Instrument for verification of ethical theories in physical culture

Abstract

This study tested an instrument entitled "Physical Culture and Ethics" which consisted of 44 statements to which subjects responded on a Likert-type five-point scale. The statements reflected the ethical theories of Aristotle (14 statements), Kant (14 statements) and Mill (16 statements). The hypothetical model of ethical theories was verified on a sample of 163 students at the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education in Belgrade (119 male students and 44 female students), attending all years of study (n1=22, n2=34, n3=36, n4=48, n5=23). We hypothesized that students would display greater maturity in terms of education and reaffirm their positions towards ethical issues in physical culture as they progressed in their studies, and also that the male and the female students had their specific moral outlooks on the reality of physical culture. When comparing the basic statistical indicators of students' responses to statements reflecting the ethical theories (Aristotle, Kant, Mill) against the year of study students were in (mean value and standard deviation) - certain variation in values from the first to the fifth year of study was observed, thus confirming the hypothesis. When comparing the basic statistical indicators of male and female students' responses to statements reflecting the ethical theories (Aristotle, Kant, Mill) - female students' results were better on all scales, and Aristotle's ethical theory showed a statistical significance, thus confirming the second hypothesis as well.