school policy; adolescents; fun; school sports; physical education; PE enjoyment; educational enjoyment; pupil enjoyment; student enjoyment; secondary education; Australia; uniform policies; uniform changing; peer relationships; teacher support; peer support; gender; school uniforms.

DOI: 10.1504/IJQRE.2013.058308

International Journal of Quantitative Research in Education, 2013 Vol.1 No.4, pp.408 - 425

Received: 25 Jan 2013
Accepted: 18 Jun 2013

Published online: 29 Apr 2014 *

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