The main aim of this dissertation was to examine the status of Physical Education for senior primary girls in KwaZulu-Natal. Two sets of questionnaires were used to acquire information from Physical Education teachers and management staff involved in supervision of Physical Education at primary schools. The data obtained were then analysed. • To determine the degree of constructive guidance given in the teaching of senior primary Physical Education by school management • To determine whether physical educators are suitably qualified • To determine whether Physical Education forms part of the core curriculum at school • To make a historical comparative study of the development of Physical Education in primary schools and in KwaZulu-Natal in particular • To determine whether schools have the necessary resources needed in order to teach Physical Education • To make recommendations for the improvement of teaching Physical Education in the senior primary phase in the primary schools of KwaZulu-Natal The main findings of this study were as follows: • Presently there are only 28% of Physical Education specialists teaching Physical Education • The majority (60%) of the educators teaching Physical Education to senior primary learners is males • That about 36% of the educators do not actually teach Physical Education during the Physical Education lesson • An overwhelming majority (100%) of Physical Education educators indicated that they were not supervised in the last 36 months. Some go far back as seven to ten years • A little more than half (58%) of the schools had specialists in school- but they were classroom-based educators. Several recommendations are made out of these findings ranging from making Physical Education part of the core curriculum, ensuring Physical Education is taught by a specialist educator, providing facilities and equipment, supervising of Physical Education and the role of the Physical Education subject advisors. It is expected that such recommendations, if implemented, would contribute towards the elimination of problems that face Physical Education specialists and in improving the status quo of 'Physical Education. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

The primary purpose of this study was the development of a model graduate program leading to a master's degree in physical education which could be used in Thailand and provide suitable guidelines for Thai colleges and universities interested in establishing such a program. A secondary purpose was to develop a systematic approach for student admission and a retention plan which would be compatible with the current trends and administration of higher education in Thailand. Following a review of the literature that included the history of general education, higher education, and physical education in Thailand as well as graduate study in physical education in the United States, a research instrument was devised to elicit responses from chairpersons of physical education departments in 156 U.S. institutions of higher learning and from a professional panel of five physical educators in Thailand concerning four aspects of master's degree programs in physical education: patterns and organization, curricular concepts, admission and retention requirements, and core course requirements. The return rate for the chairpersons surveyed in the United States was 85 per cent. The responses received from the U.S. and Thai professionals revealed a consensus between the two groups with regard to a number of the items in all four of the topic areas covered by the questionnaire. Based upon the survey results, guidelines were suggested for a model master's degree program in physical education in Thai colleges and universities. In addition, recommendations for further research were made, notably a review of master's programs in physical education in other countries which could provide valuable information for further modification of the model and systematic evaluation of the model program as implemented within a university setting.

Physical inactivity and resultant chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDLs) are becoming a global epidemic as secular modernization and the sedentary lifestyles it brings with it become universal. The importance of physical activity (PA) in reducing morbidity and mortality from CDLs and related conditions has been well established. Since it is generally significant that the onset of many CDLs lies in childhood through to adolescence, preventative strategies should start as early in life as possible. Currently, university students are failing to engage in the levels of PA recommended for better health outcomes over the short and long term. To make matters worse, there is increasing evidence of a decrease in PA during the transitional phase from adolescence to adulthood. This study aimed to determine the physical activity (PA) levels, sedentary behaviour and health-related fitness (HRF) characteristics of female university students. In addition, the participants‘ perceived barriers to PA were investigated. The study was exploratory-descriptive and employed a quantitative research design. Five hundred and thirty-one full-time female students, between the ages of 18 and 46, studying at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University‘s (NMMU) South, North, Second Avenue and Missionvale campuses participated in the study. The participants (n=531) completed an online survey which determined their PA levels, sedentary behaviours and perceived barriers to PA participation. A health-related fitness (HRF) assessment was also administered to 68 participants who completed the online survey. Their height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences were measured, as well as their cardiovascular fitness (CF). The majority (88 percent) of the participants reported low and minimal levels of PA, and 44 percent were either overweight or obese. The participants had a low-risk waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (M=0.70). The majority of the population (94 percent) had poor cardiovascular fitness (CF). A high prevalence of sitting time was recorded among the participants: on average 855 minutes (14 hours) on a usual weekday and 720 minutes (12 hours) on a usual weekend day. Students reported the greatest length of sitting time at work/attending lectures/studying. Cross tabulations and Chi2 tests indicated no significant relationships among PA and HRF (BMI, WHR and CF) and sedentary behaviour and HRF. The ANOVA and t-test results for PA, sedentary behaviour and HRF related to various demographic variables, found small (0.19 < d < 0.50) and medium (0.49 < d < 0.80) significant differences by race (d=0.43; d=0.52), home language (d=0.41; d=0.44) and living arrangement (d=0.38; d=0.28). No significant relationship was found to exist between age, year of study and faculty of registration and sedentary behaviour or HRF. The participants listed: Not enough time; too expensive to exercise; and, no friends who can exercise with me as the most important barriers to participation in PA. Academic obligations (3.08 mean) was found to be the most important barrier to PA.

