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DOI: 10.4025/jphyseduc.v34i1.3419
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
Original Article
FAMILIES' VIEWS ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY
A VISÃO DAS FAMÍLIAS SOBRE A EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA: UM ESTUDO DESCRITIVO
José María López-Díaz1, José David Carnicero Pérez1, and Nerea Felgueras Custodio1
1King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
RESUMO
É evidente que a educação física é considerada uma disciplina obrigatória e como tal deve ser rotulada como uma disciplina
importante, mas esta perspectiva nem sempre é partilhada pela comunidade educativa. O objectivo deste estudo era explorar
a percepção das famílias com crianças matriculadas no ensino obrigatório sobre o tema da educação física. Para o efeito, foi
administrado um questionário ad hoc, constituído por 15 perguntas, duas das quais de natureza sócio-demográfica e as
restantes respostas eram do tipo Likert-. O estudo é um estudo não-experimental, descritivo, de corte transversal. A amostra
do estudo consistiu num total de 120 respondentes (M=40,28 anos; SD=6,95). Os participantes foram seleccionados através
de amostragem sem fins lucrativos. Os resultados mostraram uma falta de conhecimento sobre o tema da educação física, o
que implica que existem opiniões diversas sobre o funcionamento e o objectivo proposto para este tema. No entanto, a
educação física deve ser vista como um assunto essencial para o desenvolvimento integral do estudante.
Palavras-chave: Educação física. Desporto. Educação. Família. Escola.
ABSTRACT
It is clear that physical education is considered a compulsory subject and as such should be la-belled as an important subject,
but this perspective is not always shared by the educational community. The aim of this study was to explore the perception
of families with children enrolled in compulsory education about the subject of physical education. To this end, an ad hoc
questionnaire was administered, consisting of 15 questions, two of which were socio-demographic in nature and the rest of
which were Likert-type responses. The study is a non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The study sample
consisted of a total of 120 respondents (M=40.28 years; SD= 6.95). Participants were selected through non-probability
purposive sampling. The results showed a lack of knowledge regarding the subject of physical education which implies that
there are diverse opinions about the functioning and the proposed aim of this subject. However, physical education should
be seen as an essential subject for the integral development of the student.
Keywords: Physical education. Sport. Education, Family. School
Introduction
Physical education can be considered as the set of different physical exercise practices
oriented towards an educational purpose1. For their part, Arévalo et al.2 point out the
following reasons why it is important for children to do physical education on a daily basis:
it helps to achieve adequate development in all motor skills and abilities, to acquire healthy
habits and the ability to make active use of free time, to obtain health and growth benefits
and, furthermore, it helps children to interact and socialise. In this sense, schools can serve
as environments that help to encourage the creation of healthy habits and lifestyles.
Today, society must aspire to achieve an inclusive context in all its facets3.
Educational centres can serve as a fundamental pillar to work on this content, because in this
case, in order to talk about inclusion, it is essential to be able to count on the participation of
all educational agents, including families, teachers and students, this perspective will allow
to reach different contexts and situations. For example, the continuous exchange of
information between the school and the family will make it possible to work on the different
educational needs of students. This, in turn, increases the possibility of establishing a
continuous educational intervention avoiding a possible rupture between families and
schools. In addition, it allows parents to monitor more closely the teaching-learning process
of their children. However, the belief that the educational role of families should come mainly
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J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
from the home is still very present in some cases, although it is true that, increasingly,
families want to be involved in the educational process in the classroom4.
The collaboration between both educational agents, family and school, should be
important because in both cases, the path that should lead to the student's success takes place.
Education begins first in the family and then it is the school that joins this process. Therefore,
it is important that there is continuous communication between family and school. Moreover,
when this happens, students perceive the involvement of families in the school as a
favourable element, as it provides them with the necessary security to work in the academic
and social spheres5.
