ATTITUDES TOWARDS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: AN ANALYSIS OF GRADE-LEVEL

DIFFERENCES

Morales, Keesha L. - 4
Punzalan, Jamean Carlo P. - 2
Pulusan, Kal-el Fevzi N. - 4
Saguido, Bernardo V. - 3
Ibe, Honestine Angela G. - 4
Sonza, Sophia Roanne T. - 4
Assumpta Technical High School
Sta. Monica, San Simon, Pampanga

ABSTRACT
This study was conceived within the context of physical activity, which is observed
among high school adolescents aged 11–17 in Pampanga. Subsequently, this quantitative study
employed a descriptive causal-comparative design to explore variances in attitudes toward
physical activity between Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) students. The
objective of this study was to examine whether differences in grade levels influenced the
attitudes of the two groups toward physical activity. A diverse sample comprising JHS and SHS
students from Pampanga was selected using convenience sampling. The researchers utilized the
Attitudes Towards Physical Activity Scale (APAS), which was adapted from the work of Dinc,
Uzunoz, Mok, and Chin in 2015. A survey was administered to 49 students from JHS and 41
from the SHS department. The findings imply that the transition from junior high to senior high
school may contribute to the students' negative outlooks and decline in physical activity.
Therefore, the researchers recommend exploring various approaches to convey this study, such
as employing different setups like exergames to enhance engagement levels in physical activity.
Additionally, they suggest allocating extra and more engaging physical activities outside class
hours.
Keywords: physical activity, grade level differences, junior high school students, senior
high school students, grade level, attitude towards physical activity

INTRODUCTION
Background
Physical Activity is defined as the movements of the muscles of the skeletal system in the
body, which require energy expenditure. It can improve physical well-being by doing simple
activities such as sports, jogging, walking, and lifting weights. On top of that, it was proven that
regular physical activity can reduce the risk of and prevent non-communicable diseases such as
diabetes, heart stroke, and several other cancers (World Health Organization, 2022). In line with
this, in Warburton and Bredin’s (2017) evaluation of recent systematic reviews of the
relationships between physical activity and health status, they concluded that a person can
receive and attain greater health benefits by simply becoming more physically active.

1
 As stated by Janssen and LeBlanc (2010) as cited in Owen, Smith, Lubans, Ng, and
Lonsdale (2014), being physically active is often associated with many health benefits among
adolescents and children. For example, Physical Activity (PA), as stated by the National Library
of Medicine (n.d.) that PA is the proper acronym for PA, it can help lower cholesterol and blood
lipids, improve blood pressure, reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, and many more. Moving
forward, while PA is known to provide many health benefits, there are various motivational
factors for engaging in physical activity. According to Gavin, Keough, Abravanel,
Moudrakovski, and Mcbrearty (2014), there are consistent motivational factors for engaging in
PA which are: mental toughness, fun and friends, physical attractiveness, and stress reduction.
Moreover, some adolescents engage in PA through sports participation. It was revealed that
participating in sports can not only attain great health benefits but can also increase adolescents'
or students’ knowledge of PA, as well as sports. Therefore, the more students get involved in
sports, the more likely they are to be physically active and to understand the importance of
physical activity for their health and well-being (Oja & Piksööt, 2022).

With the aforementioned studies in mind, participating in Physical Education, however, is

essential to any educational curriculum as it may provide plenty of benefits for students.
According to the World Health Organization (2022), physical education is a way of teaching
students about physical activity and helping them develop their physical fitness, motor skills, and
cognitive, affective, and social skills. Alternatively, there is an agreement that physical
activities, such as sports, play an essential role, which is to improve themselves in terms of
physical, social, and mental development of both males and females (Mirsafian, 2014). In spite
of this, some studies found that students’ motivation to participate in P.E. at school seems to
decline as they grow older as students’ motivation to participate in physical activity depends on
the success of their performance in physical activity (Gu & Zhang, 2016). In the study conducted
by Ahmad et al. (2021) found some evidence of the association between physical inactivity and
the following variables: Age, sex, socio-economic status, lack of social support from parents,
family and friends have had an impact on their motivation to perform PA on a continuous basis.
Also, the lack of awareness, attitudes, and practices of individuals themselves for not doing PA
has affected their interest in maintaining PA. For example, in other countries like China, there is
a prevalent physical inactivity among children. According to Xiang and Zhen-Bo (2017), school-
aged children have low levels of moderate to vigorous physical fitness in junior middle and high
school, as well as children residing in rural areas of the country. Globally, individuals aged 11 to
17 often demonstrate insufficient physical activity, as reported by the WHO (2022). While
previous studies suggest that there is a decline in students’ engagement and motivation towards
PA and P.E, recent studies show a noteworthy shift in attitudes towards PA and P.E. Contrary to
the aforementioned findings, recent studies (Gouveia et al., 2018) indicate that students now
possess a more positive outlook towards P.E. There is now an evident improvement in students’
overall physical activity performance compared to previous global assessments, allowing them to
reach higher levels of perceived competence.

