A Study of Chinese Collegiate Attitudes toward Physical Education

Abstract

This study examined 1,460 (712 males, 748 females) undergraduate students’ attitudes towards physical education (ATPE) from four Chinese colleges/universities. These studies were conducted using the questionnaire of college students’ ATPE (QCSATPE) while differences in the participants’ ATPE in relation to their gender and major were also examined. The main part of the QCSATPE consists of 20 factors/items regarding college students’ ATPE with a 5-point Likert like scale. Data analyzing techniques included descriptive statistics and a 2 x 2 (Gender [males, females] x Majors [nature science, social science]) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Main findings included: 1) some factors/items scored higher and had more impact on the participants’ ATPE; e.g. “physically fit and strong,” “good body shape,” and “feelings about PE class.” 2) Significant difference exists in ‘Gender’ and ‘Majors’ variables, wherein 28 out of 40 comparisons reached significant differences (p < .05). In brief, the college students’ ATPE in the current investigation was not so positive. Gender and majors are two important aspects that form and impact on their ATPE differently whereas the males scored higher than those of females, and the students of nature sciences scored higher than students of social sciences.