For their part, various studies indicate that schools that have a successful educational
project are those that have family participation within it6. Furthermore, this participation not
only helps to improve the well-being of schools, but also helps to achieve better learning
outcomes for students7.
When reference is made to the positive relationship that should exist between the
family and the school, it is directed towards the need for mutual knowledge and the
possibility of sharing certain common educational criteria that help the student's development
process. However, it is not always possible to establish a profitable and stable relationship
between both educational agents. This may be due to different reasons. Families may feel
inferior due to the possible academic level they may show, thus influencing the possibility of
participating in the planning and development of tasks and proposals of the centre. Lack of
time is another factor that can affect the participation of families in the centres. The
incorporation into the world of work or the increase in single-parent families prevents a more
detailed attention to the student's academic performance8.
Motivation is another component to be considered within the student's academic
performance. In the subject of physical education, motivation becomes an essential aspect to
understand the various reasons that lead students to make an effort to learn and to achieve
success9.
Moreno and Hellín10 concluded that students were more interested in taking Physical
Education because of its usefulness and health effects. Since its inclusion in the education
curriculum, the subject of Physical Education has been associated with the concept of health,
which should be considered a priority concept11. This relationship has been increasing in
recent times as a consequence of the lifestyle in today's societies. In this sense, action
measures aimed at health promotion and focused on education are proposed12.
As the school is a strategic place that helps to promote healthy activities and spread
participation in physical activities13, this can help students to acquire a series of habits and
customs that will keep them participating in physical activities into adulthood.
Teachers and professionals dedicated to teaching Physical Education must be able to
design and develop tasks that encourage motivation in students in order to improve this
problem. It is at an early age when it is still possible to shape and modify behaviours that
help to generate healthy habits and improve eating habits.
For Santos11, it is necessary for teachers to be aware of and assume the responsibility
of educating for health, training responsible and independent people to take care of their
health. The aim should be to propose tasks that ensure balanced growth and development,
promoting an active life that guarantees participation in physical and sporting activities
outside the school.
Physical education should manifest this desire to promote quality education, support
health-related programmes or increase physical exercise14. At this point, in order to
understand the relationship that can exist between school and family, it is necessary to know
what students and their families think about the meaning and usefulness of the subject of
physical education. The project entitled "physical education for the whole family" tries to
Families´ views on physical education Page 3 of 12
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
bring physical education closer to the current context, refuting the association with the
gymnastics of yesteryear. This proposal aims to bring families closer to the school so that
they get to know and respect the subject of physical education and become involved in it15.
But how do families feel about physical education? If they really believe that physical
activity is of benefit to their children, they should be highly involved in promoting this type
of activity. Studies such as Adarve et al.16 and Burgueño et al.17 show precisely the
importance of family involvement in physical activity. The attitude that parents may show
towards sports practice can influence their children's participation in physical-sport
activities18,19. On the other hand, Cueto-Martín et al.20 also states the need for shared physical
activity between parents and children in order to give it greater importance. This position can
help to understand the importance that physical education can have. The aim of this research
is to find out the opinion and the level of perception that families have of the subject of
physical education in three public schools in a city in the south of the Community of Madrid.
Methods
Design and Participants
The target population for the questionnaire were families with children enrolled in
compulsory education, i.e. primary and secondary education, in three public schools in a city
in the south of the Community of Madrid (Spain), who showed interest in participating and
who had WhatsApp and an Internet connection.
The study is a non-experimental, descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study
sample consisted of a total of 120 people (M=40.28 years; SD= 6.95). The participants were
selected through non-probabilistic purposive sampling. The questionnaire was answered by
50% of fathers and 50% of mothers. Participation was voluntary and the method used ensured
anonymity and confidentiality of the data obtained at all times.
Instruments
The instrument used for this study was an ad hoc questionnaire. The questionnaire
was created using the Google Form application. This allowed a link to be generated so that
those who had an Internet connection could respond. This questionnaire was ad-ministered
via the WhatsApp application to families and different groups of parents with children who
met the above-mentioned profile. The questionnaire had to be answered by one of the
responsible members of the participating family nucleus.
