Understanding Children Better in Physical Education
Dr. Robert Pangrazi
April 1, 2019
The willingness to try new experiences and participate in activities is driven by how people feel about their perceived ability level. We call it perceived competence. Perceived competence becomes more specific as students age. Young students, for example, preschool, seven years of age – most of them will tell you that they can do it. “Look, look, look, I’ve got it.” They think they’re competent in everything they do. However, that quickly changes. As they enter third and fourth grade, they start to realize that others students are much better than them in some areas and they start to compare themselves to others.
