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The National Children and Youth Fitness Study: What are Kids Doing in School
Physical Education?

Article  in  Journal of Physical Education Recreation & Dance · January 1985

DOI: 10.1080/07303084.1985.10603690

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 ~~~The National Children and Youth Fitness Study ~~~

What Are Kids Doing in School

Physical Education?

James G. Ross D Charles O. Dotson D Glen G. Gilbert

D Susan J. Katz

The 1980 government report, Promoting Health/

. Preventing Disease: Objectives for the Nation, rec-
ognized the importance of regular physical educa-
tion classes in promoting active lifestyles. 1The report
set as an objective that "By 1990, the proportion
of children and adolescents ages 10 to 17 partici-
pating in daily school physical education programs
will be greater than 60 percent" (p. 80).1
But what are American young people doing in
physical education classes? What percentage of 5th
through 12th graders even take physical education?
What percentage take it daily, as the 1990 objec-
tives prescribed? In a normal week, how much ac-
tual activity time do students get in physical
education? Do schools provide a time and place to change clothes and shower? How much
variety is there among the activities to which students are exposed? What specific activities
occupy most of their class time? Over a year's time, what portion of physical education
class time is spent on activities they are likely to carry over into adulthood?
This article draws on the results of the National Children and Youth Fitness Study (NCYFS)
to describe the status of school physical education programs. It sheds light on how physical
educators are addressing such questions as: Is it better to expose students to a wide range
of activities or to concentrate on a few? Should we be choosing activities that fit in with
students' current interests or striving to awaken their interest in lifetime sports? What should
be our major focus: fitness or skill development?

Survey Questions on Physical Education

The NCYFS allows us to describe the status of physical education programs. One series
of questions on the physical activities survey captured data on enrollment in physical education,
JOPERD/January 1985-73 31-NCYFS
frequency of class meetings, class du- Among students taking physical ed-
ration, and provisions of time and a Exhibit 1. Percentage of U.S. ucation, the majority take it daily in
place to change clothes and shower. A Students Enrolled In Physical grades 9 through 12. In fact, except
second series of questions asked stu- Education, Based on the NCYFS for grades 5 and 6, more students take
dents to review a list of 86 physical physical education daily than with any
activities and report whether they had Grade Male Female other frequency. For students in grades
participated in the activity in physical 5 97.97 97.36 5 and 6. taking physical education two
education class within the past 12 6 96.78 97.15 days a week was most common. Fifth
months and, if so. for how many weeks. 7 92.04 89.72 graders are unique in that a large per-
(Reporting options were two weeks or 8 90.07 92.76 centage of them take physical educa-
less, three to five weeks. and six weeks 9 83.30 79.65 tion only one day a week.
or more.) 10 72.04 65.52
11 58.82 55.05 Weekly Physical Activity Time
12 55.73 48.47
Physical Education Enrollment The amount of actual activity time
All Grades 81.66 78.88
in physical education class per week
Nationally, 80.3 percent of students
may be a more important indicator than
in grades 5 through 12 are enrolled in
mere frequency of classes because
physical education (Exhibit I). A
others feel that they have "done their classes vary in length from 20 minutes
slightly higher percentage of boys
time in PE" and look askance at vig- to over an hour. with an average du-
(81.66 percent) take physical educa-
orous physical activity. especially ration of about 47 minutes. To deter-
tion than girls (78.88 percent). The
competitive sports. Also among the non- mine activity time, we multiplied the
highest participation rates (about 97
enrollees are students who are excused number of class meetings per week by
percent) are for grades 5 and 6.
from physical education to participate the class length in minutes, subtracting
Rates of enrollment in physical ed-
in competitive sports. band. or extra- for showers and/or changing clothes,
ucation decline with each successive
curricular programs. where appropriate.
grade, as students apparently complete
The average amount of weekly ac-
requirements and elect other courses
Frequency of Class Meetings tivity time for students in physical ed-
of study. The lowest rates of enroll-
ucation is two hours and 21 minutes.
ment are for grades II and 12. Girls Back in 1974-75. the last time the
The amount of activity time seems tu
in grade 12 have the lowest rate overall fitness of our youth was studied on a
be inversely related to the percentage
(48.5 percent). The biggest drops in national scale. it was estimated that
of students enrolled in physical edu-
enrollment come in grades 8 through roughly one-third of students in grades
cation. Among students in the lower
11. Among boys, there is a 7 percent 5 through 12 took physical education
grades. where enrollment is high,
drop between grades 8 and 9. followed daily. Today. the situation remains
weekly activity time is low; in con-
by an 11 percent drop between grades about the same. with 36.3 percent tak-
trast. among high school students, ac-
9 and 10. and a 14 percent drop from ing physical education daily.
tivity time is relatively high. In grades
IOth to 11th grade. The dropoff from The average frequency of physical
5 and 6. 54.6 percent receive an hour
l l th to 12th is only 3 percent for boys. education classes in grades 5 through
and a half or less of physical education
Among girls. a 13 percent dropoff oc- 12 is 3.6 times per week (Exhibit 2).
weekly. But among 10th, l lth, and
curs between grades 8 and 9, followed Only 7.9 percent of students surveyed
12th graders, 7\.5 percent of those in
by a 14 percent decline in enrollment take physical education one day a week
physical education get over two hours
from grades 9 to 10. and a 10 percent and 13.9 percent take it two days a
of activity time in physical education
dropoff from 10th to II th grade. From week. The majority of students. or 52.5
per week. In general. grades 7 through
II th to 12th grades, there is a further percent. take physical education three
\2 offer students much more activity
dropoff among girls of 7 percent. or more days per week. An additional
time than grades 5 and 6.
Among the 19.7 percent who do not 4.4 percent take physical education two
take physical education are an inde- days one week and three days the next
terminate number of students with (in an A/B schedule) and 1.7 percent
Showers and Changing Clothes
medical conditions limiting activity. take physical education with some other Whether a school offers students time
According to observations by field staff. frequency. and a place to change clothes for phys-

