Junior High School Students’ Experiences of Failure in Physical Education Classes in Japan

Le résumé fourni par la source

This study aimed to develop a scale to measure junior high school students’ failure experiences in physical education (PE) classes, identify the types of failure appraisals students reported, and examine differences by grade and gender. A questionnaire survey was administered to 1,247 students from six public junior high schools in Tokyo, Japan; valid responses were obtained from 1,226 students. To develop the scale, the sample was split into two groups (n = 613 each). An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted in Group A to estimate the factor structure, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Group B to test the structure. The EFA yielded a four-factor, 16-item Physical Education Failure Experience Scale comprising deviation from the code of conduct, experience of embarrassment, burden, and inadequate performance. The CFA indicated acceptable model fit, and all standardized factor loadings were significant and ≥ .40. The subscales showed adequate reliability. Construct validity was examined using two-way ANOVAs with students’ evaluations of PE and self-evaluated motor competence, and the results showed subscale-specific patterns consistent with the multidimensional structure of the scale. Regarding group differences, third-year students scored higher than second-year students on burden and inadequate performance, and girls scored higher than boys on embarrassment, burden, and inadequate performance. These results suggest that students’ failure experiences in PE reflect both competence-related and socially situated appraisals. The scale may be useful for assessing students’ failure experiences in Japanese junior high school PE and for informing instructional approaches that reduce avoidable social comparison and support psychologically safe learning environments.

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