Content Analysis of the Physical Education Curriculum in Primary Schools (Analysis of Health-Related Physical Fitness Components)

Abstract

This study examined the representation and distribution of Health-Related Physical Fitness (HRF) components within the primary school physical education curriculum using quantitative descriptive content analysis. The analysis covered the cognitive and knowledge-related content across all five primary grades and employed a structured content analysis instrument to identify five HRF components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. The word served as the unit of analysis. Content validity was assessed through expert review using Lawshe’s Content Validity Ratio (CVR), while reliability was established through inter-rater agreement (Holsti’s coefficient = 0.92) and test–retest reliability over a 30-day interval (98% agreement). A total of 66 HRF-related references were identified, comprising 48 explicit and 18 implicit references. Cardiorespiratory endurance was the most frequently represented component (28.8%, n = 19), followed by flexibility (24.2%, n = 16), muscular endurance (21.2%, n = 14), muscular strength (16.7%, n = 11), and body composition (9.1%, n = 6). Although all five HRF components were represented, their distribution was uneven, with greater explicit representation of cardiorespiratory endurance and flexibility than of muscular strength and body composition. These findings indicate that the curriculum provides a partial rather than fully balanced representation of health-related physical fitness. Future curriculum revisions should therefore strengthen the explicit representation of all HRF components, improve their developmental sequencing across the primary grades, and consider alignment with internationally recognized physical education frameworks.