PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER IN TEACHING LEARNING PROCESSES OF SOME SELECTEDSECONDARY SCHOOLS OF BALE ZONE OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Physical education program in high school have been criticized for declining students fitness level for failure to reach sport skill, for life times are serious and not bring addressed by professionals. Therefore this study was conducted to examine the practices and challenges of Physical education teacher in teaching health and physical education in secondary schools of Bale Zone, Oromia regional state. In order to meet the objectives of the study, a research adopted descriptive survey design that enables researcher to investigate the actual status of Physical education teaching practices and challenges. The research method employed in this study was mixed (quantitative and qualitative) approach. Among27secondary schools of the zone,5 schools were selected by simple random sampling techniques. The researcher used available sampling techniques for physical education teachers, principals and vice principals and stratified random sampling method for students to select samples from total populations. Relevant data were gathered from 369 students, 17 physical education teachers and, 12 principals and vice school principals. The data gathering tools employed were questionnaires, interviews and observations. Questionnaires containing 40 close-ended and 5 open-ended items were prepared and administrated for physical education teachers and students with five open ended questionnaires, 8 semi structured interview questions were administered for school leaders. Then, data gathered through closed-ended questionnaires were analyzed in SPSS version 20 using descriptive statistics score while the data gathered through open-ended questions, interview and observation were analyzed qualitatively through narration for the purpose of data triangulation. The finding of the research revealed that major challenges for teaching physical education were emanated from physical education teachers willingness, motivation, commitment and readiness to utilize available materials and resources, lack of teaching materials, facilities, large class size, teaching methodology, and school leaders and students wrong perceptions. Further more, the study finding revealed that student’s participation in teaching learning, team work culture, positive XV interaction and collaboration, budget and time allotment, were under sized. As the study finding show major challenges that determine practices of physical education were mainly developed from teachers, students, and school principals less commitment, experience and skill gaps. Moreover, lack of training, regular support, resistance from students, unavailability of resources and principals' role are among the major factors. Generally, from the finding of the studied, it was concluded that teaching learning process of health and physical education were not effectively practiced.