Exhibit 2. Percentage Breakdown by Grade: Days of PhysIcal Education Per Week Based on NCYFS
DayslWeek 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total
Not in Physical
Education 2.3 3.0 9.1 8.6 18.5 31.1 43.0 47.9 19.7
1 DaylWeek 22.3 9.9 6.8 6.8 4.4 3.2 5.7 4.5 7.9
2 Days/Week 26.1 32.1 15.1 18.9 2.0 5.6 5.3 6.5 13.9
2 Days One Week
3 Days the Next 5.4 4.2 7.7 9.3 4.9 1.8 0.0 0.1 4.4
3 DayslWeek 12.1 13.3 11.6 9.7 7.3 6.0 7.8 7.1 9.4
4 DayslWeek 8.4 8.3 7.3 7.1 9.4 5.3 4.4 3.3 6.8
5 DayslWeek 18.7 27.4 41.8 36.8 52.7 46.8 33.1 29.2 36.3
Other 4.6 1.8 0.6 2.9 0.9 0.3 0.8 1.4 1.7

NCYFS-32 .I0PER[} January [lJX'i--74

ical education and to shower afterward tertainment value is another strong ar- between boys and girls and from one
might affect enrollment, participation, gument for a varied program. age group to another. Thus, to come
and self-concept. The student's deci- The typical student is exposed to 11.8 up with a list of 15 top activities for
sion to opt for physical education as different activities in physical educa- each of three age groups and both sexes,
an elective could be affected by avail- tion class in a year, with girls expe- we needed a total of 25 activities.
ability of showers. A student's ability riencing slightly more variety than boys. Although many activities are done
to play hard at sports will be affected As students progress through school, by both boys and girls, such as bas-
by appropriateness of dress and by their physical education classes offer ketball and volleyball, a few activities
knowing whether there will be a chance them less and less variety. In 5th grade, enter the top 15 list for girls alone.
to clean up after vigorous activity. the average boy is exposed to 16.9 dif- These include aerobic dance and two
The NCYFS verifies that students in ferent activities, and the average girl forms of gymnastics (apparatus and free
grades 5 and 6 have little chance to to 17.4. By grade 12, the average boy exercise). Field!street hockey, tackle
shower (20.6 percent) or change clothes is exposed to only 5.7 different activ- football, and wrestling make the top
(57.7 percent). Conditions are much ities and the average girl to 6.3. 15 exclusively for boys.
better for 7th through 12th graders, Similarly, some activities virtually
however. Among students in grades 7 drop out of the picture as the student
through 9, 63.4 percent have access to Predominant Class Activities progresses through school. Activities
showers and 91.9 percent are given time A small number of activities occupy like climbing ropes/monkey bars, re-
and a place to change clothes. Simi- most of the student's time in physical lays, and tag are all major activities in
larly, 60.4 percent of 10th through 12th education. The typical student spends physical education for both boys and
graders may shower and 86.7 percent the largest portion of physical educa- girls in the early grades, but not in the
may change clothes. tion class time on five activities listed older grades. By high school, badmin-
in descending rank order: basketball, ton, tennis, and swimming have taken
Variety in Physical Education calisthenics/exercises, volleyball, a place in the physical education cur-
Class Activities baseball/softball, and jogging (dis- riculum.
Physical educators often value ex- tance running) (Exhibit 3). The next Other activities remain part of the
posing students to the widest possible 10 top activities, again in descending overall picture, but change in relative
variety of physical activities. Variety order, are kickball, running sprints, re- importance. For example, dodgeball!
in class activities ensures the physical lays, dodgebal1lbombardment, weight- bombardment takes up a smaller por-
educator of an opportunity to introduce lifting or weight training, gymnastics tion of the physical education curric-
students to activities they would never (tumbling), aerobic dance, field or street ulum as the student progresses through
consider on their own. The wider the hockey, gymnastics (free exercise), and school. In contrast, touch football,
options, the greater the chance that each swimming. volleyball, and weightlifting take lip a
student will find activities to suit his Not surprisingly, the relative pre- larger portion of the time as the student
or her needs and abilities. Sheer en- dominance of the top activities varies gets older.
JOPERD/January 1985-75 33-NCYFS
 The distribution of physical activity The average physical education stu- that the number of weekly class meet-
