Age and Gender Differences in Elementary School Student’s Recess Activity Types and Determinants

[[abstract]]Age and Gender Differences in Elementary School Student’s Recess Activity Types and Determinants Master’s Thesis, 2007 Men-chain Chern Advisor：Hank Junling Jwo, Ph.D. Abstract The main purpose of this study was to investigate the elementary school students’ (3rd graders and 5th graders) physical activity types and the factors that affect them. Gender differences were alse examined. One hundred and eighty three students were surreyed during recess, three hundred and seven students finished the questionnaire about recess activities. A five-day recess activities form was used to record the types of students’ physical activities on the school days. The questionnaire of physical activities determinants was administered to investigate the factors concerning students’ recess activities. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. The findings revealed that the students’ physical types as follows:(1) The top fives activities that students engaged in were: chatting, sitting on his/her seat, chasing, running on the playground, and correcting (or doing homework);(2) Girls preferred light activities around classrooms or hallways.On the other hand, about the recess activities of boys, the proportion of outdoor and intensive physical activities was higher; and (3) The 5th grade students prefer light physical activities. In comparison with the 3rd grade students, the 3rd graders have more intensive physical activities. The determinants of recess activities were as follows:(1) Compared to girls, there are less high-willingness engaged in intensive physical activity boys to be affected by negative factors to reduce their physical activities during recess. And more boys were apt to be affected by positive factors to increase their outdoor activities. While the girls with lower motivation to engage in physical activities are more likely to be affected by the negative factors and reduced physical activities than boy, vice versa, they were less affected by positive factors to engage in physical activities;and (2) The 3rd graders with higher motivation in physical activities affected by negative factors were less than those of 5th graders. And they were more likely to be affected by positive factors to engage in intensive physical activities. The 5th graders with lower motivation in physical activities during recess were liable to be affected by negative factors and reduced their activities, which are more than those of 3rd graders. And the low motivation 5th graders affected less by positive factors to increase physical activities. Key word : recess, physical activity, age differences, gender differences