The questionnaire that was administered consisted of 15 questions. The first two
questions were of a socio-demographic nature: questions related to the age and sex of the
family member responding. The remaining 13 questions were oriented towards the level of
knowledge and importance shown by the families towards physical education; the
relationship between the family and the physical education teachers; the opinion held with
respect to the organisation of the subject and the result of motivation with respect to physical
education. The type of response was a Likert-type scale with the possibility of answering
only one option. This tool has a Cronbach's alpha of .855. This questionnaire allowed us to
collect information about the opinion and perception of families regarding the subject of
physical education.
Statistical analysis
The statistical package SPSS version 25 for Windows was used for the analysis of the
results. In order to carry out the research, the normality of the variables was ana-lysed using
the K-S test (Kolmogorov-Smirnov). As a normal distribution was not observed, a bivariate
analysis was carried out with the aim of collecting descriptive data using the cross-table
Page 4 of 12 Diaz et al.
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
system and analysing the results between the different variables.
Results
The results of the questionnaire are described below. It should be noted that most of
the participants are 42 years old (11.7%) and 47 years old (10%) respectively. How-ever, in
order to make a more precise analysis, the age block has been divided into intervals. In this
case, the majority of the participants (25.8%) are in the age range between 41 and 45 years.
This is followed by the age bracket between 46 and 50 years with 20.8%. The lowest
percentage is 5%, representing the block of families above 51 years of age. In addition, half
of the participants are men and half are women, which will allow us to analyse and compare
the perspective that fathers and mothers have on the subject of physical education.
Regarding the level of importance given by families to the subject of physical
education (table 1), 39.17% consider it to be as important as the rest of the subjects. This
figure contrasts with the 45% who consider physical education to be of little or no im-
portance. Moreover, the percentage of fathers (8.33%) who consider physical education to
be the most important subject is slightly higher than that of mothers (7.5%).
Table 1. Level of importance of Physical Education in relation to other subjects
Sex
Age of parent
Total
-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
+51
Not important
F
0
1.67
1.67
2.5
1.67
0
7.51
A little important
0
4.17
1.67
3.33
5
0
14.17
Equally important
2.5
5
3.33
5
4.17
0
20
More important
0.83
0
2.5
1.67
2.5
0.83
8.33
Not important
M
0
1.67
0.83
3.33
1.67
0
7.5
A little important
3.33
2.5
4.17
3.33
0.83
1.67
15.83
Equally important
1.67
2.5
4.17
5.83
4.17
0.83
19.17
More important
1.67
0.83
1.67
0.83
0.83
1.67
7.5
Notes: Result in percentages (%); F= Father; M= Mother
Source: authors
As for the level of knowledge of the content taught in the subject of physical education
(table 2), only 9.15% of the participants admit to knowing all of the content. 44.99% admitted
to knowing a few things about the content of the subject, this being the highest figure, and
15% admitted to knowing nothing at all. Moreover, the percentage of fathers who know all
or part of the content of the subject is higher than that of mothers, 23.34% compared to
16.65%.
Table 2. Level of knowledge of content taught in physical education
Families´ views on physical education Page 5 of 12
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
Sex
Age of parent
Total
-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
+51
I know nothing
F
-
1.67
-
1.67
3.33
0.83
7.5
I know few things
1.67
3.33
4.17
4.17
5.83
-
19.17
I know some things
1.67
5
3.33
4.17
4.17
-
18.34
I know everything
-
0.83
1.67
2.5
-
-
5
I know nothing
M
-
1.67
0.83
3.33
1.67
-
7.5
I know few things
5.83
5
7.5
5.83
0.83
0.83
25.82
I know some things
0.83
-
1.67
3.33
4.17
2.5
12.5
I know everything
-
0.83
0.83
0.83
0.83
0.83
4.15
Notes: Result in percentages (%); F= Father; M= Mother
Source: authors
33.3% responded that grades in physical education were important. In contrast, the
lowest figure was that grades were the most important (12.5%). It is striking that 30.02%
believe that grades are not important. In addition, 7.5% of fathers considered grades in
physical education to be very important, compared to 5% of mothers. Regarding the time
devoted to each of the physical education sessions (table 3), more than half of the respondents
(62.5%) indicated that one hour is enough. In no case, no one answered that physical
education was not necessary or that 30 minutes was enough. On the other hand, there are
more fathers than mothers who consider that sessions should last longer than one hour, 10%
compared to 7.49%.
