Factors Influencing Female Participation in Sports Among Undergraduate Students
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
- To identify and explore the factors that influences the participation of female students in sports activities.
- To investigate the role of teachers and administrators for the effective participation of female students in sports.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Female participation in sports
According to Jones et al (1997) Female participation during education is a tool to enable citizen to make all a rounded participation in development process. The participation of female in socio- economic programs especially depends on their educational background educating girls and women are critical to achieve the benefits as well as the improvement in the areas of health. The female participation gap in sports is wide in developing countries. In developing countries with low female participation is one the cause for female to be under privileged underrepresented in development programs. These raise the issue that the role of educational and female participation should be analyzed and studied. Living in an overly obese society, we must do our best as physical educators to promote lifelong physical activity to our students. We must do everything in our power to improve female student‟s perspectives on and experience in sports and to life style.
Different studies were conducted on the participation of female students in sports for example, in Saskatche when, Avery Girolami and Humbert (1998) stated that in the school selected for their study, over 80% of the young women who participated in sports when it was compulsory did not enroll in optional sports.
Another study focusing on participation in sports (king and closes,1992) determined that young female participation in physical activities and us likely to be physically active at age 20. If girls are turned off by sports in higher preparatory and secondary school. They are much us likely to remain active as adults..
Factors influencing the participation of female students during sports Activity
According to Sidden top (1998), High school sports was endangered species. A subject matter that might gradually became extinct in secondary curriculum. He argued that in increasing lack of expectations for significant out come in high school sports and own more learning. Concern that students have stopped care about sports would bring in physical educators have duty to alter the expectations of high school students have due to alter will be in effective if negative attitude towards the course lead students to ignore its value. Attitude is the agent that can change perceptions and the catalyst that can make sports a positive education experience.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
Research Design
This study employed descriptive survey that examines the factors that influences the participation of female students in University of Benin. The study focus mainly on describing, analyzing and interpreting the conditions, that exists in the relation to the participation of female students.
To achieve the intended objective of the study descriptive survey method employed to identify and describe factors that influence the participation of female students in sports.
Population and Sampling Procedures
The main participants in the study were sport directors in University of Benin, and female students. The total target population of the study is 1,323. That is 1,312 female students, 11 sport directors. Among those, 142 female students and 8 sports directors directly participate in the study. By using comprehensive sampling technique all sports directors and school administrators include in the study. In addition, to select sample representatives of female students the researcher has used random sampling technique.
Sources of data
Primary and secondary source of data were used in this study. Primary source of data collection technique is used to increase the credibility of the research findings and minimize the risk of erroneous conclusion. Secondary sources of data that the researcher uses to collect data are: book, journals and others.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA
Demographic Profile of the Respondents
The demographic characteristic of the participants sought in the study involved age and sex of the respondents.
Age of the Respondents
Respondents were asked about their age.
Table 4.1 above shows that 16 (10.7%) of the respondents were aged between 15-19 while 57 (38%) of the respondents were aged between 25-29. On the other hand 77 (51.3%) of the respondents were aged between 20-24. Thus the majority of the respondents fall under the age category of 20-24.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
Is socio-cultural factors influence the participation of female students in sports?
Is instructional material and facilities influence the participation of female students in sports?
Is socio-economical factors influence the participation of female students in sports.
Is motivation enhancing the participation of female students in sports?
What methods are used to increase the participation of female students in sports?
The researcher also tried to write the review related literature regarding on the participation of female students in sports, factors influencing the participation of female students in sports like, Biological factors, Psychological factors, Socio-cultural factor and Socio-economic factors, gender issues in sports.
In order to find out the answer for the above basic questions, the researcher was adopted descriptive survey method and a variety of data gathering instruments such as, Questioners, Interview and Observation were employed. The sample population of the study was female students and sports directors. The data gathered from questioners was analyzed in the form of qualitative and quantitative and interview was described by using narrative approach. Finally, the analysis of data leads to the following findings.
The interest of female students to participate during sports was less because of;-
- Biological factor
- Economical factor
- Previous experience
- Cultural or religious factors
- Physical and physiological factors
- Teachers approaches (methodology)
- Lack of motivation
- Involuntary to learning sports tutor programs
- Scarcity of materials.
Recommendations
Sports directors should create awareness on female students, apply student centered teaching approach in order to motivate (encourage) female students in both practical and theoretical class and strongly exercise tutorial programs.
To increase class room interaction, teachers have to encourage and motivate female students to develop positive attitude and to participate in asking and answering questions in sports.
During observation, some of the existing facilities were in adequate particularly in the schools. These schools should be facilitated by using the government and the society‟s resource buying sport materials, making available water supply and building cloth changing rooms.
Department heads and principals have to orient and encourage teachers to produce and utilize relevant instructional materials which are locally made to promote the teaching learning process in the field of sports.
Scarcity of sport materials and sport fields discourage students in general and females in particular, therefore, schools should allocate budget to purchase sport materials including teachers sports suit, to prepare intramural sport competitions and should include in their annual plan.
Ministry of education should evaluate the curriculum of sports subject, increase the number of periods per week and include sports subject in metric exam in order to increase the participation of female students in sports.
References
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- Best, W.John and James V.Kahn. (1998), Research in Education. (11th ed). New Delhi: Prentice- Hall.
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