2
 Physical activity and its general engagement level in the Philippines, however, must be
improved. According to a study by Cagas et al. (2022) from the 2022 Philippine report card on
physical activity for children and adolescents, the results showed that there was a significant
prevalence of physical inactivity among Filipino adolescents and children living in urban and
rural areas, highlighting a need for local authorities to provide more physical activity
opportunities for them.

Shifting the focus to university students, in a 2019 study conducted by Pituk and Cagas, it
was found that Filipino male university students were much more physically active compared to
the female university students. Overall, the findings of the study indicated that the physical
activity levels among Filipino university students ranged from moderate to high. However, as the
years progressed, the levels of physical activity have increasingly declined with the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Examining the impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on Filipino
university students’ PA, Cruz, Cando, and Kim (2022), discovered a notable decline in PA. They
found out that the restrictions and the strict guidelines implemented during the pandemic had
contributed to a significant decrease in physical activities, particularly walking. In their study, it
was discovered how this continued to contribute to the increase of the students' sedentary
behaviors, wherein the time originally used for physical activity had turned into sitting and using
gadgets most of the time. The restrictions caused by the pandemic, and the learning modality at
that time were the common factors to promote sedentary behaviors among students. Despite
these challenges and barriers caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipino post-
primary students continue to hold positive attitudes toward the P.E. curriculum and its activities.
The study highlighted different preferences in doing physical activities, which they also wanted
to include as some of their activities; The results were attributed to the students' enjoyment,
indicating a positive correlation between their performance and the level of enjoyment
experienced. This positive attitude that students possess is crucial, given the potential link
between students’ attitudes and their engagement towards the P.E. curriculum and its activities
(Cruz, 2022). On top of that, other factors contribute to the positive attitudes students hold
toward physical activity about the P.E curriculum; adolescent students have moderately positive
attitudes towards physical activity and the P.E curriculum, primarily due to Teacher Sex (Cruz et
al., 2021).

In summary, while the pre-pandemic scenario showcased positive and high physical
activity levels among Filipino university students, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
introduced sets of challenges and barriers to the engagement of Filipino students in physical
activity, leading to a decline in physical activity. Despite these setbacks, however, students
maintain a positive attitude toward the P.E curriculum, highlighting the need for more effective
strategies to address the evolving conditions of physical activity among this demographic. Past
researchers have been exploring the factors influencing Filipino students' engagement levels and
attitudes toward physical activity with the involvement of Physical Education. However, grade-

3
level differences in Filipino students' attitudes toward physical activity alone are underexplored.
Hence, the pursuance of this study.

Statement of the Problem

The general objective of this study is to examine the grade-level differences of SHS and JHS
learners on their attitudes towards Physical Activity.
Specifically, it aims to describe the following:
1.) attitudes of JHS and SHS learners on physical activity in terms of benefits as shown on
the questionnaire;
2.) attitudes of JHS and SHS learners on physical activity in terms of learning;
3.) attitudes of JHS and SHS learners on physical activity in terms of self-efficacy;
4.) attitudes of JHS and SHS learners on physical activity in terms of fun or interest in doing
physical activity;
5.) attitudes of JHS and SHS learners on physical activity in terms of fitness; and
6.) attitudes of JHS and SHS learners on physical activity in terms of personal best.

Significance of the Study

This paper, which aims to investigate and evaluate the grade level differences in attitudes
of junior and senior high school learners from Pampanga on physical activity, seeks to benefit
the following: (a.) junior and senior high school students, for them to stay active and be more
participative in different physical activity; (b.) teachers, for them to improve their teaching and
guidance when it comes to physical activities to identify what is lacking to students to participate
in physical activity; (c.) school, for them to be aware and more knowledgeable what to improve
and change for their students to have a positive attitude in participating in physical activities; and
(d.) future researchers, for them to be enlightened with informative and relevant data which
allows them to conduct a more comprehensive study on this topic.

METHODS
Research Design
This paper aims to examine whether learners’ attitudes toward physical activity are
influenced by their grade levels. To achieve this, the researchers used a descriptive causal-
comparative design to determine the potential impact of the independent variable, grade level
differences, on the dependent variable, attitudes of junior and senior high school students
towards physical activity. As noted in Harappa Education (2021), causal-comparative design
aims to identify causal relationships by scrutinizing the links among variables making it
descriptive rather than experimental. Nevertheless, it can establish a link or a relationship that
may help conclude the possible causes for different occurrences.

Respondents and Sampling

In this study, the sample consisted of 90 students, 49 from JHS and 41 from SHS. The
ages of the respondents ranged from 13 to 18 years old. Convenience sampling was the method

4
utilized in this study since the sample consisted of Pampanga high school students. Convenience
sampling is beneficial when researchers are short on time, as it is a simple way to collect the data
needed for a research study. In this sample, they are selected not because they are most
representative of the entire population, but because they are most easily accessible to the
researcher (Simkus, 2023). Moreover, this sampling technique is beneficial due to the fact that it
is inexpensive and that it does not require a complete list of the population (Acharya, et al.,
2013).

