An investigation of the middle school students' tendencies towards physical education according to teacher leadership style

The purpose of the study was to analyze middle school students' tendencies towards physical education according to some demographic variables and to determine the relationship between attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions. A sample of 560 (283 female and 277 male) students studying at four state middle schools in Trabzon Ortahisar and 10 (2 female and 8 male) teachers working in these school provided responses. 'The Physical Education Predisposition Scale (Öncü, Gürbüz, Küçük Kılıç and Keskin, 2015)' and 'The Teacher Leadership Style Scale (Deniz and Hasançebioğlu, 2003)' were used to collect data. Descriptive statistical methods, t-test, ANOVA, Tukey and Dunnett's C multiple comparison and regression tests were used in the data analysis. The results of analysis indicated that physical education tendencies, attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions toward physical education of the students were above middle level. Physical education tendencies, attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions toward physical education of the students did not differ significantly according to injury/disability experiences. There were significant differences between physical education tendencies, attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions toward physical education of the students and their gender and grade level. While there were significant differences between attitudes toward physical education and gender of physical education teacher, there were no significant differences between gender of physical education teacher and physical education tendencies with self efficacy perceptions toward physical education. Also there were significant differences between had a person being interested with sport (audience, sportsman, trainer, referee) in family, participating school sport teams, doing sport in sports club (licensed) and physical education tendencies with self-efficacy perceptions toward physical education, there were not significant differences between attitudes toward physical education and these variables. Had been detected at the end of the study, physical education tendencies and attitudes toward physical education of the students differed significantly according to teacher leadership style, self-efficacy perceptions toward physical education of the students did not differ significantly according to teacher leadership style. On the other hand results of the study showed positive correlations at middle level between attitudes and self-efficacy of middle school students. Additionally, attitudes of the students explained 23% of the total variance on the self-efficacy.