PERCEPTION OF PHYSICAL-EDUCATION CLASSES AMONG YOUNG ADOLESCENTS - DOPHYSICAL-EDUCATION CLASSES PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL STUDENTS

From a public health perspective, physical activity in children and ad olescents is seen as important for disease prevention and health promo tion. Physical activity patterns are learned through socialization pro cesses where one of the influential sources is the school through phys ical education classes. The purpose of the present study was (1) to ex amine young adolescents' general perception of physical education clas ses, and (2) to explore the relationship between these perceptions and students' social resources, gender and level of leisure time physical activity and self-evaluated competence in physical education. A total of 895 seventh graders (13 year olds) were surveyed in Norway concern ing their perception of physical education classes. Indicators of soci al resources were chosen from the arenas of family, friends and school . The main finding was that a majority of students liked physical educ ation classes. Physical education classes seemed, however, not to offe r the less socially resourceful minority the same opportunities for po sitive experience with physical activity as the resourceful majority. Boys' general perception of physical education classes seemed to be mo re positive than girls' and physically active students perceived physi cal education classes more favorably than less physically active stude nts.