Instruments
The study made use of the Attitudes Towards Physical Activity Scale (APAS) originally
developed by Mok et al. in 2015 and later adapted by Dinc, Uzunoz, Mok, and Chin in 2019 to
gather data. This instrument consists of 38 items and employs a 4-point Likert scale format,
where 1 = Strongly disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = Agree; and 4 = Strongly agree. Moreover, the
questionnaire is divided into six subscales: benefits, learning, self-efficacy, fun, fitness, and
personal best.
The first subscale evaluates the attitudes of the respondents towards physical activity in terms of
benefits. The sample items from this subscale include;
1.) Being physically active helps in relaxing me.
2.) Being physically active helps improve my thinking; and
3.) Being physically active helps improve my analytic skills.
The second subscale evaluates the attitudes of the respondents towards physical activity in terms
of learning. The sample items from this subscale include;
1.) I learned about a healthy lifestyle from video exercises.
2.) I learned about a healthy diet from video exercise; and
3.) I learned about hygiene from a video exercise.
The third subscale evaluates the attitudes of the respondents towards physical activity in terms of
self-efficacy. The sample items from this subscale include;
1.) I know how to choose a physical activity in video exercise that suits me.
2.) I know how to do physical activity if there is a video exercise to follow; and
3.) I know which is my favorite physical activity in video exercise.
The fourth subscale evaluates the attitudes of the respondents towards physical activity in terms
of fun. The sample items from this subscale include;
1.) I think physical activity is fun
2.) I look forward to doing physical activity; and
3.) I achieve my physical activity goals even if I am tired.
The fifth subscale evaluates the attitudes of the respondents towards physical activity in terms of
fitness. The sample items from this subscale include;
1.) I am confident with my strength.
2.) I am confident with my endurance; and
3.) I am confident with my balance.

5
The last subscale evaluates the attitudes of the respondents towards physical activity in terms of
personal best. The sample items from this subscale include;
1.) I try my best to engage in physical activity.
2.) My target is to go beyond what I have achieved in physical activity; and
3.) I keep striving for breakthroughs in physical activity.
Furthermore, in ensuring the validity of the instrument, the researchers referred to a study
conducted by Dinc, Uzunoz, Mok, and Chin (2019) wherein the Cronbach’s alpha for each
subscale ranged from 0.81 to 0.91. In contrast, the whole scale has a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94.
Making the internal consistency excellent as alpha values ranging from 0.93-0.94 are deemed
excellent (Taber, 2017). The time allotted to answer the questionnaire ranges from 10-15
minutes.

Data Collection
Prior to administering the Attitudes Toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS), the
researchers will first establish rapport among the respondents. In order to achieve this, the
significance and relevance of the study will be explained to the respondents. This is to ensure
that they have a clear understanding of the content of the questionnaire. Subsequently, the
researchers will also assure the respondents that their responses will remain confidential and will
be used for research purposes only. After that, each respondent will be given consent forms and a
copy of the APAS questionnaire. Instructions will be given comprehensively. Then the
respondents will be given 10–15 minutes or more to complete the questionnaire. The researchers
will provide assistance if necessary. After successfully collecting all the responses, the results
will be gathered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Statistical Analysis
The gathered data was analyzed through a software called the Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS). SPSS is an advanced software capable of generating a wide range of
statistical analyses. From simple analyses of the results of the data gathered to complex
multivariate matrix analyses (Arkellin, 2014). After completing the initial analysis, the mean
scores of the respondents were directed to undergo the independent sample t-test. According to
Ross and Willson (2017), independent sample t-tests are used to compare two means and
determine if there is statistical evidence of differences between the two means within the
population.

Research Ethics
In this study, the researchers selected JHS and SHS learners to participate. With the
research ethics in mind, the researchers gave thorough instructions in answering the
questionnaires beforehand. The respondents were informed of the purpose of the study and its
consequences. The utmost confidentiality of the data and other personal information the
respondents have shared was also ensured. This data was used exclusively for research purposes
and was not used for any other reason. Letters of permission or consent were provided at the

6
same time the questionnaires were distributed to the respondents. This is to ensure their
voluntary participation, in which they have the right to withdraw and decline at any given point
in time. In addition, to protect their privacy rights, they were also informed that their identities or
names would remain confidential.

RESULTS
Demographic Profile
Considering the demographic aspects of the variables, there were a total of 90 samples of
which 54.4% consisted of Junior High School students. In contrast, Senior High School students
made up the remaining 45.6% of the sample as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1. The Demographic Profile of the Sample

Group Statistics
Table 1 shows the descriptive statistics of the two groups, junior high school and senior high
school students, including the sample size, mean, and standard deviation.

