Assessing Levels of Physical Fitness in Elementary School Students

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the extent to which fourth-grade students achieved a healthy fitness zone in relation to the NASPE standard 4, as a result of participating in a three-year Carol White Physical Education Program (PEP) project intervention. Participants in this study were nine physical education teachers and their students in grade 4 who were enrolled in nine different elementary schools within the same school district. The students’ cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance were assessed with four FITNESSGRAM test items during regular physical education classes in the PEP year 2 and PEP year 3. Descriptive statistics results indicated that the percentages of the students’ reaching the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) on each test in PEP year 2 and year 3 ranged from high to very high (68.1% to 89.2%). The results of the t-tests indicated that the boys had statistically significant higher mean scores than the girls on PACER and push-up tests. In contrast, the girls’ mean scores were statistically significant higher than the boy’s on the trunk lift test. No significant differences were found on the curl-up test between boys and girls in the two years. It was concluded that at least two-thirds of the students met HFZ for the four fitness tests in PEP year 2 and year 3.

Keywords: Physical Fitness, Healthy fitness zone, Content standards, FITNESSGRAM test, Quality PE