Homework in elementary physical education: a pilot study.

As physical education continues to decline in importance in the public school curriculum, it has become increasingly important for physical educators to provide opportunities for activity in nontraditional formats. This pilot study used a research design to examine the effects of homework in physical education. 607 children in Grades 3, 4, and 5 participated. Independent t tests indicated that girls participated at a higher rate than boys and that there were no significant differences among grades. A one-way analysis of variance indicated a significant difference in rate of students' participation by class. A significant difference was also noted by month of the school year.