Exploring of the elementary and high school students' tendency towards physical education according to grade level

The belief of attitude and self efficay of high and elementary school students towards physical education affects the outputs they achieved through physical education. Hence, the purpose of this study was to analyze attitudes and self-efficacy of the elementary and high school students' tendency towards physical education class and to determine whether these attitudes and self-efficacy differ significantly according to some demographic variables, and to investigate the relationship between attitudes and self-efficacy. A sample of 1824 (875 female and 949 male) students studying at three state middle schools and four high school in Trabzon Ortahisar provided responses. "The Physical Education Predisposition Scale (Hilland, Stratton, Vinson and Fairclough, 2009)" was used to collect data. Descriptive statistical methods, t-test, ANOVA, Dunnett's C Test and Pearson Correlation tests were used in the data analysis. The results of analysis indicated that with physical education tendency attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions of students toward physical education class are above middle level. Also it is found that students' attitude and self-efficacy toward physical education class with physical education tendencies differed significantly according to grade level, gender, taking part in the school sports teams, a sports club (licensed) sports, apart from themselves in their families individuals (audience, athletes, coaches, etc.) who interested in sports. The results of the study showed that there is a positive and medium- level correlations between attitudes and self-efficacy of students. Key Words: Physical Education, Attitude, Self-Efficacy, The Elementary and High School Students, Adolescent.