Table 3. Time needed to dedicate to a physical education session
Sex
Age of parent
Total
-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
+51
It would not be
necessary to do physical
education
F
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
30 minutes
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
45 minutes
-
3.33
2.5
2.5
2.5
0.83
11.66
1 hour
2.5
5
5
6.67
9.17
-
28.34
More than 1 hour
0.83
2.5
1.67
3.33
1.67
-
10
It would not be
necessary to do physical
education
M
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
30 minutes
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
45 minutes
1.67
-
2.5
2.5
0.83
0.83
8.33
1 hour
5
6.67
5.83
8.33
5.83
2.5
34.16
More than 1 hour
-
0.83
2.5
2.5
0.83
0.83
7.49
Notes: Result in percentages (%); F= Father; M= Mother
Source: authors
Regarding the number of days per week that physical education should be available
(table 4), all participants considered it necessary to have physical education. In this case,
37.49% of the participants indicated that three days were sufficient, which was the highest
response. The lowest percentages were those who indicated one day and five days for
physical education, 15.84% and 17.5% respectively. Moreover, with three days being the
most repeated answer, mothers were the most frequent respondents, 19.99% compared to
Page 6 of 12 Diaz et al.
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
17.5% of fathers.
Table 4. Number of days needed for physical education in a week
Sex
Age of parent
Total
-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
+51
It would not be
necessary to do physical
education
F
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1 day
-
1.67
-
1.67
2.5
-
5.84
2 days
1.67
3.33
5
4.17
4.17
-
18.34
3 days
0.83
5
2.5
4.17
5
-
17.5
4 days
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5 days
0.83
0.83
1.67
2.5
1.67
0.83
8.33
It would not be
necessary to do physical
education
M
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1 day
-
2.5
0.83
4.17
1.67
0.83
10
2 days
1.67
1.67
3.33
2.5
0.83
0.83
10.83
3 days
3.33
2.5
5
5.83
2.5
0.83
19.99
4 days
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5 days
1.67
0.83
1.67
0.83
2.5
1.67
9.17
Notes: Result in percentages (%); F= Father; M= Mother
Source: authors
On the other hand, almost all respondents (48.33% agreed and 42.49% strongly
agreed) were in favour of the school offering physical and sports activities outside school
hours in order to increase the number of hours complementary to the subject of physical
education. However, 9.18% disagreed with this proposal. In this position, fathers and mothers
responded very similarly.
Moreover, 36.66% said that the figure of the physical education teacher becomes a
very important element in the teaching of the subject and 28.34% considered it to be the most
important. However, there are no family members who consider that the role of the teacher
is not important at all. Once again, fathers (15.83%) say that the teacher is the most important
element for the functioning of the subject, compared to 12.51% of mothers. The total number
of participants agreed (45%) or strongly agreed (55%) that families and physical education
teachers should be coordinated for the students' learning. At the same time, they consider that
both agents should use physical education and sport to raise awareness and educate in values
and get involved in the process of generating healthy habits and lifestyles.
As to whether physical education helps to generate healthy habits and lifestyles, the
total number of responses was very similar between the two, with 50.84% agreeing and
49.15% strongly agreeing. None of the respondents considered that physical education does
not help to generate healthy habits and lifestyles. Moreover, the percentage of responses
among fathers and mothers is practically the same.
