Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
The Effects of a Required Physical Fitness Unit on College Women’s Attitudes Toward Physical Fitness
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Physical education for women--Iowa--Cedar Falls; Women college students--Iowa--Cedar Falls; College students--Attitudes; Physical education for women; Physical fitness for women; Women college students; Iowa--Cedar Falls;
Abstract
Statement of the Problem The problem of this study was to examine the effects of a required core physical fitness unit upon college women's attitudes toward physical fitness. The study compared attitudes before and after the unit, and the post-unit attitude scores were compared to a fitness unit evaluation form used by the Women's Physical Education Department. A sub-problem of the study was to construct and validate an attitude questionnaire to measure attitudes toward physical fitness. Procedure The subjects used in this study were seventy-seven college women enrolled in four sections of the required 39:001 general education activity courses taught by the researcher. An attitude questionnaire dealing with attitudes toward physical fitness was constructed by the researcher and was administered to the subjects twice: before and after the required fitness unit. The pretest scores were used to internally validate the questionnaire by a correlational item analysis. An index of discrimination was also detennined. Reliability was determined by a split-half, odd versus even, correlation using the pretest data, yielding a coefficient of .85. Applying the Spearman-Brown Prophecy Fonnula, doubling the number of questions to approximate the original number of items, the reliability was estimated to be .91. A t test was used to determine the significance of the mean difference between the pretest and posttest scores. The computed t value was 13.73 which was significant at the .01 level. The posttest questionnaire scores were compared to a departmental fitness evaluation form. Since the most desired responses on the departmental evaluation and the attitude questionnaire were numerically valued at one and seven respectively, it was expected to find a negative correlation. Indeed, a correlation of -.60 was found. Conclusions of the Study
1. There was a significant positive change in college women's attitudes toward physical fitness as a result of participation in a required core physical fitness unit.
2. The attitudes toward physical fitness as stated by the college women in the pretest indicated an already positive attitude.
3. There was a significant correlation between the attitude questionnaire and a departmental fitness evaluation form.
Concluding statement.--Physical fitness is an important concept in today's automated society. There is a need to deal with attitudes toward physical fitness since a favorable attitude is a necessary part of the motivation to attain a sufficient level of fitness. Attitudes may be shaped over a period of time, but also can be influenced in a short time when emphasis is placed on physical fitness. This study has shown there can be a significant positive change in college women's attitudes toward physical fitness through participation in a required physical fitness unit.
Year of Submission
1974
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services
First Advisor
Wilhelmina D. McFee
Second Advisor
Barbara Yager
Third Advisor
Kenneth N. Green
Date Original
1974
Object Description
1 PDF file (71 leaves)
Copyright
©1974 Christine Faust
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Faust, Christine, "The Effects of a Required Physical Fitness Unit on College Women’s Attitudes Toward Physical Fitness" (1974). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1857.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1857
Comments
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