Rethinking Middle School Physical Education: Combining Lifetime Leisure Activities and Sport Education to Encourage Physical Activity

Physical education represents an area of the middle school curriculum that has the potential to impact adolescents' developing knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in positive and meaningful ways that may endure across the life span. Despite the well -documented benefits of engaging in regular physical activity (e.g., American Heart Association, 1996; USDHHS, 1996), it appears that many physical education programs are not adequately promoting physical activity and health -related fitness among young people. The authors suggest that specific solutions to this problem for middle school physical education require a shift in thinking about what is typically taught (content) and how that content is typically taught (instructional methods) during students ' adolescent years. The purpose of this article is to describe a double faceted approach to rethinking middle school physical education, one that involves changes to the content and instructional methods. This approach has the potential to enhance the number of individuals participating in regular physical activity during the adolescent years and throughout adulthood.