ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
Background: Despite the potential benefits of sports in promoting physical and mental health, many Chinese students exhibit a lack of interest and reluctance to do sports. Even after more than a decade of physical education experience, from primary school through university. Consequently, the physical fitness of Chinese college students has been declining. In response, the Chinese government has issued many official guidelines aimed at improving the physical fitness of teenagers through school sports programs. However, despite these efforts, the physical fitness of Chinese college students continues to decline annually, with increasing rates of obesity and myopia. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at a college in southwest China, and participants were recruited through direct recruitment. A total of five sophomore volunteers participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were employed to gain insights into their sports experiences from primary school to college. By analyzing their experiences, we aim to elucidate the reasons behind the persistent disinterest of Chinese students in sports despite more than a decade of physical education. Results: The teaching content of physical education in Chinese schools is monotonous and fails to engage students. Moreover, the teaching methods employed by physical education teachers lack variety and fail to elicit the enjoyment of sports activities during physical education classes. Conclusions: The current approach to physical education deprives students of the joy of sports, focusing predominantly on repetitive skills training and physical exercises. This approach contributes to students' aversion to physical education and gradual loss of interest in participating in sports.
China National Education Commission, National Sports Commission. (1990). Regulations on School Physical Education. Retrieved from
http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A02/s5911/moe_621/201511/t20151119_220041.html
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2013). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Springer Science & Business Media.
Corte-Real, N., Dias, C., Corredeira, R., Barreiros, A., Bastos, T., & Fonseca, A. M. (2008). Prática desportiva de estudantes universitários: o caso da Universidade do Porto. Revista Portuguesa de Ciências do Desporto, 8(2), 219–228.
Elliott, J. (2005). Using narrative in social research: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Guangming Daily. (2017). Healthy life, what youth should look like. Retrieved from https://news.gmw.cn/2017-09/18/content_26207843.htm.
Kotarska, K., Paczy?ska-J?drycka, M., Sygit, K., Kmie?, K., Czerw, A., & Nowak, ,M. A. (2021). Physical activity and the quality of life of female students of universities in Poland. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(10), 5194.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67.
Singh, D., & Pathak, M. K. (2017). Role of motivation and its impact on the performance of a sports person. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health, 4(4), 340-342.
Sun, J. (2022). The influence of the improvement of physical education score in the middle school entrance examination on physical education teaching in junior middle schools. School Physical Education, 12(21), 52-54.
The CPC Central Committee and the State Council. (2007). Suggestions on Strengthening Teenager Sports and Strengthening Teenager's Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2007-05/24/content_625025.htm.
Dempsey, D., Farquharson, K., & Waller, V. (2015). Qualitative social research: Contemporary methods for the digital age. SAGE Publications of London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi and Singapore.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Prevalence of Insufficient Physical Activity. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/physical_activity/en/.
Xinhua News Agency. (2016). The General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Strengthening School Physical Education to Promote the Comprehensive Development of Students' Physical and Mental Health. Retrieved from http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-05/06/content_5070968.htm
Xinhua News Agency. (2020). The General Office of the State Council of the CPC Central Committee issued the Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving School Physical Education in the New Era. Retrieved from
http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2020-10/15/content_5551609.htm
Xu J. R., & Wang, X. S. (2023). What is sports: An investigation based on the paradigm of language philosophy. Journal of Physical Education, 30(2), 1-10.
Yin. R. K. (1994). Case study research: design and methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Yuan, R. J. (2009). The interpretation and data research of students like sports but don't like physical education. Journal of Zhangjiakou Vocational and Technical College, 22(2), 31-33.
Zhang, Q. X., Zhu, J. Q., & Yi, Y. (2009). Investigation of the concept of school physical education ideology and teaching materials in modern China. Sports Culture Guide, 7, 135-139.
N/A
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode