Marcie Paglione Lauren Purvis Mel Nikocevic KINES 469W Current Issue Paper 9/23/13

A current issue in Physical Education today is the steady decline of female participation. Due to many factors such as social and environmental issues, females have been less likely to partake in physical activity and physical education classes. These influences play more of a role than the actual physical competency of females in schools. Adolescents value their social status more than their participation in physical activity and as a result their fitness and health has decreased. Through expert findings and our own research, we can find ways to make changes in physical education instruction and curriculum to increase participation and combat this issue. Female participation is a major issue in physical education due to a variety of factors. Many females in the middle school through high school age range value how well they fit in socially rather than how physically active they are. Those who are physically active are so because their social circle was created through a sports team, dance team, or some other form of physical activity that bonds them together. Those who are not a part of these teams do not find a social appeal in physical activity and therefore their participation rates in physical education classes decline. Stereotypes and social norms drive female activity and often push girls to explore the facets of femininity rather than sports and fitness. These norms lead females to believe that physical activity should not be their priority and often cause them to feel judged. Females often struggle to find the balance between being too physically active or too physically inactive due to body

image issues. A female that is too active may fall into a masculine stereotype that girls often want to avoid. This causes females to lead more physically inactive lives and often sit out of physical education classes. Experts have found that the old school physical education teaching style focused on sports and fitness testing has led to the decrease in female participation. This type of teaching that focused more on the product would only analyze student outcome rather than the process of achieving the goal. This led females to feel unsuccessful and as if their skills were on display. This could lead to judgement and ridicule which causes anxiety, stress, and a decrease in participation. The sport and fitness focus also does not appeal to females as participants often appear sweaty and disheveled after physical activity (Bailey, R., et al., 5). This, along with the stress of having to achieve a certain level of fitness, turns females away from physical education classes. Evidence has shown that physical education curriculums that often a variety of activities that focus on individual participation and achievement have a more invested female population of participants (Pate, R., et al., 1583). The individualized nature of these activities intrinsically motivates female students and helps them to value physical activity as a lifelong process. This is why it is important for teachers to differentiate instruction in order to cater to every students needs while ensuring their opportunities for success. Throughout our education and additional research we have come to our own conclusions about female participation in PE classes. We believe the decrease in participation stems from various factors such as family and role model influences, social aspects, environmental access, culture and the types of physical activity offered (U.S Teens). It has been proven that people whose families are more active often lead more

active lives themselves. Family influence can also play a negative role as fathers are often more active than mothers and girls are pushed towards more feminine activities rather than fitness related sports or behaviors. Males often look up to other males such as famous athletes to be their role models while females look up to older siblings or parents as influences for their level of activity. Similarly, females are highly influenced by their peers and often choose to participate in activities that their friends are involved in. They also tend to shy away from physical activity because it is seen as a more masculine behavior. Those who are initially interested in physical activity can be overwhelmed by the extreme competitiveness of sports today. Another factor to deal with is environmental access. Physical activity outside of school is based on the various geographical settings of students. Those who live in urban areas or rural areas have different physical activity opportunities available to them. For instance, a child growing up in an inner city may have limited access to equipment and open areas to play outside of school. We agree with the experts findings and believe that the quality of physical education depends on the quality of the teachers and the curriculum. The emphasis should be placed on a holistic approach of teaching to ensure that students are challenged physically and mentally and develop a sense of self-actualization and social responsibility. We also agree that a variety of activities should be offered in order to provide many opportunities of success for students. Through an individualized style of teaching and a varied curriculum, physical educators should focus on developing students as lifelong participants in physical activity. Overall in order to combat the issue of lack of female participation in physical education and activity it is important to reach females before social pressures influence

their decisions. The goal of a comprehensive physical education program is to develop every individual to be competent, physically active, and responsible for their own abilities to make healthy choices and advocate for the benefits of active lifestyles. Maintaining participation throughout adolescence is critical as it has proven to be linked to students being regular participants in physical activity as adults, therefore it is vital that physical education teachers truly get an understanding of each of their student's personalities so that they can influence each one as much as possible (Eime, R., et al., 158). Once this goal is reached, then female participation should begin to increase and a new social trend can begin to flourish.

Works Cited Bailey, R., Wellard, I., & Dismore, H. (2001). Girls Participation In Physical Activities And Sports: Benefits, Patterns, Influences And Ways Forward. World Health Organization, 1-30. Retrieved from <http://www.icsspe.org/sites/default/files/Girls.pdf>. Eime, R., Harvey J., Sawyer N., Craike, M., Symons C., Polman, R. & Warren, P. (2013). Understanding the Contexts of Adolescent Female Participation in Sport and Physical Activity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 84:2, 157-166. Retrieved from <http://www.tandfonline.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/doi/pdf/10.1080/02701367.2013. 784846> Pate, R. R., D. S. Ward, R. P. Saunders, G. Felton, R. K. Dishman, and M. Dowda. "Promotion of Physical Activity Among High-School Girls: A Randomized Controlled Trial." American Journal of Public Health 95.9 (2005): 1582587.Nation Center for Biotechnology Information. Sept. 2005. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449401/>. U.S. Teens in Our World: Understanding the Health of U.S. Youth in Comparison to Youth in Other Countries. (2003). Retrieved 2003, from <http://mchb.hrsa.gov/mchirc/_pubs/us_teens/main_pages/ch_2.htm>.