Middle School Students’ Perceptions of Coeducational and Same-Sex Physical Education Classes

Middle school students ( n = 466) participated in a year-long multi-activity physical education program in which classes were coeducational in the fall semester and same-sex in the spring semester. Following participation, students reflected back across the year and anonymously completed a questionnaire that elicited opinions from students regarding their affinity toward physical education, perceived abilities, and preferences for coeducational and same-sex. The findings indicated that males perceived themselves to have significantly more skill, strength, and endurance than females. Females perceived themselves to be significantly more overweight than males. Males also liked physical education significantly better, while females exhibited a systematic decrease in liking physical education from 6th to 8th grade. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for teaching and teacher education and the need for future research on coeducational and same-sex class structures in physical education.