Profiles of high school principals and superintendents, their selected attitudes toward physical education and athletics, and the current status of physical education and athletics in Arkansas high schools.

Abstract

This study examined the personal characteristics of Arkansas high school principals and superintendents, analyzed their professional attitudes toward physical education and athletics, and presented the current status of physical education and athletics in Arkansas high schools.

The following major conclusions were reached using questionnaire information from 66.1 percent of the 702 Arkansas high school principals and superintendents. (1) The Arkansas public high school principal was a forty-year old male with a bachelor's degree from an Arkansas college. Physical education was the major field of 41.2 percent of these degrees. Advanced degrees were held by 95.5 percent. The principals had been in education for sixteen years with five of these as a high school principal. A third or more of the principals were at one time physical education teachers (38%), athletic coaches (49%), athletic directors (34%), high school athletes (80%), and/or college athletes (38%). (2) The Arkansas superintendent was a forty-nine year old male with a bachelor's degree granted by an Arkansas college. Physical education was the major degree field of 36.9 percent of these degrees. Advanced degrees were held by 99.2 percent. The superintendents had been in education for twenty-four years with ten of these as a superintendent. The percentages of superintendents previously holding various educational positions were very similar to those of principals, except only 19 percent of the superintendents had been athletic directors. (3) Attitudinal data revealed the following results. Principals were more favorable toward physical education than superintendents.

Principals of large school districts were more favorable toward physical education than principals of small districts.

Principals of the Northwest Region were more favorable toward athletics than principals of the Delta Region, but less favorable toward physical education than principals of both the Delta and Central/Southwest Regions.

Principals having physical education degrees were more favorable toward both athletics and physical education than principals without these degrees; superintendents having physical education degrees were more favorable toward physical education than superintendents without these degrees.

Both principals and superintendents with prior athletic coaching and/or athletic directing experience were more favorable toward both physical education and athletics than those without this experience. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of author.) UMI.