Abstract:
The general objective of this study was to investigate the influence of recreational activities in enhancing the participation of physical education classin Jimma town preparatory schools. To achieve this objective, the study used stratified random sampling method to select students of Jimma town preparatory schools students. The design of this study was quantitative design; it was more of descriptive survey in nature. The major findings of this study are; there are significant differences between students on female and male students to participate in Volleyball, Basketball and Table tennis and also types of participation through active and passive recreation. again there is a significant difference between grade 11 and grade 12 students that do not participate in recreational activities because of lack of sport material, facility, and equipment, the students have exposure about recreational activities, but they didn’t participate because of lack of ability, lack of awareness, lack of material ,equipment and facilities, lack of family economic support, lack of school sport clubs, participating in recreational activities have positive effect in enhancing physical education class through avoiding those obstacles. Based on the findings the following recommendations wear suggested; The students they have to participate in recreational activities without any differences, with the intention of create awareness in the preparatory school schools, physical education teachers should be encouraging the students to participate in recreational activities more than the previous one, school administrators should give an attention for recreational activities, the government also done with schools and medias to create an awareness more than the previous. To enhance physical education practical class, the students have to give an attention and participate in recreational activities better than earlier trough modifying the sport materials, equipment, and facilities and all students should be participant. In order to solve the factors that affect students participation in recreational activities, the schools have to provide the sport materials, equipment, and facilities, the physical education teachers have to create an awareness for their students additional to the formal physical education class, the government should give an attention for recreational activities, the school administrator also supervise the condition how to participate in recreational activities. Finally the families also support the students through providing sport wears to increase student’s participation in recreational activities and to obtain the Childs benefit fromit.
