Determining the relationship between the high school 9th graders' attitudes towards physical education and sports and their levels of alienation from school

SUMMARY Thesis Title: Determining the relationship between the high school 9th graders' attitudes towards physical education and sports and their levels of alienation from school Name of Student: Mehmet YANIK Dissertation Advisor: Prof.Dr.Hatice ÇAMLIYER Department: Department of Physical Education and Sports Teaching Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between the high school 9th graders' attitudes towards physical education & sports and their levels of alienation from school, both in terms of certain socio-demographic variables (gender, number of people living together in the family, socio-economic status of the family, school achievement, participation in physical education classes, participation in school teams) and their answers to the questions of "Are the extracurricular sporting activities provided to you in the school adequate?" and "Would you participate if the school provides a sporting activity you like?" In the study, the relational screening model was used. Methodology: The study sample consisted a total of 849 secondary school students (451 females and 398 males) selected by random sampling method among 9th graders studying at the secondary schools located in the Province of Balikesir, Turkey. In order to collect data in the study, personal information form, 9th graders' attitude scale towards physical education and sports, and student alienation scale was used. In order to apply the questionnaires, legal permissions were obtained from the developers of the questionnaires and provincial education directorates, and then questionnaires were applied in the related schools. Statistical analysis of the data obtained in the study was performed using IBM-SPSS program. In determining the analysis type to be used for analyzing the data, number of subjects, normality of the distribution of data, data homogeneity were examined, and it was decided to use parametric analysis methods as a result. In particular, the number of subjects was instrumental in making this decision. In data analysis, frequency and percentage distributions, arithmetic mean and standard deviation, "significance test for the difference between the two averages" (t test), and -for the comparison of multivariate groups- the one-way analysis of variance (one way ANOVA) was used. The post-hoc Tukey tests was utilized to determine the source of the difference in the one-way ANOVA's results. In the study, statistical significance was accepted at p<0,05 Findings: According to the study results, the mean score of the 9th graders, who participated in the study, taken in the Attitudes Toward Physical Education and Sports Scale was =2,99 and the mean score taken in the Student Alienation Scale was =2,97. Conclusion: In addition, the difference between the mean attitude scores of the students participated in the study and school achievement, participation in physical education classes, participation in school team and the answers to the question asked regarding the adequacy of the extracurricular activities was found to be significant. And, the difference between the mean alienation scores and the number of people living in the family, average family income, school achievement and the answers to the questions asked regarding the adequacy of the extracurricular activities and participation in sporting activities were found to be significant. Keywords: Attitudes towards physical education classes, Students' school alienation, Socio-demographic variables.