Abstract
The National Survey of Physical Fitness, Athletic Performance and Exercise Habits carried out in 2008 with all primary and junior high schools revealed a substantial decline in the physical strength of children from 1985. According to the Survey, particularly the female students doing exercise for 30 minutes a week apart from the gym classes in schools are 80,000 of 5th graders in primary schools, and 12,000 of the 2nd graders in junior high schools. It indicates that female students’ involvement in exercise is far less than the males’ because the level of the formers’ participation in athletic clubs is lower. The Surveys of the recent 5 years show the same tendency.
On the other hand, the number of participants in the Physical Education Research Conference (Dance Recital) hosted by the Japan Association of Physical Education for Women has grown five times over the past 15 years since 1996, which suggests that the number of dance club members is on the increase. However, until now not enough fact-finding surveys and research have been conducted.
Our research, therefore, collected and analyzed the basic data about dance clubs, thereby demonstrating that the number of dance club members is definitely on the rise. We also carried out a questionnaire survey of students and their advisory staffs which are planning to join the Dance Recital, in order to clarify the actual state of their activities.
As a result, it turned out that the number of dance club members is increasing. Despite the increase, however, our research also showed that the schools do have problems concerning the preparation to receive club members. In short, educational systems and facilities proportionate to the increasing number of members still need to be improved.