On the other hand, just over half of those surveyed (50.83%) did not consider that the
time spent in physical education sessions was sufficient to generate healthy habits and
lifestyles. If we add to this figure those who strongly disagreed (13.33%), the result indicates
that well over half (64.16%) considered that the time spent in physical education sessions is
insufficient to generate healthy habits and lifestyles. In this case, more mothers were in this
position (32.5%) compared to 31.66% of fathers.
Families´ views on physical education Page 7 of 12
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
As for motivation, 34.17% considered it to be very important when assessing students'
academic performance (table 5). This is followed by 26.67% who believe that motivation is
not at all important. When considering motivation as the most important element, fathers
(11.66%) gave it more importance than mothers (9.99%). However, the distribution of
responses in terms of taking all the importance away from it was very similar (13.33% versus
13.34%).
Table 5. Student motivation is an element to be taken into account when assessing academic
performance
Sex
Age of parent
Total
-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
+51
Not important
F
0.83
2.5
2.5
4.17
3.33
-
13.33
A little important
-
0.83
-
-
0.83
0.83
2.49
Equally important
-
2.5
0.83
1.67
1.67
-
6.67
More important
1.67
2.5
3.33
4.17
4.17
-
15.84
It is the most important
0.83
2.5
2.5
2.5
3.33
-
11.66
Not important
M
1.67
3.33
2.5
4.17
1.67
-
13.34
A little important
-
-
-
-
0.83
0.83
1.66
Equally important
1.67
-
2.5
2.5
-
-
6.67
More important
2.5
3.33
5.83
4.17
1.67
0.83
18.33
It is the most important
0.83
0.83
-
2.5
3.33
2.5
9.99
Notes: Result in percentages (%); F= Father; M= Mother; Source: Own elaboration
Source: authors
Continuing with the dimension of motivation (Table 6), more than half of the
participants (55.84%) indicated that they disagreed that students are motivated to take
physical education. Furthermore, the percentage of males and females who responded, totally
disagreeing that most of the students are motivated to take physical education, is equal
(1.66%), while the position of agreeing is very similar (4.16% of fathers versus 3.33% of
mothers).
Table 6. Most students are motivated to take the subject of physical education
Sex
Age of parent
Total
-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
+51
Strongly disagree
F
-
0.83
-
0.83
-
-
1.66
Disagree
0.83
6.67
5
7.5
5.83
-
25.83
Agree
2.5
3.33
3.33
3.33
5
0.83
18.32
Strongly Agree
-
-
0.83
0.83
2.5
-
4.16
Strongly disagree
M
-
-
0.83
0.83
-
-
1.66
Disagree
5
4.17
6.67
7.5
4.17
2.5
30.01
Agree
1.67
2.5
3.33
5
2.5
-
15
Strongly Agree
-
0.83
-
-
0.83
1.67
3.33
Notes: Result in percentages (%); F= Father; M= Mother; Source: Own elaboration
Source: authors
Page 8 of 12 Diaz et al.
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
Discussion
According to data collected by the World Health Organization21, just over 80% of
adolescents did not complete the recommended amount of physical exercise and sport in
2016. Physical education can serve as a complement to help promote continued physical
exercise, ensure the minimum amount of time established by the WHO and provide healthy
lifestyle habits21. However, according to the survey data, just under half of the participants
believe that physical education is unimportant or unimportant. This may seem
counterproductive as, despite knowledge of the benefits that physical education can bring,
studies show that physical exercise and sport are declining as students get older22. According
to Gambau23, educational administrations and the policies applied are far from minimising
the problems affecting the quality of life and health of young people and adolescents. The
level of marginality to which the subject is subjected with respect to other subjects, the little
consideration it has in the educational status and the little time allocated to it within the school
timetable24 means that families may not consider physical education to be one of the most
important subjects23. This position contrasts with that of Megías25, who states that students
should be the first to express the importance of taking a subject such as physical education.