The specialist responsible for providing prescribed exercise as a form of medicine to the South African population is the biokineticist. Biokinetics is a relatively new profession developed in response to empirical research supporting exercise as medicine. Although the role of the biokineticist is clearly defined by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), there is still confusion concerning this profession and its services. At present, the dominant medicalscientific and capitalist-economic discourses offer a narrowly mechanistic and instrumental understanding of the human body and its treatment, which contributes to this confusion. This dissertation proposes a new point of departure, enriched by historical and philosophical understandings of the human body, from which the biokineticist can begin to redefine him/herself. The study aims to shift biokinetics as a practice away from the reductionist and dehumanising influences of instrumentalist, scientific and neoliberal capitalist-economic discourses, and to restore to biokineticists, and their clients, the ability they need to interact as relatively autonomous individuals. The study draws on the ideas of Michel Foucault, specifically on his notions for ‘discipline’, ‘docility’, and ‘the care of the self’ (1991; 2005), as well as Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari and their ideas of ‘becoming’ and ‘rhizomatic thinking’ (1983; 1987); ultimately presenting a philosophically enriched, holistic representation of the human body. From here recommendations for best practice in contemporary biokinetics are suggested that encourage interactions and connections between the professional and his/her patients, which move beyond the mere physiological interpretations currently dominating health discourse.

