Participation in

Physical Education
Table of contents
The Problem
Why is this a concern
Factors contributing to the
problem
Warning signs
Understanding the adolescent
mind
Adapting Curriculum
Creating a comfortable
atmosphere
Resources
Useful Links for P.E. Teachers

The Problem

back to top

Some adolescent students do not participate or fully engage themselves in high

school physical education classes. Some students dislike or even dread going to
PE. (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5336a5.htm) //explanation of chart

Why is this a Concern

back to top

Lack of participation in prepared activities prevents full accomplishment in

Illinois state goals for physical education and fitness.
(http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/pdh/standards.htm)

According to Jay Giedd a popular hypothesis in neuroscience states that

unpleasant experiences may act as a deterrent to similar experiences. Due to
brain pruning, an adolescent can have a poor PE experience that would result
in lost synaptic connectivity related with doing other physical activities.
(FRONTLINE interview with Jay Giedd)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/interviews/giedd.html

Physical inactivity greatly increases

risk for obesity, cancer, diabetes,
hypertension, and chronic heart
disease. (Hoeger)(click below to see more)
http://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/oehp/hp/card/pafacts.htm

Almost half of all people between 12

and 21 years of age are not vigorously
active on a regular basis. (Hoeger, p5)
(awesome report on physical activity and health concerns)
http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/physicalactivity/index.shtml

Childhood obesity is a growing

epidemic that is nationwide and
affecting all races, ethnicities, and
sexes.
Since adolescents hold such high importance about how they look to others,
physical education and activity puts the students at a high risk for being teased.
Negative environments decrease brain growth, health, and mental development.
(Santrock, p81)

Factors that Contribute to the Problem

back to top

Puberty (Santrock, Chapter 3)

- Students are at different stages of
puberty.
- While taking showers after class a
student may be embarrassed of his or
her bodily changes and appearances.
- Raised hormone levels (about 18 fold
in boys and about 2 fold in girls),
athletic attire that exposes skin, and
opportunity for physical
proximity/contact with opposite
gender may heighten sexual
distractions or tensions.

Growth spurts can temporarily decrease coordination and balance. The

altered physical performance can effect the psyche of an adolescent.

Females often become more dissatisfied with their bodies due to

increased body fat and hip growth. Males tend to become more satisfied
due to muscle mass increases.

Students may not like getting sweaty or being exhausted the rest of the school
day.
Religious beliefs and customs may interfere. A student might wear full khimar
or hijab (full body covering with head scarf). On a windy day, outside activity
can greatly prohibit performance if the students vision and movement is
affected by the dress. A dress code of shorts and a short sleeve T-shirt may be
demanding the student to ignore their beliefs. Talk to the principle, student, and
parents to see what accommodations may be made. Possibilities are:
- Plan multiple activities where the girls swim while the boys are in the
field. Then switch.
- See if there may be alternate clothing that covers up the person (or
satisfies their belief practice) but allows free movement.
- Use activities that use the same muscle movement and skill development
that the clothing (or the conflicting practice) will not prohibit.

 Students may come from other backgrounds where a particular sport is not
experienced in their culture. The student may be standing around not because
they do not want to participate, but because they do not know what to do.
Students judge and tease other students largely by
appearance at the adolescent age.
Society and technology has influenced lifestyles to be:
- less physically demanding
- over scheduled, promoting fast food and other
quick time saving diet habits
- over efficient, where quality is sacrificed for the
amount of the product. (ex: food industry tries to
increase yield at the expense of nutritional quality)
- more comfortable, where physical excursion and hard work are
considered to be negative or undesired experiences.
Overweight children may not have the ability or endurance to fully participate
in a PE class. Students can easily become discouraged because certain motor
skills are more demanding when overweight.

Warning Signs

back to top

Students with their heads down.

Hallway talk of dreading PE class.
Students hiding in remote areas during activity.
Spending a lot of time looking at themselves in the mirror before leaving the
locker room.
Avoiding interaction.
Performing below their potential (working 50% instead of their hardest)
Negative language and attitudes
Lack of enthusiasm
Repeated absences excused or unexcused (students may often try to schedule
doctor appointments, make up tests, or other events at the same time as PE
class)
Other social cues of unhappiness.

