The attitudes of teachers and parents towards the teaching of Physical Education at primary level

Abstract

A basic characteristic of all animal life is the capacity for independent movement. Though styles of movement vary greatly within the animal kingdom, the motivations for movement are essentially the same in animals ranging from the one-celled protozoa to the higher order mammals. All animals, regardless of size and structural complexity, must move through their environment to find food, seek shelter, and to escape or defend against enemies. It is no exaggeration to say that, for animals, movement is the basis of life. The human being, Homo Sapiens, is a perfect example of an animal species whose survival has depended on the ability to move effectively. Through most of their two million years on earth, humans have lived as hunters and gatherers. The food supply, consisting mainly of wild animals, and naturally grown vegetables, was secured through the use of physical abilities such as endurance, strength, and speed. For early humans, a new physical fitness test was presented daily and the prize was a valuable one - survival! Today, machines do much of the physical labour which humans used to do by hand. Indeed, the typical man of today is employed in a job which presents little or no physical challenge. Most people use automobiles for transportation, employ numerous "labour-saving devices" in their occupations, and even use machines to reduce the physical effort of leisure time activities. Thus, modern people, if they choose, can lead a life almost totally devoid of vigorous physical activity. Some authorities have suggested, partly in jest, that the species name should be changed to Homo Sedentarius! The human body possesses great potential for functional and structural adaptation to vigorous physical exercise. Humans have been nomads and hunters throughout thousands of years of evolution. During recent history, a drastic reduction has occurred in the amount of physical activity in daily life because of labour-saving devices and motorized transport. One result of this reduction in physical exercise has been a lowered state of physical fitness in the populations of the industrialized world with a simultaneous increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease as a cause of death and disability. This suggests that the change to a sedentary life-style may be both detrimental to the individual and potentially expensive for society. Studies have not demonstrated a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the lack of physical exercise and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, epidemiological evidence strongly suggests the beneficial effects of physical exercise in the prevention of coronary artery disease and the reduction of all-cause mortality when exercise constitutes an integral part of occupational and leisure time activities. Moreover, physical exercise can alter other risk factors by improving the blood lipid profile, maintaining blood pressure within safe limits, and controlling body weight. In addition, exercise can contribute to the control of diabetes mellitus and the maintenance of bone density in the elderly. Although physical health, as appraised by morbidity and mortality rates, has been steadily improving throughout the world, epidemiological and experimental evidence indicates that it is important for a person to engage in a programme of regular physical exercise as a part of a healthy life-style. Therefore, appropriate physical activity constitutes a valuable component in therapeutic regimens for the control and treatment of coronary heart disease, systemic hypertension, obesity, musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory diseases, and depression. Physical fitness can also contribute to feelings of well-being and self-esteem. [...]