The students' conception of the meaning and usefulness of physical education will also allow
families to have a more objective opinion about the functioning and importance of the
subject25 and the other way round18,19. In this sense, Contreras et al.26 reported in their study
that students consider the subject of physical education to be important, although this level
of importance is not as evident as other subjects. This may be in line with the importance that
families may attach to physical education grades.
On the other hand, in order for families to know the content and functioning of a
subject, it is necessary for them to participate in the educational community and show interest
in finding out about it. This stance will determine the level of involvement they may have in
the subject. The results of the survey showed that more than half of the parents had a general
lack of knowledge of the content of physical education. For many years, the content worked
on in physical education has been oriented towards physical preparation work aimed at sports
and competitive performance27. Currently, the approach to the subject is not based on this
premise, which is why the percentage of parents who have stated that they know the content
of physical education is very low. The previous approach to physical education was rejected
by several experts who understood that the subject was part of the education system and that
the objective should focus on the integral formation of the student, eliminating specifically
physical training of the body and competitive performance27. Furthermore, the fact that the
subject of physical education includes content dedicated to sport does not necessarily mean
that it should make use of methodologies that are specific to sporting competition. And this
is something that can be confusing for fathers, which is why the percentage of responses
regarding the level of importance they attribute to physical education is higher than that of
mothers. In this case, physical education should seek more pedagogical goals, approaching
the different sporting practices from a sport initiation perspective and with an educational
component.
Moreover, as mentioned above, one of the objectives of physical education is to
ensure a certain minimum number of hours in order to achieve the recommendations of the
WHO21. Several studies have shown that one hour a day of physical exercise and sport will
decrease the rate of obesity and increase people's quality of life.
In this regard, most participants also recognise that one hour per session is sufficient,
but do not agree with the WHO on the number of days per week. Most parents say that two
or three days is sufficient, while the WHO states that one hour of physical exercise per day
is sufficient21. Arévalo et al.2 list several reasons why children should engage in physical
Families´ views on physical education Page 9 of 12
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
education on a daily basis, for example, to achieve an adequate development of motor skills,
obtain health benefits, generate healthy lifestyle habits or even help children to interact and
socialise, among others. This is where the dilemma of how much time and performance is
spent on the task can come in. It has been shown that the time spent in physical education
classes is insufficient28 and that it is necessary to carry out physical activity and sport outside
school hours.
According to Gambau23, physical education in Spain may seem to be stuck in a rut
and, furthermore, this perspective does not seem to be worrying, as the policies adopted in
the field of physical education are not accompanied by the recommendations set out by
international organisations. In order to make up for these shortcomings, the aim is to
encourage competitive and institutionalised sporting practices, trying to cover the objectives
worked on in quality physical education. In this sense, it is worth reflecting that sporting
practice can also be accompanied by an educational character with great pedagogical
potential29.
When school hours end, there is still the possibility of continuing to practice physical exercise
and sport, although not all centres offer this type of tasks due, among other things, to the
possible low demand either because they do not want to participate or because their interests
are oriented towards other types of occupations. In this sense, almost all the participants
agreed on the need to offer physical and sporting activities in addition to school time. If sport
is carried out in an educational centre as a complementary activity, this practice should be
oriented towards a more educational perspective, providing a pedagogical space30.
Following this policy, school sport can arouse great interest due to the great
educational potential it represents31. This is where it must be made clear that simple
participation is not enough and that teachers must be aware of the values they transmit and
of educating for health care Santos11, which is why the vast majority of participants consider
that the figure of the teacher is no longer important or the most important.
