Physical Activity in Physical Education: A Case Study Investigation

A commitment to regular participation in Physical activity by young people has recently been emphasised by the physical education (PE) profession and other health promoting organisations as both critical to, and beneficial for, young peoples’ health. However, the contribution that PE generally, specific types of PE lessons and particular aspects of lessons, make to young peoples’ current and future health has yet to be adequately investigated. This paper reports a study that explored the physical activity levels of six year 7 girls throughout a unit of netball lessons. Recorded heart rate responses and systematic observation techniques were used to explore the amount of lesson time experienced within four different heart rate reserve (HRR) zones; light ( 75%HRR). Results are presented for two phases of data analysis: (i) all six lessons in the netball unit, (ii) a comparative analysis of two identified types of lesson; ‘game, p...