THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTICE IN THREE ROMANIAN SCHOOLS WITH DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS

Abstract

The lifestyles of minor ethnic groups in Romania are significantly different due to several habits inherited from ancient times. Being these differences significant, we presume that they could influence the physical activities the people from different ethnic groups practice in their free time. In particular, our study will focus on physical activities practiced by young people from three high schools with curricula taught in Hungarian, Ukrainian, and Slovakian language. The main aim of our paper is to deepen the influence of parents on physical activities practiced by students from the three Romanian ethnic groups mentioned above. The study aims to understand parents’ impact on the motivation for physical activity practice in these people. In this regard, we will show some data regarding this influence. The data was collected by a questionnaire administered to three groups of Hungarian, Ukrainian, and Slovakian students from the northern and western part of Romania. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 149 adolescents. Our data shows the primary role played by parents as the main educational agent in influencing and determining the involvement of adolescents in physical activities. In conclusion, this study would want to encourage Romanian parents from the tree ethnic groups object of our research to take awareness of their parental and educational role as social agency promoting sport and human values and influencing the motivation for physical activity in their children independently of their cultural, social, economic, and political heritage.