The Missing Link? Middle School Students' Procedural Knowledge on Fitness

Purpose: Guided by the declarative-procedural knowledge framework, the study attempts to identify middle school students' declarative (knowing what) and procedural (knowing how) fitness knowledge and the relationship between the two. Methods: A sample of students (n = 291, age 11-14 years) from 24 middle schools took a grade-relevant standardized knowledge test on declarative fitness knowledge and received a semistructured interview designed to clarify their declarative and procedural knowledge. Results: Most students were lacking in procedural knowledge to conduct fitness-enhancing physical activities. A few students who had mastered declarative fitness knowledge demonstrated a high level of procedural knowledge consistent with personal fitness goals. Discussion: The findings suggest that incapability to engage in fitness-enhancing physical activities could be a result of lacking procedural fitness knowledge. Future school-based interventions may prioritize procedural knowledge learning for actual physical activity participation.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between declarative and procedural knowledge in fitness among middle school students. The findings indicate that most students lack the procedural knowledge needed to engage in fitness-enhancing physical activities, while a few students with mastery of declarative knowledge demonstrated a high level of procedural knowledge.