Table 1. Descriptive Statistics of JHS and SHS Students bes oki nayann yung isang table nalang
ayusin
Group Statistics

GRADE LEVEL N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean

Mean JHS 49 3.1976 .44199 .06314

SHS 41 2.9756 .33601 .05248

7
Independent Samples T-Test
An independent sample t-test was conducted to determine the possible significant difference
between junior high school and senior high school students in terms of their attitudes toward
physical activity. The results are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Independent Samples Test for Differences Between Two Groups

Independent Samples Test
Levene’s test
for Equality t-test for Equality of Means
of Variances

95% Confidence
Sig Mean STD. Error Interval of the
F Sig. t df (2 tailed) Difference Difference Difference

Lower Upper

Equal 3.600 .061 2.641 88 .010 .22208 .08410 .05495 .38921

Mean variances
assumed

Equal 2.705 87.255 .008 .22208 .08210 .05890 .38526

variances
not
assumed

An independent sample t-test was conducted to compare the grade level differences of junior and
senior high school students in terms of their attitudes toward physical activity. The four
subscales namely fun (p = .050 ≤ .05), learning (p = .014 ≤ .05), benefits (p = .024 ≤ .05), and
fitness (p = .048 ≤ .05) show significant differences in score while the other two subscales
namely self-efficacy (p = 0.588 ≥ .05) and personal best (p = 0.136 ≥ .05) do not show
significant differences in score. Overall, there was a significant difference between the two
groups, p = .010 ≤ .05, with junior high school students (M = 3.19, SD = .44) having better
attitudes towards physical activity than senior high school students (M = 2.98, SD = .34).

DISCUSSION
This study explores whether grade level affects the attitudes of junior and senior high
school students towards physical activity. The gathered data from the distributed questionnaires
were employed to undergo independent samples t-test and the findings of the study mirrored the
hypothesis of the researchers wherein results show that grade level is a factor in influencing the

8
attitudes of students towards physical activity. It was shown that senior high school students
show a more negative outlook towards physical activity than junior high school students

A significant difference was assumed primarily because of the differences in grade level.
Students tend to possess different attitudes toward physical activity in the P.E curriculum based
on their grade level differences. Wherein students have more positive outlooks while those in the
lower levels did not because of the differences in content both grade levels consume in the P.E
curriculum in terms of physical activity. This happens because students’ attitudes change
throughout high school. This change may be rooted from the perceived usefulness of P.E
depending on the activities allotted in the curriculum and the P.E teacher as well (Pereira, Santos,
and Marinho, 2020). Hence, it was assumed that JHS and SHS students may possess different
attitudes towards physical activity as they consume new topics and partake in different activities
depending on the P.E curriculum that is in accordance with their grade level.

Meanwhile, regarding the overall attitudes of the students towards physical activity, the
analyzed data revealed that there was a significant difference between junior and senior high
school students. In hindsight, the study of Scrabis-Fletcher and Silverman in 2017 generated
similar results on their respondents, which consisted of 1,281 students. In their analyzed data, it
was revealed that there was a significant difference in grade level differences among the
students’ attitudes towards physical activity. There could be other or many occurrences that
explain the significant difference in attitudes as students progress in their academic journey.

In physical activity, especially in the case of students, fun or interest plays a vital part in
the engagement level and overall attitudes of students towards physical activity. In this concept,
the two groups’ attitudes towards physical activity in terms of fun have influenced their overall
attitudes towards physical activity as proven by the results of this study and as explained by
previous studies as well. The current study found a significant difference (p = .050 ≤ .05)
between JHS and SHS students regarding their attitudes towards physical activity in terms of
fun. JHS students scored higher mean scores compared to SHS students. This difference in
scores could be the result of the increasing difficulty of activities in physical activity that
students partake in within the P.E curriculum as students transition to higher grade levels. An
explanation in the study of Scrabis-Fletcher and Silverman in 2017 states that the decrease in the
perceived fun or enjoyment for physical activity for students may be that as they progress and
transition to higher grade levels, difficulty in activities increase. Whereas students are likely to
encounter unsuccessful experiences resulting in a decrease of perceived fun towards physical
activity, thus contributing to the decrease in attitudes towards physical activity. Hence, the
respondents in this study may have also experienced the same occurrences resulting in the
significant difference finding regarding their attitudes towards physical activity in terms of fun.

In line with this, due to the negative outlooks that SHS students posses towards physical
activity in terms of fun compared to JHS students, this results to a lower mean score for SHS
students in the factor, “learning,” as compared to the mean scores of JHS students. As the results
of the current study show that SHS students disagree to perceive physical activity as fun, this
could discourage SHS students to continue learning different things through physical activity.

9
Thus, also contributing to the negative attitudes that SHS students posses towards physical
activity. On another note, besides the influence of transitioning to higher grade levels to the
attitudes of JHS and SHS students towards physical activity, the grade level differences of fitness
levels of both groups could also be critical to the findings of the current study. According to a
study conducted by Cagas et al. (2022) from the 2022 Philippine report card on physical activity
for children and adolescents, it shows that Filipino children and adolescents have prevalent
physical inactivity. Meaning, students’ attitudes and motivations towards physical activity
depends on the success of their performance in physical activity. This implies that the students
have the tendency to get discouraged to engage in physical activity and improve their attitudes
towards physical activity once they encounter unsuccessful experiences in physical activity. The
current study’s results show that JHS students have higher fitness levels compared to SHS
students. Wherein findings show support in Gu and Zhang’s study in 2016 that physical activity
among individuals decline as they grow older. Whereas it was explained in their study that their
expectancy to excel influences their motivation to participate towards physical activity, as well
as their attitudes. It was also explained in the study of Scrabis-Fletcher and Silverman in 2017
that students that encounter unsuccessful experiences are more likely to have a decrease in
physical activity, as well as attitudes towards physical activity. Thus, this study infers that
transition to higher grade levels, and the unsuccessful experiences that increasing difficult
physical activities cause contribute to the decline in physical activity as students progress to
higher grade levels..

