Validation of the Attitude towards Physical Education Questionnaire (APEQ) and its Strategic Use: A Comprehensive Study of the Secondary Education Environment in India

Abstract

Highlighting the importance of Physical Education (PE) is a central aim of India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Yet, the transition from broad policy to real classroom practice is frequently obstructed by the ingrained beliefs of those engaged in education. This study presents the development and validation of the Attitude towards Physical Education Questionnaire (APEQ), a 28-item tool aimed at evaluating attitudes in five important areas: Educational Value, Health and Fitness, Social and Moral Development, Institutional Support, and Career Relevance. The scale was validated with a nationwide sample of 1,000 individuals, including 200 principals, 400 teachers, and 400 students, all coming from a variety of social and economic backgrounds throughout India. A skilled panel of six members carried out a content validity analysis and found a Scale-Level Content Validity Index (S-CVI/Ave) of 0.94, showing a strong consensus among them. We used Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to carefully evaluate construct validity. The analysis showed a reliable five-factor structure that explains 60.56% of the total variance. Every item demonstrated strong factor loadings above 0.60, and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value of 0.86 indicated that the data was appropriate for identifying the structure. The findings highlight a notable conflict: although stakeholders acknowledge the health and cognitive benefits of physical education, persistent structural challenges—particularly the intense pressures of board examinations and ongoing infrastructure issues—keep pushing this important topic to the background. The APEQ is a trustworthy diagnostic tool that takes into account cultural differences, making it a good fit for evidence-based therapies. This tool identifies key challenges within the school system, offering a framework to nurture an educational culture that integrates physical literacy into the core of cognitive and moral development for Indian adolescents.