Historical Perspective and Current Status of the Physical Education Graduation Requirement at American 4-Year Colleges and Universities

作者：Cardinal Bradley J^*; Sorensen Spencer D; Cardinal Marita K

来源：RESEARCH QUARTERLY FOR EXERCISE AND SPORT, 2012, 83(4): 503-512.

DOI：10.1080/02701367.2012.10599139

• fitness
• general education
• liberal education
• wellness

This study gives an overview of the history of required physical education in America%26apos;s 4-year colleges and universities and provides an update on the requirement status. After randomly identifying 354 institutions, we searched their respective websites to determine whether physical education was a requirement to earn a baccalaureate degree. The major finding was that the physical education requirement declined from an all-time high of 97% in the 1920s and 1930s to an all-time low of 39.55% in 2010. Given society%26apos;s ongoing health challenges and the important role of physical activity in maintaining health, this seems counterintuitive. It is also inconsistent with the National Physical Activity Plan (2010).

• 出版日期2012-12