Student attitude and behavior change towards personal wellness through Wellness 1123 at Baltimore Regional High School

Brushett, Raymond James (1995) Student attitude and behavior change towards personal wellness through Wellness 1123 at Baltimore Regional High School. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (14MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

The complexity of life as a student is a wondrous phenomena. The reasons students make the choices they do are even more complex. People are continually encouraged, through the media and other sources, to participate in physical activity in order to increase their overall health and well-being. One would assume that all individuals have an understanding of the benefits of physical fitness and would be leading an active life-style, but this is not happening. -- Wellness 1123 is a Physical Education Course for high school students which attempts to encourage all individuals, regardless of physical abilities, to participate in physical activity as a way of life. It encourages individuals to search for positive experiences and focus on the moment and on the activity for its own sake, rather than for extrinsic reasons or some orchestrated goals. -- This study evaluates the potential of a Physical Education course entitled Wellness 1123 to bring about change in health-related attitudes and behaviors of high school students who completed it as part of their curriculum. The course was designed and taught by the author at Baltimore High School in Ferryland during the 1993-94 school year. An interpretative, qualitative case study methodology was utilized in order to understand the lived experiences of the participants. The research centered primarily around change in student attitude and behavior acquired through participation in four wellness concepts: nutrition, physical activity, stress and substance use and abuse. -- Through the use of interview data, field notes, and discussions with students it was revealed that students had adopted changes in attitude and behavior towards a more positive life-style. Involvement in the wellness curriculum had a positive influence on students' wellness praxis. Through Wellness 1123, students acquired the methods necessary to improve their wellness and they were actively doing so. The data indicated an increase in physical activity, an increased awareness of the effect of nutrition on total well-being, and the ability to handle stress more efficiently. As well, students said that they were more confident and had learned to develop personal goals to assist them to attain a higher level of wellness. There was an increase in conversations at home regarding nutrition and these conversations were having an affect on the manner in which food was prepared and the types of food consumed. -- These factors alone allowed the author to conclude that involvement in the wellness curriculum had resulted in a positive influence on students' wellness praxis. Wellness 1123 students developed an understanding of the components of wellness and applied these concepts to their own lives through attitudinal and behavioral changes. Therefore, Wellness 1123 may be viewed as a starting point for futuristic changes in Physical Education curriculum development.

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