The contribution of physical and sports education to health education of Moroccan middle school students: Representations and practices of teachers

BACKGROUND: Physical education is undergoing a major transformation period that leads that school discipline to influence the lifestyles of young people to help them adopt behaviors conducive to their well health and well-being. Health education (HE) integrates with various intervention strategies in the field of health such as disease prevention and health promotion. In schools, the HE comes in many forms and in relation to several disciplines. Our study focuses on the current situation of HE in physical and sports education (PSE) in middle school. Specifically, the research question we developed is: “What is the contribution of the PSE to the HE of middle school students?” MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative research was carried in Marrakech. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten PSE teachers after receiving their informed consent. Deductive content analysis was used in this study. RESULTS: Among the main results, there is a certain diversity of teachers’ representations on HE and PSE. These teachers say mobilize PSE to contribute to the HE of students. However, it was noted that their teaching practices are at odds with the perspective of the inclusion of HE in the field of PSE. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of a clear vision concerning physical activity and sport in relation to “healthy” and “active” schools, it seems very unlikely to influence the thoughts and practices of HE teachers; strongly attached, as they often are, to their representations of their discipline.