Report of accident cases in high school physical education : Observations from interviews with teachers

Abstract

  Although typical examples of accidents may exist in schoolsʼ physical education classes by unit（sport event）, they are often repeated in “similar situations” and under “similar conditions.”

  A significant reason why accidents occur repeatedly is that the people involved（students, instructors, teachers）regard all accidents that occur elsewhere as “someone elseʼs problem” and assume that they will not happen to them or that they will be fine. All accidents cause discomfort or injury to people and must be avoided at all costs. This can be achieved by using various methods to acquire know-how to prevent accidents.

  This study interviewed five currently working physical education teachers about the reality of past accidents in physical education, and how to use them to prevent physical education accidents in the future.（They were also asked about how they handle the Basic Act on Sports while teaching physical education theory, in preparation for future research themes.）

  The findings highlight the difficulty of conducting accident-free physical education classes. Students with low motor skills act unexpectedly（unthinkably）. Moreover, there are accidents that a teacher cannot prevent, such as finger injuries when handling a basketball or other ball in cold weather and external wounds owing to the physical（anatomical）characteristics of girls.

  Evidently, heat stroke countermeasures are a major issue for physical education classes. In accordance with national and prefectural guidelines, practical classes are not held on particularly hot days（during heat stroke alerts）, and instead physical education theory is taught. This is disappointing as I believe teachers should carefully engage with physical education theory without neglecting it, however, this is “normal” in the field（that is, it is not considered as necessary）. Moreover, most teachers do not know the contents of the Basic Act on Sports, and do not use it considering that “there is no need for it as it is connected contents-wise to what is actually being performed in class.” Although this is disappointing, it made me realize the differences in perception and reality between the wishes of a researcher and the teachers actually working in the field.