Preferred Contents in Physical Education Lessons-Positively Evaluated Means for the Achievement of a Higher Intensity of Physical Activity by Girls

BACKGROUND: Physical Education (PE) has been one of the key determinants in an education towards a physically active and healthy lifestyle. The role of PE is to form positive attitudes in children towards regular physical activity (PA) and show them the broad scale of types and intensities of PA and ways of teaching them.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine relationships and identify determinants in the evaluation of PE lessons differing in content and PA intensity in girls.METHODS: To estimate the relationships between PA intensity in PE lessons and their evaluation, data on 2,213 girls aged 13-17 monitored in 205 PE lessons with different contents (aerobics n=35, athletics n=30, sport gymnastics n=33, sport games n=61 and dance n=46) between 1997-2003 were used. PA intensity was monitored using the Caltrac (METs/45min.) accelerometer. To evaluate PE lessons, the standardized Assessment of Physical Education Lessons Questionnaire was applied (% of positive answers in the emotional, social, relationships, and health dimensions).RESULTS: In cases of preferred PA activities in girls (dance, aerobics, sport games), a higher PA intensity was reflected positively in the evaluation of PE lessons. In activities not preferred by girls (athletics and sport gymnastics), a higher PA intensity was reflected negatively in PE lesson evaluation.CONCLUSIONS: PE lessons with preferred contents such as dance, aerobics and sport games in girls are appropriate situations in which to carry out PA with a higher intensity. The employment of games or game-like lesson guidance can make PE lessons with less favoured content more attractive.