Furthermore, another reason that contributed to the significant difference is that students
have different perceived benefits in doing physical activity, which is proven by the results of the
current study. While it is stated by Celkin (2015) that engaging in physical activities helps a
student gain psychological benefits such as optimism, high self-esteem, and emotional stability,
findings show that both groups have a significant difference in attitudes towards physical activity
in terms of benefits. As JHS students have higher mean scores than SHS students in the factor
Benefits. These findings mean that JHS students have higher perceived benefits towards physical
activity compared to SHS students. With this in mind, this could imply that the transition from
junior to senior high school introduces changes in priorities or lifestyles that affect how students
perceive the benefits in doing physical activity. Given the fact that adolescents in today’s time
make most of the portion of the population that include sedentary behaviors in their lifestyles
(Sallis et al., 2016) Thus, this study’s results imply that the two groups involved students’
perceived benefits change in accordance with their priorities and changed lifestyles.

Subsequently, encouraging others to be more active and confident in doing physical

activity is important. The study of Cengiz and Tilmac (2018), suggested that low levels of self-
efficacy in students should be developed with a strong experimental design. This simply
demonstrates that insufficient self-efficacy levels reduce the ability of students to overcome
barriers related to physical activity. However, the current study’s results demonstrate that despite
the significant difference of the two groups involved in this study in terms of their attitudes
towards physical activity, there is no significant difference in self-efficacy. Both JHS and SHS
students show positive attitudes in terms of self-efficacy. This means that both groups exhibit
prior knowledge in physical activity despite differing in average scores. This suggests that both

10
groups have baseline beliefs in their capacity or ability to engage in physical activity, based on
their positive attitudes in self-efficacy despite possessing a difference in their overall attitudes
towards physical activity. Fostering self-efficacy in physical activity helps students overcome
barriers and obstacles in physical activity (Bebeley, Liu, and Yi-Gang, 2015). This study’s
results infer that students are still able to participate and overcome barriers as long as they have
baseline beliefs in their capacity to engage in physical activity.

Furthermore, doing their personal best in participating in Physical Activities was also
considered as one of the subscales in the current study. In a study conducted by Sttojanović,
Savić, Stojanović, and Stišović in 2021, they found that students who are more physically active
or who participate the most in extracurricular sports activities have more positive attitudes
toward PE. The current study demonstrates that despite the differences in attitudes towards
physical activity, both JHS and SHS students consistently strive to achieve their personal best in
physical activity. The subscale, “personal best,” had the second to the highest mean score with
JHS students slightly fostering a higher meansore than SHS students. Results show no significant
difference in scores. These results indicate that, even when SHS students exhibit lower scores
overall in terms of their attitudes towards physical activity, they are still motivated to give their
best in physical activity. Nevertheless, possessing a personal drive or intrinsic motivation driven
by internal factors such as enjoyment, satisfaction, and positive feedback helps foster better
performances in physical activity (Ryan and Deci, 2017). Thus, this study’s results show that
despite exhibiting different attitudes towards physical activity, both JHS and SHS students
possess positive attitudes in doing their personal best. This shows the resilience of the students,
without regard to their overall outlook towards physical activity.

The current study's findings highlight the need in improving the overall attitudes of SHS
students towards physical activity, while the overall attitudes of JHS students need to be
maintained even as they grow older. According to (Micheal et al., 2018) these are some of the
recommendations in helping improve students’ attitudes towards physical activity, and in turn
promote their engagement levels towards physical activity, such as lower or remove the cost of
activities without sacrificing the quality, make physical activity opportunities more locally
accessible, make activities more specific to teenagers, give teenagers a choice of
activities/increase variety of activity, and provide activities that teenagers can enjoy.
Furthermore, the benefits of physical activity for school-aged children are proven. Healthy
school environments help students achieve their academic potential and support the development
of life-long healthy habits (Vista Charter Academy, 2021), so it is really important to sustain
being physically active.

Study’s Limitations
Three limitations were considered in the conduct of the study. The first limitation is
focused on the research locale and sample. The sample was only made up of 49 JHS students and

11
41 SHS students located around different schools in Pampanga to represent the population. The
second limitation that was considered would be the data obtained through the utilized research
design. Because study solely relied on numerical data, making it limited to further understanding
the perspectives and experiences of the students. The third limitation is focused on time
constraints due to the tight schedule, which impacted various aspects of the study, such as data
collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Further Research
Since the present study only focused on the grade level differences of JHS and SHS
students from Pampanga on their attitudes towards physical activity, it is recommendable that
future researchers broaden the scope of the sample size and the locale to improve generalizability
and gain more diverse and accurate results. And see if there are any regional differences in the
attitudes of students towards physical activity. Second, future researchers can consider
conducting qualitative studies to gain in-depth information about the students’ outlooks and lived
experiences on physical activity and provide more concrete interventions and recommendations
to promote physical activity among students beyond the involvement of physical education.

