Children's Attitudes Toward Physical Activity and Self-Esteem

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate attitudes toward physical activity and self-esteem of elementary school children. The independent variables investigated were gender, grade placement, and physical fitness. The dependent variables were scores form the Grade 3 Children’s Attitudes Toward Physical Activity, the Revised Children’s Attitudes Toward Physical Activity Inventory (CATPA), and the school form of the Coppersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI). The sample consisted of 82 students in grades 3-5. Two composite null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level employing a three-way analysis of variance (general linear model). A total of 91 comparisons were made. Of the 91 comparisons, 39 were for main effects and 52 were for interactions. Of the 39 for main effects, 3 were statistically significant at the .05 level. The following main effects were statically significant. 1. The independent variable gender of the dependent variable Aesthetic; 2. The independent variable grade placement for the dependent variable social self-Peers; 3. The independent variable grade placement for the dependent variable Home-Parents. Of the 52 interactions, 4 were statistically significant at the.05 level. The following interactions were statistically significant: 1. The interaction among gender, grade placement, and physical fitness for the dependent variable Gender Self; 2. The interaction among gender, grade placement, and physical fitness for the dependent variable Social Self-Peers; 3. The interaction between gender and grade placement for the dependent variable Home-Parents; and 4. The interaction among gender, grade placement, and physical fitness for the dependent variable Total Self. The results of the present study appeared to support the following generalizations: 1. Girls reported a more positive attitude toward Aesthetic than boys; 2. Fourth and fifth graders reported higher Social Self-Peer scores than third graders; 3. Fourth and fifth graders reported higher Home-Parent scores than third and fifth graders; 4. The interactions among gender, grade placement, and physical fitness for General Self; among gender, grade placement and physical fitness for social Self-Peers; between gender and grade placement for Home-Parents; and among gender; grade placement, and physical fitness for Total Self; 5. No association between physical fitness and attitudes toward physical activity; 6. No association between grade placement and attitudes toward physical activity.