Attitudes of secondary school students towards physical education and sports lesson: A phenomenological study

The aim of this study is to clarify the attitudes of secondary school students towards physical education and sports lesson in depth. The research was conducted with phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods. The study group consisted of a total of 12 secondary school students, 6 male and 6 female, who voluntarily participated in the study. A semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers based on expert opinions was used as data collection tool. The data obtained in the study were analyzed by content analysis. In the content analysis process, the interview records with the students were converted into written text, the text was read many times, meaningful units were coded with concepts, and the codes were grouped under themes according to their similarities. The analysis results showed that the students have positive thoughts towards physical education and sports lesson as it contributes to physical, mental, emotional and social development, provides self-regulation skills, creates culture, improves health and creates awareness; they have positive feelings in general and in this direction, they have suggestions for increasing physical education and sports lesson hours, and facilities and material opportunities. On the other hand, even though it is rare, students also have negative opinions towards physical education and sports lesson due to factors such as the risk of injury. In conclusion, students' attitudes towards physical education and sports courses are positive and their attitudes are based on their experiences with physical education and sports lesson.