REFERENCES

Acharya, A.S., Prakash, A., Saxena, P., and Nigam, A., “Sampling: Why and How of
It?” Indian Journal of Medical SPecialists, vol. 4, no. 2, 2013, pp. 330-333. Retrieved
from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256446902_Sampling_Why_and_How_of_it_A
nita_S_Acharya_Anupam_Prakash_Pikee_Saxena_Aruna_Nigam
Ahmad, N., Asim, H. H., Juatan, N., Hipni, N. E., Ithnain, N., Sanusi, N. H. A., Harun, S.
N. F., Zakaria, M. R., Jaafar, N., Mohamed, M. H., Suraji, S. H., & Krishnan, M. (2021).
Contributing factors to decline in physical activity among Adolescents: A scoping
review. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(9), 447–463.
https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v6i9.998
Ahmad, N., Asim, H. H., Juatan, N., Hipni, N. E., Ithnain, N., Sanusi, N. H. A., Harun, S. N.
F., Zakaria, M. R., Jaafar, N., Mohamed, M. H., Suraji, S. H., & Krishnan, M. (2021).
Contributing factors to decline in physical activity among Adolescents: A scoping review.
Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(9), 447–463.
https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v6i9.998

12
Arkellin, D. (2014) Using SPSS to understand research and data analysis Retrieved from
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=psych_oer
Bebeley, S.J., Yang, L., & Wu, Y.G. (2015) Physical Exercise Self-Efficacy for College
Students’ Level of Motivation in Physical Activity. International Journal of Science and
Research, 2319–2076
Cagas, J.Y, Mallari, M.F.T, Torre, B.A, Kang, M.D.P, Palad, Y.Y, Guisihan, R.M,
Aurellado, M.A, Sanchez-Pituk, C., Realin, J.G.P, Sabado, M.L.C, Ulanday, M.E.D,
Baltasar, J.F, Maghanoy, M.L.A, Ramos, R.A.A, Santos, R.A.B, & Capio, C.M. (2022).
Results from the Philippines' 2022 report card on physical activity for children and
adolescents. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, 20.
https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/279359/1-s2.0-S1728869X22X0004X/1-s2.0-
S1728869X22000545/main.pdf?X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEJb%2F
%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F
%2FwEaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJHMEUCIQDxWF0NnWrjPilFVa
%2Fhq6eRXxG3SvaG8nKy%2BYVSZX0zIAIgEYAQ%2FHJ
Cruz, A.B, Cando, J.M, & Kim, H.D (2022) Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and
Health States of University Students During the First Wave of COVID-19 Community
Quarantine in the Philippines Retrieved from
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.848273/full
Cruz, A.B, Cando, J.M, & Kim, H.D (2021) Physical Education Attitude of
Adolescent Students in the Philippines: Importance of Curriculum and Teacher
Sex and Behaviors Retrieved from
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.658599/full
Cruz, A. B. (2022). Post-primary School Students’ Attitudes Toward Physical Education
and Physical Activity Preferences: Philippines’ K-12 Program.
https://sci-hub.se/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40299-021-00598-2
Dinc, S. C., Uzunoz, F. S., Mok, M. M. C., & Chin, M.-K. (2019). Adaptation of the
“Attitudes Toward Physical Activity Scale” for Higher Education Students in Turkey.
Journal of Education and Learning, 8(3), pp. 95-101.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1212419.pdf
Gu, X. & Zhang, T. (2016). Changes of Children’s Motivation in Physical Education and
Physical Activity: A Longitudinal Perspective. Retrieved from
https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=69590
Gouveia, E., Ihle, A., Gouveia, B. R., Rodrigues, A. J., Marques, A., Freitas, D., Kliegel,
M., Correia, A. L., Alves, R. F., & Lopes, H. (2019). Students’ Attitude Toward Physical
Education: Relations With Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Self-Concept. The
Physical Educator, Vol. 76, pp. 945-963.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325653785_Students'_Attitude_Toward_Physic
al_Education_Relations_With_Physical_Activity_Physical_Fitness_and_Self-Concept
Gavin, J., Keough, M., Abravanel, M., Moudrakovski, T., & Mcbrearty, M. (2014).
Motivations for participation in physical activity across the lifespan. International
Journal of Wellbeing, 4(1), pp. 46-61.
https://www.internationaljournalofwellbeing.org/index.php/ijow/article/view/274/403
Harappa Education (2021) Causal Comparative Research: Methods And Examples
Retrieved from https://harappa.education/harappa-diaries/causal-comparative-research/

