Middle School Students' Attitudes Toward a Physical Education Program

The purpose of this study was to examine middle school students' attitude toward a physical education program and to determine the various aspects of the program that appear to contribute to positive and negative attitudes towards middle school physical education. Students (N=348) from one middle school located in a mid-Atlantic state completed a survey regarding their attitudes toward physical education. All responses were categorized using a critical incident technique. Results indicate that positive attitudes towards physical education decline between grades six and eight. This trend was more apparent for females than for males. Major categories associated with positive and negative attitudes towards physical education include curriculum content, class atmosphere, teacher behavior, dressing out, and self-perception.