Goal content and attitudes toward physical activity among primary school students during COVID-19 conditional movement control order

Abstract

This study examined primary school students’ goal content and attitudes toward physical activity during COVID-19 Conditional Movement Control Order . The participants were 312 students comprising 149 males and 163 females aged 11 and 12 years old from 3 primary schools in Sarawak, Malaysia. Participants were administered the Malay version of the Goal Content for Exercise Questionnaire Malay version (GCEQ; Chai et al., 2019) and Attitudes toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS; Jeswenny, 2019). The independent sample t -test revealed that there was a significant difference between gender for goal content in social affiliation, t (310) = -2.18, p = 0.030, and age groups for skill development, t (310) = 2.35, p = 0.019. In addition, there was a significant difference in learning for attitudes between gender, p = 0.034, and age groups, p = 0.035. Pearson correlation revealed a significant positive correlation between goal content variables and attitude variables ranging from a very weak correlation ( r = 0.13, p = 0.05) to moderate correlation ( r = 0.57, p = 0.01). These results suggest that sustainable interventions that integrate goal content and attitudes can improve long-lasting positive participation towards physical activity and promote a healthy attitude towards healthy living.

Results from the Malaysia 2022 report card on physical activity for children and adolescents

“…It was previously shown that lack of motivation is one of the prominent factors that has impacted participation during the COVID-19. 38 Therefore, there is a necessity for early interventions in children and adolescents starting from home to support the younger generation towards an active lifestyle in any form of future pandemic lockdown. A study involving preschoolers, including those from Malaysia, suggested that apart from encouraging indoor physical activities, providing opportunities for outdoor play that incorporate appropriate risk mitigation strategies, could potentially improve participation in physical activities during lockdown periods.…”

The Teaching of Physical Education Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Seorang guru atau pendidik memang perlu membangun komunikasi dengan orangtua peserta didik dengan tujuan dukungan orangtua dan fasilitas media sebagai penunjang pembelajaran disaat menggunakan WhatsApp Group, mengirimkan video maupun PPT. Hasil tersebut sesuai dengan penelitian terdahulu terkait kedisiplinan pembelajaran dengan metode online atau daring dapat berjalan dengan baik karena adanya kerja sama antara guru dengan siswa (Kusumadewi et al, 2020;Siong & John, 2021). Selain itu peran orang tua saat pelajaran online juga berpengaruh, sebagai pendamping siswa sebelum, saat, sampai usai pembelajaran (Wardhani & Krisnani, 2020).…”

Physical activity and sedentary behaviors associated with overweight and obesity among primary school children in Tanzania: a case-control study

“…Physical activity and diet are modifiable factors in preventing childhood obesity, prevent several non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and improve life expectancy (Diouf et al , 2016; Mashili et al , 2018; Ferrari et al , 2020; Siong and John, 2021). Therefore, understanding the frequency of participation, patterns and details of specific types of sports in children may help determine their contribution to health outcomes (Heitzler et al , 2011).…”