Preliminary communication
Evaluation of the PE Curriculum in the Higher Grades of Primary School
Mara Šumanović
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to evaluate the Physical Education (PE) Curriculum in the higher grades of primary school. The sample consisted of 89 PE teachers in primary schools of Osječko-Baranjska County. The Attitudes questionnaire was designed with satisfactory reliability. It consisted of two subgroups of features. The first subgroup, consisiting 18 items, assessed the features of the curriculum: modernity, interest, difficulty, comprehensiveness, usefulness, compatibility, feasibility, basic motor knowledge, implementation guidelines clarity, desired changes. The second subgroup of 5 items assessed the implementation of special programme tasks. The group of classification variables evaluated subjects' characteristics and work conditions. The stated classification variables have helped in finding the differences in teachers’ assessment. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and unifactor variance analysis MANOVA with the univariate differences tests were implemented. Factor analysis of the first subgroup yielded three latent dimensions of the programme's features: comprehensiveness and modernity, desired changes, compatibility and programme's usefulness. In the other subgroup, one dimension was yielded, and it was the implementation of the special programme. Strong aspects of the curriculum are vertical compatibility, usefulness, modernity, clear implementation guidelines, choice and distribution of basic motor knowledge, and the implementation of school competitions and manifestations. Weaker aspects are comprehensiveness of the goals, tasks and contents; insufficient number of lessons and the implementation of the special programme (programme for students with weaker health; school trips and similar activities). Significant differences in teachers' assessment were found in regards to the criterion variables of work experience, expert information availability, and evaluation of the students’ abilities. It is not possible to successfully achieve comprehensive goals, tasks and contents of the current Curriculum with the prescribed number of lessons and current work conditions.
Keywords
assessment; attitudes; teachers
Hrčak ID:
114967
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2013.
Visits: 1.441 *