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Schools are focusing more on promoting physical activity (PA) before, during, and after the school day, to combat the risk factors associated with sedentary behaviors. Since attitudes impact decisions to be physically active, identifying how PA attitudes relate to established attitudes toward physical education (PE), as well as PA intentions and behaviors are important--and thus the focus of this study. Middle school students (N = 948; 45% female) completed PA behavior, PA intention, and PA and PE attitude surveys. Findings provided a better understanding of attitude theory with the identification of relationships between PA attitudes and PE attitudes, behavioral intention, and behavior. Multiple regression model results showed significant relationships between positive PA attitudes, negative PA attitudes, and PE attitudes with behavioral intention, and self-reported PA behavior. Differences between positive and negative PA attitudes were identified with positive PA attitudes most predicting intention. The results provide guidance for developing learning experiences aimed at promoting attitudes toward PA.

The purpose of this study was to develop the Youth Physical Activity Attitude Scale (YPAAS). Questions were developed using dual-component (affective-cognitive, positive-negative) beliefs framework. Content validity was established with expert panel review. Two samples of 4th-8th grade students (51% Female; 9-14 years) completed the YPAAS (sample 1, n= 3,188; sample 2n= 679). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were used to examine the construct and criterion validity of the YPASS. Results indicated a 12-item measure with positive and negative attitude dimensions. Students in upper-grade levels reported stronger negative attitudes toward physical activity compared to students in lower grades. The YPASS produced invariant scores for boys and girls. Structural equation modeling revealed that positive attitudes related to both physical activity intentions and behaviors. Overall, scores from the YPAAS were shown to be valid and reliable for capturing youths' positive and negative attitudes toward physical activity.

Purpose: Existing research suggests that students' attitudes toward physical education are positive through Grade 5, but become less positive as grade levels increase; this research is, however, missing student voice. The purpose of this study was to further understand why students' attitudes have been shown to decrease. Methods: Twenty-six focus group interviews (students N = 65) were conducted over 2 years to discover what was influencing attitudes from fifth to eighth grade. Results: Three themes emerged: (a) curriculum leads to decreases in student attitudes (subthemes repetitive and boring, an overemphasis on competition, and fitness testing activities--what's the purpose and why am I on display?), (b) social factors impact attitude: sweating and changing, and (c) physical education assumptions, the easy "A" (subthemes: perceptions of physical education teachers and the easy "A"). Conclusion: Allowing students to explain the reasons for decreases in attitudes contributes to improving the teaching and learning process.

Background: The use of fitness tests in physical education (PE) receives extensive scrutiny and represents one of the most fiercely debated topics in PE research. Fitness test proponents often provide unwavering support citing their positive long-term benefits while critics underscore the corrosive long-term pitfalls associated with their use in PE. In many instances, both proponents and critics alike make these arguments with limited evidence to support their claims. Recently, critics have also highlighted the gendered nature of fitness tests, reporting that overt characteristics of these tests and their implementation create covert messages that reduce girls' motivation toward PE. Therefore, there is a clear need to gather evidence concerning the effects that fitness tests have on students' subjective experiences in PE. Purpose: The purposes of this study were twofold. First, we examine relationships between middle school students' fitness test performances and their future attitudes and emotions toward PE. Second, we investigate how these relationships vary for girls and boys. Method: A total of 273 middle school students (6th-8th grade; Male = 52%, Female = 48%) completed Fitnessgram™ battery of tests. Two weeks later, students completed two previously validated surveys about: a) their attitudes, and b) their discreet emotions (enjoyment, boredom, and anger) toward PE. First, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate relationships for the entire sample. Once this baseline model was established, multi-group SEM identified similarities and differences in the pattern of relationships between girls and boys. Results: Findings revealed that better PACER performance predicted lower reports of future anger toward PE for both girls and boys. Conversely, increased performance on the curl-up test predicted higher rates of anger and lower rates of enjoyment toward PE. Increased PACER performance also predicted favorable attitudes for boys but not girls while increased sit-and-reach performance predicted favorable attitudes for girls but not boys. It should be noted, however, that fitness test performances explained limited amounts of variance in these outcomes, especially for girls. Conclusions: Unlike the common arguments about the valuable or harmful effects of fitness testing, our results suggested these tests had limited associations with students' future attitudes and emotions toward PE. Overall, we remain pessimistic about the use of fitness tests in PE because these PE teachers implemented fitness tests in isolation of the broader PE curriculum. Scores were neither shared with parents/guardians nor used to help students learn about their fitness. Students did not compare their results to previous tests and, to our knowledge, scores were not used for any large-scale surveillance purposes. It remains unclear how fitness test performances relate to student attitudes and emotions toward PE when implemented in a comprehensive and connected manner within the broader curriculum.

Purpose: A relationship exists between attitudes toward physical education and future physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in attitude toward physical education as students progressed from upper elementary school (Grade 4) through middle school (Grade 8). Method: Three cohorts of students (Cohort 1, Grades 4-6, n = 96; Cohort 2, Grades 5-7, n = 71; and Cohort 3, Grades 6-8, n = 73) were each followed for 3 years to examine changes in attitudes toward physical education. Results: After an initial increase from Grade 4 to Grade 5, a significant decrease was observed from Grades 5 to 8 in students' positive attitudes toward physical education, with a faster rate of change for girls than boys. Conclusion: This longitudinal study provides further insights regarding the attitudes of students as they progress from Grade 4 to Grade 8 and expands on previous findings identifying decreasing positive attitudes toward physical education as students age, particularly for girls. The results provide evidence to support targeted interventions.

The Centers for Disease Control have suggested that physical education plays a role in promoting healthy lifestyles. Prior research suggests a link between attitudes toward physical education and physical activity outside school. The current study provides additional evidence of construct validity through a validation across two instruments measuring attitudes toward physical education by investigating their psychometric properties with a sample of 6th grade students (N = 377). Confirmatory factor analysis results indicate that the four-factor model fit the data well for both instruments based on fit indices, and a multitrait-multimethod analysis provides evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Cross validation of these instruments permits longitudinal investigations on the role of attitudes toward physical education and their impact on physical activity.

Assessment in physical education is not new. What is new is a national focus on teacher evaluation systems that include the use of student achievement scores from administered assessments. An additional educational focus is on the implementation of Common Core Learning Standards in all subject areas, including physical education. Physical educators are now being charged with implementing literacy concepts throughout their curricula. Although many effective physical educators have incorporated literacy concepts into their curricula for decades, recent reform efforts have placed the added expectation of documenting student learning in physical education. This article presents examples of field-tested middle school assessments that could be used in teacher evaluation systems to show student learning. The assessments presented can also be used as viable, realistic, and authentic evaluations in physical education that contribute to literacy goals associated with the Common Core Learning Standards.