Parents' Perceptions of Their Child's 5th Grade Physical Education Program

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe parents' perceptions of their 5th grade child's physical education program. Twenty seven parents were interviewed regarding the types of information they currently have and the sources from which that information came. Results indicated that many parents possessed inaccurate information about their fifth grade child's physical education program--information that typically was acquired from their children. Few parents attempted to obtain information from other, more direct sources. Further, all parents drew on their own, often negative, recollections of "gym classes" to fill in the gaps where they lacked information about their child's program. Certain practices signaled the marginalization of physical education at their child's school.