School Sports Clubs Members’ Attitudes Towards Physical Education and Sport

The purpose of the educational process is to promote pro-fitness lifestyle, which means that an adult will engage in different forms of physical activity on a regular basis, resulting in health enhancement. Several authors have investigated the attitudes of Polish children and adolescents to physical education and sport, and compared their results to those of investigations on instrumental goals. Different aspects of attitudes towards physical education and sport were also studied by researchers from numerous countries using diagnostic questionnaires. The purpose of the present study was to identify the educational effects of school sports clubs (SSC). The differences of attitudes towards physical education and sport were compared between members of SSC and youth of the same age that did not participate in the activities of the clubs. The study questionnaire was sent out to 623 randomly selected school sports clubs in Poland. A cover letter explained the purpose and procedure of testing. Correctly filled questionnaires were obtained from 103 school sports clubs. 2704 questionnaires were selected for statistical analysis. The research tool, (i.e., diagnostic questionnaire), had been developed by Strzyżewski (1990). The obtained results indicate the attitude of questionnaire respondents towards physical education and sport is positive but reserved. Despite the strength of the cognitive component (cognitive scores were highest), the actual participation in out of school sports activities was insufficient (low values of behavioural scores). SSC members have more positive attitudes towards physical education and sport than their non-SSC counterparts.