Student motor engagement time in physical education classes in Puerto Rico escrito por Ojeda-Ayala, Rafael, Ed.D., Columbia University Teachers College, 1989, 196 páginas; AAT 9013564

Resumen

The purpose of this study was to describe how students spend their time in physical education classes in Puerto Rico with special regard to motor engagement time (MET).

Research evidence accumulated over the last few years shows consistent positive relationships between time on task and achievement. Due to this positive relationship, pupil engagement time has been considered as a key variable in effective teaching. This variable, however, has not been investigated in any educational setting in Puerto Rico. This study is the first description of what occurs in every day physical education classes in the Island.

One hundred and fifty seven randomly selected students were observed and coded in 24 junior high school physical education classes using a descriptive instrument, the adapted BESTPED system. This instrument consists of 10 behavioral categories including the three MET categories--Practice, Play-Game, and Exercise.

The quantitative data were collected by using a five second interval coding technique in live physical education classes. Qualitative supplementary data were collected through a questionnaire and through an interview with teachers.

The data show that students in the sample classes spent almost one half of their time (43.3%) "waiting" in a stationary position, and only 18.5% of their time in motor activities (MET). This is the highest waiting time and the lowest motor engagement time ever reported in any study of this nature. However, considerable variability in pupil MET was found in relation to selected variables that were used for data analysis.

This study also investigated pupil substantive time in physical education (STPE). This is a combination of the time a student spent receiving substantive information and the time they spent in the three MET categories. Pupil STPE was calculated as 33.2% of the total time students were observed. This fact indicates that students in the sample classes spent 66.8% of their time involved in non-substantive tasks.

Some variables, such as lack of facilities and equipment or organizational abilities of the teachers, were considered to be an influence on pupil MET and pupil STPE.

Índice (detalles del documento)

Director de tesis: Anderson, William G.

Universidad: Columbia University Teachers College

Lugar de universidad: United States -- New York

Fuente: DAI-A 50/12, p. 3888, Jun 1990

Tipo de fuente: Dissertation