13
#:~:text=In%20a%20causal%2Dcomparative%20research,on%20the%20other%20and
%20why.
Janssen, I. & LeBlanc, A. G. (2010). Systematic review of the health benefits of physical
activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. International Journal of
Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Vol. 7.
https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5868-7-40
National Library of Medicine (n.d.) Acronyms and Glossary Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201505/?
fbclid=IwAR2N01dHuYaOoA0PxbCKgEcPUkFiy-UdnwlQSzNH-
3hSFw_hiqaVT8z4MaE
Mirsafian, H. (2014) Attitudes of Iranian Male University Students Toward Sport and
Exercise with Reference to Age, Educational Level, and Field of Study. Retrieved from
https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/pcssr-2014-0027
Mok, M.M., Chin, M.K., Chen, S., Emeljanovas, A., Meiziene, B., Bronikowski, M.,
Laudanska-Kerzeminska, I., Pasic, M., Balaskeran, G., Phua, K.W., & Makaza, D. (2015)
Psychometric Properties of the Attitudes toward Physical Activity Scale: A Rasch
Analysis Based on Data From Five Locations. Journal of Applied Measurement, 16(4),
pp. 379-400.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290598214_Psychometric_Properties_of_the_A
ttitudes_toward_Physical_Activity_Scale_A_Rasch_Analysis_Based_on_Data_From_Fi
ve_Locations
Owen, K. B., Smith, J., Lubans, D. R., Ng, J. Y.Y., & Lonsdale, C. (2014). Self-
determined motivation and physical activity in children and adolescents: A systematic
review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine, Vol. 67, pp. 270-279.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091743514002746
Oja, L., & Piksööt, J. (2022). Physical Activity and Sports Participation among
Adolescents: Associations with Sports-Related Knowledge and Attitudes. International
Journal of Environmental and Public HealthResearch, 19(10).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9140974/pdf/ijerph-19-06235.pdf
Pereira, P., Santos F., & Marinho D.A. (2020) Examining Portuguese High School
Students’ Attitudes Toward Physical Education Retreived from
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.604556/full
Pituk, C.S & Cagas, J.Y. (2019) Physical Activity And Physical Fitness Among Filipino
University Students Retrieved from
https://www.scielo.br/j/jpe/a/FBx5DfP8RQFrmsHkVjkpwYg/?lang=en
Ross, A., & Willson, V. L. (2017). Independent Samples T-Test. Basic and Advanced
Sample T-tests, pp. 13-16. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-6351-086-
8_3
Simkus, J. (2023) Convenience Sampling: Definition, Method And Examples Retrieved
from https://www.simplypsychology.org/convenience-sampling.html
Scrabis-Fletcher, K., & Silverman, S. (2017). Student Perception of Competence and
Attitude in Middle School Physical Education. The Physical Educator, 74(1), 85-103.
https://js.sagamorepub.com/index.php/pe/article/view/6557/5915
Sallis J.F., Bull F., Guthold R., Heath G.W., Inoue S., Kelly P., Oyeyemi A.L., Perez
L.G., Richards J., & Hallal P.C. Progress in physical activity over the Olympic
Quadrennium. Lancet. 2016;388:1325–1336. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30581-5.

14
Silverman, S. (2015). Upper Elementary School Student Attitudes Toward Physical
Education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 34, 461-473.
https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2014-0022
Taber, K. S. (2017). The Use of Cronbach’s Alpha When Developing and Reporting
Research Instruments in Science Education. Research In Science Education, 48,
pages1273–1296. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
World Health Organization (2022) Physical Activity Retreived from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity#:~:text=WHO
%20defines%20physical%20activity%20as,part%20of%20a%20person%27s%20work
World Health Organization (2023). Physical Education | Importance & Benefits Of
Physical Education Retrieved from
https://limbd.org/physical-education-importance-benefits-of-physical-education/
Warburton, D. E.R., & Bredin, S. S.D. (2017) Health benefits of physical activity: a
systematic review of current systematic reviews. Current Opinion in Cardiology, 32, pp.
541-556. https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0000000000000437
Xiang, F., & Zhen-Bo, C. (2017). Physical activity among Chinese school-aged children:
National prevalence estimates from the 2016 Physical Activity and Fitness in China—
The Youth Study. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 6(4), pp. 388-394.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254617301175?
ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=8178c4f7ef233e4a&fbclid=IwAR0tvL86YWW-
5PA3z3NPhT0rPnctbrUYzLPxtSY_Q2tR7_luxwjIMFTprxo

Appendix A
Questionnaire

ATTITUDES TOWARDS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SCALE

You are invited to participate in a study conducted by Group 8

from 12 STEM 2 Ezekiel. This questionnaire is adopted from
Dinc, Uzunoz, Mok, and Chin in 2019. The purpose of the current
study is to examine the grade level differences of SHS and JHS
learners from Pampanga on their attitudes towards physical
activity. Your participation in this study is voluntary. You may
choose not to participate, and you may withdraw your consent to

15
participate at any time. Moreover, the records of this study will be kept strictly confidential, and
will not be shared or discussed in any form or format.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this study, or if any issues arise, please
contact Keesha L. Morales at Assumpta Technical High School, Sta. Monica, San Simon,
Pampanga at +63 905 925 3756.

STATEMENT OF CONSENT
I have read the information above, and the questions I asked have been answered. I consent to
take part in this study.