Understanding the Adolescent Mind

back to top

Adolescents do not think like adults. When instructing and creating lesson
plans try to think like an adolescent and predict possible reactions.
Adolescent brain activity, is more pronounced in the amygdala than in the
frontal lobe.
-The amygdala is involved in processing information about emotion.
-The frontal lobes are involved in higher-level reasoning and thinking.
-Adolescents tend to respond with gut reactions to emotional stimuli while
adults are more likely to respond in rational, reasoned ways. (Santrock,
p80)
Because frontal lobes are not fully developed it is suspected that adolescents do
not think about consequence to their actions. Try not to say or think, How
could you do something like that?! I do not believe you! This does not mean
that students have a right misbehave. Just understand where they are coming
from.
Up to age 11 or 13 gray matter (the thinking part of the brain) overproduces
synaptic connections.
-During adolescence a pruning process starts.
-The connections that are not used are
destroyed by the brain for efficiency.
-Bad experiences in P.E. may cause a student
to avoid physical activity, neglecting to
stimulate the connections related to being
active.
-It could be very difficult for that student to
get involved in vigorous exercise later in life.
-However, this is only a popular hypothesis
that has numerous skeptics. (FRONTLINE)
Adolescents spend a lot of their time thinking
about how they look especially when around their
peers. The last thing they want to do is to look foolish.

Adapting Curriculum

back to top

Modify activity to create a level playing field. For example, having more
skilled students use their non dominant side when participating. Make the
student understand what it is like to be a beginner again. Often times you see
skilled students tease less skilled students by saying, I can not believe you can
not do this. It is soooo easy. Have the student critique him or herself with
their off-hand and why they cannot perform as well. (Karen Hand)
Try to incorporate activities that do not promote winners and losers. Formulate
curriculum that has all students working towards the same goal or outcome.
They will naturally try and help each other out.
Make use of stations, where small groups concentrate on one motor activity in a
non traditional way. (see link for some suggestions)
http://canadaonline.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=canadaonline&zu=http
%3A%2F%2Fwww.pelinks4u.org%2Farticles%2Fmisc%2Ffieldday1.htm

If students are uncomfortable taking showers, allow them to bring sponges or

washcloths to clean themselves without having to expose their private areas.
Mix different skill levels when making teams. Never let the students choose the
teams. The teacher should know well in advance what activities are scheduled
and how the students will be split up fairly.
Incorporate drills that work on motor skills and muscle control that will aid with
the sport or unit plan. For example, having a student stand with their back
towards the wall with a towel in their active hand. Have them snap the towel
upwards to their dominant side as if they were trying to whip the buttocks of a
fly 3 feet above and 3 feet to the dominant side of their head. There is no
competition involved and is unlikely to provide any opportunity for teasing.
(This would be a drill for a proper backhand strike in badminton) (Karen Hand)

Creating a Comfortable Atmosphere back to top

A teacher should be approachable. If a student has a concern they should not be
intimidated to bring the concern to the
teacher. The teacher should let all students
know when and how they can contact
him/her.
When speaking to a student, focus all
attention on them. They should feel
important and that what they have to say
means something to the teacher and the
class.
Give positive feedback while observing activity.
Check for understanding by asking questions or pick students to try and
demonstrate what you were explaining.
You should be able to do any activity or skill you have your students do. Many
times students learn by observation and a correct demonstration can go a long
way in development.
Give special attention to those who are struggling and adjust their activity. If
the student does not understand with one drill, try another. Not everyone learns
the same way.
Have the students set S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and
tangible) goals for themselves so they compare their improvements, not their
performance compared to others.
What has worked or succeeded with one group of students might not work with
another. Again, adapt instruction to the student.
Make learning fun. Try to promote laughter and take some of the pressure off
of the students.

Resources back to top

Spinks, S. (March 9, 2000). Nature, Volume 404. Adolescent Inside the Teenage Brain.
FRONTLINE. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/
Comments: Excellent source for both teachers and learners. Learn about how the average
adolescent brain works and develops. This information is a good foundation to understanding
behavior.

Hoeger, Werner W.K. Hoeger, Sharon. Principles and Labs for Fitness and Wellness.
Thomson Learning, Inc. 2006
Comments: A superb health book. It gives you information about current trends in poor
nutrition and health. The strength of this book is the lab work. You can assess your current
health and habits and the book tells and shows you how to live a healthy lifestyle. I recommend
this book to everyone.

Santrock, John W. Adolescence. Chapter 3 Puberty and Biological Foundations. McGrawHill Companies, Inc. 2007.
Comments: This is a useful book when learning about adolescents. Chapter three was most
useful for the Physical Education topic, however, the book gets involved in many adolescent
issues. Anyone who teaches should at least look at this book.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. September 17, 2004 / 53(36);844-847.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5336a5.htm
Comments: This site is a study about participation in gym class.

Observations from Karen Hand. KNPE instructor at Northern Illinois University.

Observations from my own experiences with coaches, teachers, and sports.

Useful Websites back to top

http://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/oehp/hp/card/consequ.htm
/* Consequences of physical inactivity, defining physical education programs, facts about
physical activity */
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/ataglan.htm
/* General Surgeons report summery of health and physical fitness. Several other links can be
branched from this site about health facts and a more detailed look at activity. */
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/lesson-plans/pe/index.htm
/* Wonderful site for teachers. Great resources and links for lesson plans, activities, and
classroom suggestions. There is a link to http://www.pecentral.org/. Very useful for P.E.
teachers. */