THE LEGITIMACY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the current scope of P.E. classes organized at the University of Warmia & Mazury in Olsztyn (Poland) during a period of one semester on the level of 1st year students’ motor abilities. A total of 337 full-time students aged 19-20 participated in the research. In order to calculate the students’ BMI, basic anthropometric parameters such as their body mass and height were measured. The students’ motor abilities were examined at the beginning as well as at the end of the summer semester of the academic year 2009/2010 using the following 13 motor tests: the standing long jump [cm], the 4x10 m shuttle run [s], the skipping with clapping of hands – 8 s [number of claps], sit-ups – 30 s [number of sit-ups], the medicine ball (4 kg) forward throw [cm], the medicine ball (4 kg) backward throw [cm], the bent-arm hang on bar [s], the downward bend from standing position [cm], the sit and reach [cm], Burpee test – 1 and 3 min. [number of cycles], and the forward-backward arm rotation over head holding a bar [cm]. The data were subjected to statistical analysis using the Statistica PL v. 10 software package. In the majority of motor trials (eight out of eleven) the students performed significantly worse after completing the semester-long P.E. course. In the other five trials the differences were found to be insignificant. Moreover, the study revealed that the participants’ average BMI increased over the course of the experiment. Based on the above it can be concluded that the current university P.E. program seems to be ineffective as it failed to result in noticeable positive physical changes, although the possible influence of the P.E. classes on the students’ attitudes toward physical education and their future lifestyles should not be ignored. If it is to lead to the desired physical changes in university youth, the amount of time devoted to physical education at the university must be increased, the classes distributed differently and their form rethought. Key words: physical education, P.E. program, university students, motor abilities.