RESPONDENT’S SIGNATURE: ________________________ DATE: _________________

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROFILE
AGE: _____ [ ] Junior High School [ ] Senior High School
[ ] Grade 7 [ ] Grade 11
[ ] Grade 8 [ ] Grade 12
[ ] Grade 9
[ ] Grade 10
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL DIRECTIONS
Specify your level of agreement or disagreement on the following items.
Check the box that corresponds to your answer.

1 2 3 4
STATEMENTS Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree

1. I enjoy doing physical activity.

2. I feel better after physical activity

3. I feel stronger after physical activity.

4. I think better after physical activity

5. I improve on my school work after

physical activity.

6. I think my good friends enjoy doing

physical activity

16
7. I think my teachers enjoy doing
physical activity

8. I learned about culture through video

exercise.

9. I learned about music through video

exercise.

10. I learned about art through video

exercise.

11. I learned about language through

video exercise.

12. I learned about healthy lifestyle from

video exercise.

13. I learned about healthy diet from

video exercise.

14. I learned about hygiene from video

exercise.

15. I learned about environmental

protection from video exercise.

16. Being physically active helps in

relaxing me.

1 2 3 4
STATEMENTS Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree

17. Being physically active helps improve

my thinking.

18. Being physically active helps improve

my analytic skills.

19. Being physically active helps to

enhance my self-concept.

20. Being physically active helps in

giving me more willpower.

21. Being physically active helps in

giving me good health.

17
22. Being physically active helps in
improving my school work.

23. I am confident with my strength.

24. I am confident with my endurance.

25. I am confident with my balance.

26. I am confident with my agility

27. I am confident with my flexibility

28. I am confident with my rhythm.

29. I am confident with my hand-eye

Coordination.

30. I am confident in doing physical

activity elegantly

31. I know how to choose physical

activity in video exercise that suits me.

32. I know how to do physical activity if

there is a video exercise to follow

33. I know which is my favorite physical

activity in video exercise.

34. I try my best to engage in physical

activity.

35. My target is to go beyond what I have

achieved in physical activity.

36. I keep striving for breakthroughs in

physical activity.

37. I just do my personal best in physical

activity.

38. I seek to explore my best potential in

physical activity

Appendix B
Group Statistics of Each Subscale

18
 GRADE LEVEL N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Mean JHS 49 3.1976 .44199 .06314
SHS 41 2.9756 .33601 .05248
Fun JHS 49 3.1545 .50241 .07177
SHS 41 2.9443 .49783 .07775
Learning JHS 49 3.1224 .62578 .08940
SHS 41 2.8476 .40554 .06333
Benefits JHS 49 3.2915 .54707 .07815
SHS 41 3.0348 .50283 .07853
Fitness JHS 49 3.0332 .61913 .08845
SHS 41 2.7957 .47987 .07494
SelfEfficacy JHS 49 3.3605 .48513 .06930
SHS 41 3.3008 .55680 .08696
PersonalBest JHS 49 3.4122 .53449 .07636
SHS 41 3.2354 .57947 .09050

Appendix C
Independent Samples T-test of Each Subscale

Levene's Test for

Equality of
Variances t-test for Equality of Means

95% Confidence
Std. Interval of the
Mean Error Difference
Sig. (2- Differen Differen
F Sig. t df tailed) ce ce Lower Upper

Mean Equal variances 3.600 .061 2.641 88 .010 .22208 .08410 .05495 .38921
assumed

19
 Equal variances 2.705 87.25 .008 .22208 .08210 .05890 .38526
not assumed 5

Fun Equal variances .076 .783 1.986 88 .050 .21027 .10590 -.00018 .42072
assumed

Equal variances 1.987 85.48 .050 .21027 .10581 -.00010 .42063

not assumed 8

Learnin Equal variances 5.680 .019 2.419 88 .018 .27489 .11366 .04902 .50076
g assumed

Equal variances 2.509 83.14 .014 .27489 .10956 .05699 .49279

not assumed 2

Benefits Equal variances .359 .551 2.300 88 .024 .25670 .11163 .03486 .47855
assumed

Equal variances 2.317 87.19 .023 .25670 .11079 .03650 .47690

not assumed 5

Fitness Equal variances 1.961 .165 2.003 88 .048 .23743 .11856 .00183 .47304
assumed

Equal variances 2.048 87.52 .044 .23743 .11593 .00703 .46783

not assumed 6

SelfEffi Equal variances 1.331 .252 .544 88 .588 .05973 .10984 -.15855 .27801
cacy assumed

Equal variances .537 80.04 .593 .05973 .11120 -.16156 .28102

not assumed 2

Personal Equal variances .036 .851 1.505 88 .136 .17688 .11755 -.05673 .41049
Best assumed

Equal variances 1.494 82.41 .139 .17688 .11841 -.05865 .41241

not assumed 6

PLAGIARISM REPORT

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION

20
INTRODUCTION METHODS

Note that plagiarized content in the

methods section was derived from the

questionnaire itself.

PLAGIARISM REPORT

RESULTS

21
DISCUSSION

22