Elmer E. Erbe

Publication Date

1967

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Dunn, J. Hubert||Kahler, Robert

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Physical Education

LCSH

Grading and marking (Students); Physical fitness

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study Has two-fold: (1) to determine the relationship between the physical fitness and the academic achievement of pre-adolescent boys; and (2) to ascertain what effect physical fitness had upon academic achievement over a period of three school years. Procedures. The subjects were 150 boys enrolled In School District 70, Morton Grove, Illinois. The study began in 1962-63, when eighty-four boys were in the fifth grade and sixty-six were In the sixth grade, and ended in 1964-65, when they completed their seventh and eighth grades respectively. The American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Youth witness Test was used to measure physical fitness, and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills was used to measure academic achievement. Both tests were administered once annually for a period of three consecutive school years. Using the composite percentile scores for both tests, based on national norms, a coefficient of correlation was computed to determine the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement for each of the three years. To ascertain the effect physical fitness had upon academic achievement, the amount of Improvement or non-improvement in composite percentile score from the first to the second test of physical fitness was correlated with the amount of improvement or non-improvement in composite percentile score from the first to the second test of academic achievement. This process was repeated for the second to the third year, and for the first to the final year. To gain further Insight as to the effect of physical fitness upon academic achievement, all boys who had shown increase in composite percentile score from the first to the final physical fitness test were classified as "fitness improvers," and all boys who had not were classified as "fitness non-Improvers." Coefficients of correlation were computed for the following: (1) "fitness improvers" and academic improvement; (2) "fitness improvers" and academic non-improvement; (3) "fitness non-improvers" and academic improvement; and (4) "fitness non-improvers" and academic non-improvement. Findings. The results indicated no significant relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement for each of the three years of the study. Relationships between physical fitness improvement or non-improvement and academic achievement Improvement or non-improvement were also of little statistical significance. Coefficients of correlation within the "fitness improvers" and "fitness non-improver" were also low, with the highest (.455) found for non-improvement in both areas. In 92 per cent of the oases, non-improvement in physical fitness did not accompany improvement in academic achievement. Non-improvement in physical fitness generally accompanied non-improvement in academic achievement.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

viii, 71 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

Download

Share

COinS