Perceptions of competence, affect, and persistence of Ghanaian elementary school students: Specialist versus non-specialist physical education teachers

The aims of physical education in Ghana include developing personal qualities such as competence in students and generating interest in physical education and sports (Ghana Education Service, (GES), 1987). The GES has also reiterated the need to have competent teachers in the implementation of the school physical education syllabus; therefore few primary schools in Ghana have physical education specialists (detached teachers). There is the need to assess the impact these specialist teachers have on students in relation to classroom teachers and the extent to which the aims of physical education are being achieved. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed between students taught by physical education specialists and those taught by classroom teachers in their perceptions of competence, affect, and persistence in sports. It was hypothesized that students who were taught by physical education specialists would be significantly different from those taught by non-specialist teachers in their perceptions of competence, affect, and persistence.;A sample of 483 class six boys and girls from four regions in Ghana completed items measuring perceptions of competence, affect, and persistence in sports. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed significant main effects for category (p ;Overall, the present study provided further evidence of the influence of physical education specialists on amount of enjoyment students derive from sports. Findings also suggest the need for Ghanaian physical education teachers to improve upon their modes of teaching in order to enhance their students' competence perceptions. Attempts should also be made to validate Harter's (1985) Self-Perception Profile for Children for use within the Ghanaian culture and to find those specific areas on which students base their competence judgments.