Both physical education and sports have a specific weight in the education of
students. This is recognised in the Organic Law amending the Organic Law on Education32,
which insists on the importance of physical activity at school. This position is due to the fact
that physical education goes beyond providing theoretical-practical content, since physical
education classes should be oriented towards a transdisciplinary approach, that is, the
objectives should be directed towards a holistic vision of the human being33. From this
dimension, biological, psychological and social aspects must be considered throughout the
whole process of human development. Physical education will help students to acquire
awareness of their own body, which will allow them to develop motor and coordination skills,
improve their physical condition, promote healthy habits, development of social skills, etc.33,
as well as promoting other types of values that go beyond participation in the task itself, such
as trust, respect, solidarity and cooperation, among others34. All this is transformed into
academic and personal growth. However, despite underlining the importance of physical
education, Peña et al.35 remind us of the need not to neglect the other academic areas, as they
are all important in the integral formation of the student.
On the other hand, the total number of participants has stated that they agree or totally
agree that families and physical education teachers should be coordinated and become an
active part of the commitment to physical exercise and sport, knowing that the time invested
in physical education classes is insufficient28. According to Baños36, in order to avoid future
abandonment, it is necessary to create habits that encourage continued participation in this
type of activity. To achieve this, it is necessary to awaken the interest and motivation of
students in each of the physical education sessions. In this case, if there is greater enjoyment
and satisfaction in participating, the rates of intentionality to engage in physical activity and
Page 10 of 12 Diaz et al.
J. Phys. Educ. v. 34, e3419, 2023.
sport outside school hours will increase36. This stance could help to ensure that the levels
recommended by the WHO are reached.
Regarding the motivation component, more than half of the respondents indicated
that it is an element to be taken into account when assessing student performance. In this
sense, physical education should be related to the field of play, as the aim is to seek attraction
and motivation in the student37. Perhaps, in this sense, the figure of the teacher acquires
greater importance as the work proposals and methodologies applied will influence the
motivation of students. The parents' lack of knowledge about the content and functioning of
the subject of physical education may be the reason why a large proportion of parents
responded that they disagreed or strongly agreed that most students are motivated to take the
subject of physical education. However, studies have shown that by encouraging active
participation and promoting autonomy, students will perform better and achieve better
results38. In addition, they will be more motivated, will value the subject of physical
education more highly and will also engage in physical activities outside school hours39.
Conclusion
Physical education should be seen as an essential subject for the integral development
of the child. It should not be forgotten that different elements related to life skills, values,
attitudes and knowledge can be worked on in this subject. In addition to working on these
elements, physical education can help to acquire a commitment to physical exercise and sport
in order to achieve an active and healthy lifestyle.
However, this intervention cannot be left in the hands of just anyone, hence the
importance of the physical education teacher to work on all those aspects mentioned above.
The figure of the teacher must be key in the training of students, as he/she is considered to
be one of the people who have the greatest influence on their development. In the case of
physical education, in order to prevent students from abandoning the practice of physical
exercise and sport, it is important that the teacher has adequate didactic training in the subject.
This level of knowledge will help him/her to design different attractive and motivating tasks
for students, thus favouring continuity in the practice of physical exercise and sport.
Moreover, families should be another educational agent that helps and complements
schools in the education of students. It should not be forgotten that family participation is
important for the education of students. It is therefore advisable and necessary for parents to
be involved in order to learn how subjects work, in this case, physical education, so that the
contribution they can make is based on a knowledge perspective. To this end, the educational
centre must open its doors.
The purpose of any school should be to help students grow as individuals. The
subjects taught should go in the same direction. It is wrong to think of physical education as
being associated with competitive sport or with the student's performance in physical
preparation. This subject should be oriented towards the acquisition of different skills and
competences, as well as being directed towards personal and social development.
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ORCID
José María López Díaz: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3595-5766
José David Carnicero Pérez: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3769-8281
Nerea Felgueras Custodio: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2048-2399 Received on Dec 25, 2022.
Reviewed on Apr 19, 2023.
Accepted on Apr 19, 2023.
Correspondence address: José María López Díaz. Paseo de los Artilleros s/n. 28032, Madrid, España. E-mail:
josemaria.lopez@urjc.es
