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The effect of circuit training on the physical fitness of grade 5 girls

University of British Columbia

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a circuit training programme on the physical fitness of grade 5 girls. Two classes of grade 5 girls at Kerrisdale Elementary School, Vancouver, British Columbia, participated in this experiment. All students within these two classes were given the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test -modified pull-up, sit-up, shuttle run, standing broad jump, 50-yard dash, softball throw for distance, 600-yard run-walk. One class was selected at random to be the Experimental Class, the second class to be the Control Class. The Experimental Class participated in a ten-minute circuit training programme at the beginning of each lesson for eight weeks. The remainder of the lesson was devoted to the regular physical education programme. The Control Class participated in the regular physical education programme for the eight weeks. At the end of the eight weeks both groups were re-tested on the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test. Improvements were measured statistically within each group and a comparison of the improvements was made between the groups both on separate test items and on a total physical fitness score. In addition, a coefficient of correlation was calculated between the gains of the Experimental Class and their physical education teacher's rating of student "co-operativeness". The Experimental Class showed a significant gain in performance in the modified pull-up, sit-up, shuttle run, standing broad jump, Softball throw for distance and 600-yard run-walk. The Control Class showed a significant gain in performance in the sit-up, shuttle run, standing broad jump, Softball throw for distance and 600-yard run-walk. The Control Class made significantly greater gains than the Experimental Class in the shuttle run. Both groups made statistically, significant gains in the total physical fitness scores. However, there was no statistically significant difference between these mean gains. There was some relationship, though low, between the gains made by the Experimental Class and the teacher rating of student "co-operativeness". The conclusion resulting from this study was that a physical education programme for grade 5 girls which includes a ten-minute circuit training programme, does improve their physical fitness, as measured by the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test. The data of this study also should, be interpreted to indicate that programmes other than circuit training may be equally effective in increasing physical fitness as measured by the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test.

Text

2011-12-22

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/39827

Physical Education

University of British Columbia

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