The purpose of this study was to examine the participation, perceptions, and preferences of seventh- and eighth-grade girls in coeducational and gender-separated physical education classes in five schools in East Tennessee. The participants in this study were seventh- and eighth-grade girls attending public schools in two East Tennessee counties. Participants completed a questionnaire pertaining to their physical education classes. Although 465 students were invited to participate in this study, only 241 students returned the permission form. This resulted in a 50% response rate. The findings were descriptive in nature, although basic analyses were calculated to identify any relationships among the different variables.
The literature review examined adolescents' activity patterns, adolescents' self-esteem, gender equity issues, coeducational physical education versus same-gender physical education, and physical educators and their roles.
The study revealed that most seventh- and eighth-grade girls dressed out for physical education and participated in coeducational physical education classes. A majority of the seventh- and eighth-grade girls preferred having a female physical education teacher. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls' participation rates did not decrease in a coeducational class setting. There was not a significant relationship between the gender of the physical education teacher and seventh- and eighth-grade girls' participation in physical education activities. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls agreed their physical education teachers were fun, fair, and easy to talk to. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls also agreed that their physical education teachers explained things well and motivated them to do their best. Having boys in physical education classes was not a major factor for girls in dressing out for physical education classes or in their participation rates.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the participation, perceptions, and preferences of seventh- and eighth-grade girls in coeducational and gender-separated physical education classes in five schools in East Tennessee. The participants in this study were seventh- and eighth-grade girls attending public schools in two East Tennessee counties. Participants completed a questionnaire pertaining to their physical education classes. Although 465 students were invited to participate in this study, only 241 students returned the permission form. This resulted in a 50% response rate. The findings were descriptive in nature, although basic analyses were calculated to identify any relationships among the different variables.</p><p>The literature review examined adolescents' activity patterns, adolescents' self-esteem, gender equity issues, coeducational physical education versus same-gender physical education, and physical educators and their roles.</p><p>The study revealed that most seventh- and eighth-grade girls dressed out for physical education and participated in coeducational physical education classes. A majority of the seventh- and eighth-grade girls preferred having a female physical education teacher. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls' participation rates did not decrease in a coeducational class setting. There was not a significant relationship between the gender of the physical education teacher and seventh- and eighth-grade girls' participation in physical education activities. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls agreed their physical education teachers were fun, fair, and easy to talk to. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls also agreed that their physical education teachers explained things well and motivated them to do their best. Having boys in physical education classes was not a major factor for girls in dressing out for physical education classes or in their participation rates.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sullivan, Shannon Clabo"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"EdD (Doctor of Education)","degree_level":"Dissertation - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2003,"date_issued":"2003-05-03T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2003-05-03T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:21Z","subjects":["Title IX","Physical Education","Obesity","Gender Equity","Coeducational","Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/739","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sullivan, Shannon Clabo"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2003-05-03T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["EdD (Doctor of Education)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Title IX","Physical Education","Obesity","Gender Equity","Coeducational","Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1896/viewcontent/SullivanS030603f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/739"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to examine the participation, perceptions, and preferences of seventh- and eighth-grade girls in coeducational and gender-separated physical education classes in five schools in East Tennessee. The participants in this study were seventh- and eighth-grade girls attending public schools in two East Tennessee counties. Participants completed a questionnaire pertaining to their physical education classes. Although 465 students were invited to participate in this study, only 241 students returned the permission form. This resulted in a 50% response rate. The findings were descriptive in nature, although basic analyses were calculated to identify any relationships among the different variables.
The literature review examined adolescents' activity patterns, adolescents' self-esteem, gender equity issues, coeducational physical education versus same-gender physical education, and physical educators and their roles.
The study revealed that most seventh- and eighth-grade girls dressed out for physical education and participated in coeducational physical education classes. A majority of the seventh- and eighth-grade girls preferred having a female physical education teacher. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls' participation rates did not decrease in a coeducational class setting. There was not a significant relationship between the gender of the physical education teacher and seventh- and eighth-grade girls' participation in physical education activities. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls agreed their physical education teachers were fun, fair, and easy to talk to. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls also agreed that their physical education teachers explained things well and motivated them to do their best. Having boys in physical education classes was not a major factor for girls in dressing out for physical education classes or in their participation rates.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Perceptions of Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Girls toward Coeducational Physical Education Classes in Five Middle Schools in East Tennessee."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Sullivan, Shannon Clabo"],"dc:date.issued":["2003-05-03T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to examine the participation, perceptions, and preferences of seventh- and eighth-grade girls in coeducational and gender-separated physical education classes in five schools in East Tennessee. The participants in this study were seventh- and eighth-grade girls attending public schools in two East Tennessee counties. Participants completed a questionnaire pertaining to their physical education classes. Although 465 students were invited to participate in this study, only 241 students returned the permission form. This resulted in a 50% response rate. The findings were descriptive in nature, although basic analyses were calculated to identify any relationships among the different variables.
The literature review examined adolescents' activity patterns, adolescents' self-esteem, gender equity issues, coeducational physical education versus same-gender physical education, and physical educators and their roles.
The study revealed that most seventh- and eighth-grade girls dressed out for physical education and participated in coeducational physical education classes. A majority of the seventh- and eighth-grade girls preferred having a female physical education teacher. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls' participation rates did not decrease in a coeducational class setting. There was not a significant relationship between the gender of the physical education teacher and seventh- and eighth-grade girls' participation in physical education activities. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls agreed their physical education teachers were fun, fair, and easy to talk to. Seventh- and eighth-grade girls also agreed that their physical education teachers explained things well and motivated them to do their best. Having boys in physical education classes was not a major factor for girls in dressing out for physical education classes or in their participation rates.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1896/viewcontent/SullivanS030603f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/739"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Title IX","Physical Education","Obesity","Gender Equity","Coeducational","Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research"],"dc:title":["Perceptions of Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Girls toward Coeducational Physical Education Classes in Five Middle Schools in East Tennessee."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["EdD (Doctor of Education)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:21Z"}