Secondary school students’ perception of health and teaching of health dimensions in physical education

Abstract

Physical education (PE) aims to promote health and strengthen students’ health resources, and the concept of health is a central part of PE curricula. However, little is known about how students understand health and experience teaching related to the concept of health in PE. Purpose This study aims to provide insight into how students understand the concept of health and how they experience and perceive teaching about health dimensions in PE. Participants A sample of 10th graders was recruited from two primary schools in Norway. Data collection and analysis Three focus group interviews were conducted with 12 students (5 boys) in 10th grade (15-16 years old). The first focus group consisted of five girls, the second of four boys, and the third of two girls and one boy. The students were asked to reflect on and discuss what health is, how it can be promoted, and their experiences of learning and teaching health in PE. The interviews were recorded using a voice recorder and lasted for between 40 and 55 min. The transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Analysis Through the analysis, we interpreted that students mainly focused on the physical dimension of health but became aware of the mental dimension when they discussed and reflected during interviews. Overall, students found the term health to be complex and somewhat difficult to understand. The students experienced little or no development of their health competence through PE. Although they considered that it was important to learn about health, they were concerned that, if more learning about health was implemented in PE, this would make the subject more theoretical and result in less movement and practical activities. Further, the strong activity discourse in PE is discussed in relation to students’ health perceptions. Final reflections Although curricula in PE seem to be developing towards a holistic perspective on health, students do not seem to understand health from this perspective. It seems that they encounter a biomedical approach to health and that PE teachers emphasize the physical dimension of health in teaching. The students' understanding of the concept of learning as theoretical and the teachers' instrumental teaching about health in PE could substantiate a narrow view of health in PE. To promote learning about health from a more holistic perspective, the learning focus of the subject should be highlighted. Furthermore, pedagogical approaches that aim to increase students' reflections and experiences of various dimensions of health through practical learning processes should be emphasized.