Developmental Physical Education and Perceived Physical Competence of First Graders

Abstract

This quasi-experimental comparison-group pretest and post-test study examined if there was a significant difference in the perceived physical competence of first graders who were exposed to Developmental Physical Education (DPE) versus those who were exposed to Standard Physical Education (SPE). A secondary aim of this study was to examine if the perceived physical competence of the DPE group improved after the intervention. Data was obtained through an adapted Perceived Physical Competence Scale (PPCS), a researcher-developed and expert-validated interview guide, and observation notes. Forty-eight students from two intact classes in a university laboratory school were recruited for the study. The experimental group was exposed to (DPE), while the comparison group was taught using the school’s prescribed PE program (SPE) for ten weeks. A Mann-Whitney U-test was used to test for group differences after the intervention. Results did not show significant differences between the two groups. However, further analysis from a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test yielded a significant difference in the perceived physical competence of those in the experimental group. These results suggest that further studies are warranted to confirm and validate the effectiveness of DPE in various contexts and constructs to encourage children to participate in physical activities regardless of their actual physical competence.

Keywords: developmental physical education, perceived physical competence, primary learners, early childhood education