This study was undertaken to determine the status of the physical education programme, personnel, facilities, equipment and supplies in the parochial schools of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and to make recommendations for a more effective programme based on criteria derived from the British Columbia Administrative Bulletin for Elementary Schools, 1958, and from existing facilities, equipment and supplies. An attempt was made to answer the following six questions in order to gather the data needed to solve the problem. 1. How much time is allotted to the instructional programme each week? 2. Professionally speaking, how well prepared are the teachers of the instructional programme? 3. What activities and testing and measuring techniques are presented in the instructional programme? 4. What type of recreational programme is offered? 5. What facilities do the schools have? What types of equipment and supplies are used in the instructional programme? 6. What are the school policies regarding medical examinations and participation in the instructional programme? The data were collected by personal visits by the writer to thirty-eight parochial schools which represented the total number of schools in the Archdiocese. None of the schools went higher than grade eight and most finished at grade seven. Interviews were held with thirty-five principals and eighteen physical education teachers. For purpose of analysis, schools were classified according to enrollment and geographic area and the information was assembled into tables. One school allotted 100 minutes or more per week for a physical education programme as suggested by the Administrative Bulletin. The majority of teachers of physical education were classroom teachers. None had a degree but the majority had taken an undergrad physical education course. One third of the outside specialists had a physical education degree. A wide range of activities was included in the programmes of the schools and testing was done in a few schools. Approximately three-quarters of the schools offered intramural and interscholastic programmes. Softball, volleyball, basketball and track and field appeared with the greatest frequency in these programmes. More than one-half of the schools had gymnasiums although less than twenty-five per cent had dressing rooms. Indoor and outdoor facilities and equipment were inadequate. The majority of schools gave medical examinations once during the pupils' school years. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Occupational fitness programs have enjoyed enormous popularity over the course of the past decade. Their continuing penetration into all sectors of the business community coupled with the rapid growth of organizations serving professional fitness personnel, suggests that their presence may be permanent. A major reason for the popularity of occupational fitness programs, is the claim that fitness programs can reduce employee absenteeism. Two important issues at this time are: (1) the role of physical fitness in mediating sickness absence behavior, and, (2) the role of participation in occupational fitness programs as a way of enhancing worker attendance motivation. These issues fit in well with the Steers & Rhodes (1978) Process Model, a conceptual framework which deals with employee absenteeism from the standpoints of ability to attend (ie. high fitness) and motivation to attend (ie. high morale). The Steers & Rhodes theoretical model was chosen as an appropriate vehicle to guide this study. Part I reviewed the claim that physical fitness as a physiological state, is inversely related to sickness absence among employees. The literature review suggested that fit employees would miss fewer days from work than unfit employees. The prediction that physical fitness and sickness absence will be inversely related, formed the core of the hypotheses generated in Part I. In addition, hypotheses were also developed concerning the possible effects of gender, age, length of service and company affiliation. Correlational analyses were performed on several physiological and absence variables obtained from a sample of employees from the years 1979 through 1984. Modest but significant inverse correlations were found to exist between MVO₂ and a number of different absence measures. The magnitude of these correlations disappeared in some cases when the groups were controlled for gender. Significant correlations were also found between variables such as length of service and absence or age and absence. Absence patterns for males and females and management and classified employees also showed significant group differences. These results point to the need to consider these personal and socio cultural variables when attempting to describe any relationships between occupational fitness and absenteeism. Part II chose the Steers & Rhodes concept of motivation to attend. Based on the review of literature, it was expected that participants in the company fitness program would report positive changes in a number of attitudinal and personal variables. A simple questionnaire was developed to assess this change, and the entire population of a very large (n=1076) corporate fitness program was polled. Respondents in the main, indicated a significant improvement in their personal perception of a number of different attitudinal variables. The magnitude of this improvement was significantly related to the length of time they have been members of the program and their degree of participation in the program / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Using a qualitative case study approach, the purpose of the study was to explore the nature of the practical knowledge about teaching constructed by physical education preservice teachers during their practicum experience, that is, to gain insights into the 'sense making' process in which preservice teachers engage as they learn to teach during this experience. In addition, the study examined the factors which enhance or constrain this constructive process. The data analysis was guided by two research questions: What is the nature of the practical knowledge about teaching constructed by physical education preservice teachers during their practicum experience?; and what factors influence (enhance or constrain) the development of this knowledge during the practicum experience? The study was situated within the everyday experiences of four physical education preservice teachers as they completed an extended (thirteen week) practicum in secondary school settings. The methods used to collect data were those associated with qualitative case studies. They included lesson observations, in-depth interviewing, video and stimulated recall sessions of lessons taught by the participants, and journal writing. Separate cases have been written for each of the four participants, while the final chapter discusses the substantive issues that have arisen from the study. There were a number of conclusions that emerged from the study. With regards to the nature of practical knowledge constructed by preservice teachers the findings include its thematic development, the dynamic transformation of 'knowing that' into 'knowing how', how practical knowledge was evident but rarely heard in the practice of preservice teachers, and the role of each participant's image of himself or herself as a physical educator. A number of factors were identified that enhanced or constrained this process. These factors include prior coaching experiences, the role of sponsor teachers, the impact of university faculty advisors, video and stimulated recall sessions, and the teaching of a second subject by each participant. The study concludes by outlining a number of implications for teacher education. First, it suggests that during their teacher education program preservice teachers need to be taught how to learn from experience and that sponsor teachers have a key role to play in this process. Second, that biography has a significant impact in directing what and how preservice teachers learn about teaching during a practicum and that preservice teachers must be encouraged to examine and look beyond their own experiences when learning how to teach. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study is not only to show the need of a comprehensive physical education program but to submit a proposed plan to fulfill the need and correlating this plan of improvement with the traditional subject-matter type of school curriculum.

An analytical study was made concerning conditioning programs conducted by coaches of Conference AA and Conference AAA Texas senior high school girls' basketball teams which progressed to district championships in University Interscholastic League competition during the 1957-1958 season.

No description available.