time in physical education mirrors the dent is exposed to 5.6 different lifetime ings, averaging 3.6, seems adequate
traditional reliance on relays and in- activities over a year's time. The por- to achieve the instructional goals of a
formal games for the younger students tion of the curriculum dedicated to life- physical education program. How-
and on competitive sports for the older time activities is 47.6 percent, with 45.3 ever, there are major problems in the
ones. This situation fails to support one percent for boys and 50.1 percent for curricula and organizational structure
of the key assumptions in the 1990 ob- girls (Exhibit 7). The lifetime portion of many physical education programs,
jectives related to physical education, tends to increase with age, ranging from especially at the elementary level.
which is that" ... school-based pro- 42.9 percent for 5th and 6th grade boys Although 97 percent of 5th and 6th
grams will embrace activities which to 46.8 percent for boys in grades 10,
graders take physical education weekly,
expand beyond competitive sports" (p. 11, and 12. For girls, the increase is
they have little opportunity for effec-
81).' Competitive sports are still the much larger, from 45.1 to 54.6 per-
tive participation. The low weekly ac-
bread and butter of the physical edu- cent. tivity time, improper dress, lack of
cation program. These data suggest that teachers are
showers, and heavy reliance on relays
trying to balance current student inter- and informal games restrict the learn-
Lifetime Physical Activity ests in competitive sports with pro-
ing and participation environment. Even
Many physical educators stress the motion of lifetime physical activities.
as schools upgrade the environment to
importance of dedicating a major por- But they fall back heavily on the tra-
support physical education in the older
tion of the physical education curric- ditional competitive sports with little
grades, physical educators continue to
ulum to lifetime physical activities, carry-over potential. Thus, even if
rely heavily on competitive sports and
especially as the student approaches physical educators succeed in convey-
other activities that students cannot
adulthood. Lifetime physical activities ing the importance offitness, they may
readily continue throughout adult-
are those that may readily be carried be failing to acquaint students with ac-
hood. Inadequate investment is being
into adulthood because they generally tivities that they can readily perform
made in conveying the lifetime sports
need only one or two people. Also to stay fit throughout adulthood. This
skills needed for active lifestyles as
counted as lifetime are vigorous social practice may reflect legitimate limi-
adults.
activities, such as square dancing. tations (e.g., large class sizes) that were
Group competitive sports and activi- not investigated in this study.
ties typically played only by young
children (low organized games) are ex- References
Conclusions
cluded from the "lifetime" category. IU. S. Department of Health and Human Ser-
Of the 86 activities listed on the NCYFS It is encouraging that over 80 per- vices. Promoting health/preventing disease:
survey, 53 were considered lifetime cent of students in grades 5 through 12 Objectives for the nation. Washington. DC:
activities. are enrolled in physical education and Government Printing Office. 1980.

exhibit 3. NCYFS Ranking. of the 15 Activities In Physical Education Cla88 Taking the urgest Portion. of Time
Grades Boys Girls

Physical Activity 5&6 7,8,&9 10,11,&12 5&6 7,8,&9 10,11,&12

Badminton
Baseball/Softball
·
6
·
3
10
3 6
· ·
5
9
4
Basketball 3 1 1 3 1 2
Calisthenics/Exercises 1 2 5 1 2 3
Climbing Ropes
Aerobic Dance
13
· ·· ·· 15
15
·
9
·
6
Dodgeball/Bombardment
Field Hockey/Street Hockey
5
··
9
13
15
14
9
··
13
·· ··
Football (Tackle)
Football (Touch) 11 4
· 12
6 13 8 7
·
Gymnastics-Apparatus
Gymnastics-Free Exercise
·· ·· ·· 13
· 15
· 15
13
Gymnastics-Tumbling
Jogging
14
2 5
· ·
7
12
2
11
4
12
5
Jumping or Skipping Rope
Kickball
12
4
14
12
·· 10
4
13
7
13
15
Relays
Running Sprints
7
9
10
8 13
· 5
10
11
9
··
Soccer 7 7 8 6 6 7
Swimming
Tag
·
15 ·· -
9 ·· ·· 15
-
Tennis
Volleyball
·
9
·
6
11
2 8
· 3
· 11
1
Weightlifting or Training
Wrestling
·· 10
14
4
· ·· ·· -
9

... .
ActIVIties marked with an astensk ( ) were performed. but did not enter the top 15 for a grade/sex cell. Activities marked with a
dash (-) were not performed by a grade/sex cell.

NCYFS-34 JOPERDiJanuary 1l)85~ 76

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