The paper explored what difficulties teachers experience during PE classes while working with elementary school children. Also, the paper aimed at finding out what solutions to their problems teachers propose and what changes do they find necessary. Research was conducted with 201 elementary school teacher in the Osijek-Baranja County. For that purpose two questionnaires were designed and applied. The first questionnaire contained 11 items (Cronbachα = 0,78)  and was designed to assess the opinions of primary school teachers (1st till 4th grade) about current work conditions  as well as their own competence in kinesiology as possible causes of difficulties in implementation of the PE curriculum. The second questionnaire consisted of 8 items (Cronbachα = 0,68)  designed to asses desirable changes in work conditions and teachers’ professional competences in kinesiology. The descriptive parameters of each questionnaire were analysed. The component factor analysis was applied which extracted one factor in each questionnaire. Difficulties was the factor extracted in the first one and in the second one it was Changes. The Difficulties factor is mainly defined by items describing teachers’ professional competences in kinesiology. Majority of teachers found this factor to be an important element of currently perceived difficulties with implementation of the PE curriculum.  The Changes factor mostly contained items referring to the desired changes in appraisal as well as programming of actual PE implementation. Changes in the stated segments are recommended by two thirds of the teachers questioned. It was, therefore, possible to conclude that the difficulties in PE experienced in the lower grades stem to a larger extent from the insufficient level of teachers’ competence. Current model of programming the actual implementation of PE curriculum as well as evaluation of its effects Teachers find difficult for the reasons identified by the study and therefore demand changes.Key words: teachers’ competences; primary school; desired changes; programming; difficulty of the subject; appraisal.---SažetakCilj rada je bio procijeniti stavove razrednih učitelja prema poteškoćama u provedbi nastave tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture i prijedlozima promjena. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 201 učitelja razredne nastave Osječko-baranjske županije. Konstruirana su dva upitnika. Prvi je sa 11 čestica i pouzdanosti od 0,78 (Cronbach α) procijenio stavove razrednih učitelja o uvjetima rada te kompetencijama učitelja kao mogućim uzrocima poteškoća u provedbi nastave tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture u nižim razredima osnovne škole. Drugi je upitnik sa 8 čestica i pouzdanosti od 0,68 (Cronbach α), procijenio poželjne promjene u uvjetima rada te kompetencijama razrednih učitelja. Analizirani su deskriptivni parametri čestica upitnika. Primijenjena je komponentna faktorska analiza.  U prvom je upitniku definiran faktor poteškoće a u drugom faktor promjene. Faktor poteškoće najviše definiraju čestice stavova za procjenu stručnih kompetencija učitelja. Većina razrednih učitelja smatraju ih važnim čimbenikom poteškoća u provedbi nastave. Faktor promjene najviše definiraju čestice stavova za procjenu poželjnih promjena u segmentu vrednovanja i programiranja nastave. Promjene u navedenim segmentima predlažu 2/3 učitelja. Rezultati ukazuju kako su poteškoće u provedbi nastave tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture u nižim razredima osnovne škole, većim dijelom, uvjetovane nedovoljnim kompetencijama razrednih učitelja, kojima je iz istih razloga način programiranja i vrednovanja nastave složen te se zahtijevaju promjene. Ključne riječi: kompetencije učitelja; osnovna škola; promjene; programiranje;  vrednovanje

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the Physical Education (PE) Curriculum in the higher grades of primary school. The sample consisted of 89 PE teachers in primary schools of Osječko-Baranjska County. The Attitudes questionnaire was designed with satisfactory reliability. It consisted of two subgroups of features. The first subgroup, consisiting 18 items, assessed the features of the curriculum: modernity, interest, difficulty, comprehensiveness, usefulness, compatibility, feasibility, basic motor knowledge, implementation guidelines clarity, desired changes. The second subgroup of 5 items assessed the implementation of special programme tasks. The group of classification variables evaluated subjects' characteristics and work conditions. The stated classification variables have helped in finding the differences in teachers’ assessment. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and unifactor variance analysis MANOVA with the univariate differences tests were implemented. Factor analysis of the first subgroup yielded three latent dimensions of the programme's features: comprehensiveness and modernity, desired changes, compatibility and programme's usefulness. In the other subgroup, one dimension was yielded, and it was the implementation of the special programme. Strong aspects of the curriculum are vertical compatibility, usefulness, modernity, clear implementation guidelines, choice and distribution of basic motor knowledge, and the implementation of school competitions and manifestations. Weaker aspects are comprehensiveness of the goals, tasks and contents; insufficient number of lessons and the implementation of the special programme (programme for students with weaker health; school trips and similar activities). Significant differences in teachers' assessment were found in regards to the criterion variables of work experience, expert information availability, and evaluation of the students’ abilities. It is not possible to successfully achieve comprehensive goals, tasks and contents of the current Curriculum with the prescribed number of lessons and current work conditions.  Key words: assessment; attitudes; teachers. ---SažetakCilj rada bio je vrednovati Nastavni plan i program tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture u višim razredima osnovne škole. Uzorak ispitanika obuhvatio je 89 učitelja tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture osnovnih škola Osječko-baranjske županije. Konstruiran je Upitnik stavova sa dva podskupa obilježja zadovoljavajuće pouzdanosti. Prvi je podskup s 18 čestica tvrdnji procijenio obilježja nastavnog plana i programa: suvremenost, zanimljivost, težina, opsežnost, korisnost, usklađenost, provedivost, temeljna motorička znanja, jasnoća smjernica za provedbu, poželjne promjene. Drugi je podskup s 5 čestica procijenio provedbu posebnih programskih zadaća. Skup klasifikacijskih varijabli procijenio je obilježja ispitanika i uvjete rada. Razlike u procjenama učitelja učinjene su s pomoću kategorija navedenih klasifikacijskih varijabli. Primijenjena je deskriptivna statistika, faktorska analiza i jednofaktorska analiza varijance MANOVA s univarijatnim testovima razlika. Faktorskom analizom prvoga podskupa dobivene su tri latentne dimenzije obilježja programa: opsežnost i suvremenost, poželjne promjene, usklađenost i korisnost programa. Na drugom podskupu dobivena je jedna dimenzija provedba posebnog programa. Dobre su strane plana i programa vertikalna usklađenost, korisnost, suvremenost, jasne smjernice za provedbu, odabir i distribucija temeljnih motoričkih znanja te provedba školskih natjecanja i priredbi. Slabije strane su opsežnost ciljeva, zadaća i sadržaja; nedovoljan fond sati nastave te provedba posebnog programa (program za učenike oštećena zdravlja; izlete i slične aktivnosti). Značajne razlike u procjenama učitelja dobivene su s obzirom na kriterijske varijable: radno iskustvo, dostupnost stručnih informacija i procjene mogućnosti učenika. Opsežne ciljeve, zadaće i sadržaje aktualnog Nastavnog plana i programa nije moguće uspješno ostvariti u propisanoj satnici i postojećim uvjetima rada.Ključne riječi: procjene; stavovi; učitelji

The aim of the study was to determine the growth rate, nutritional status, as well as possible differences between children from different demographic areas in Slavonia. The sample consisted of 801 children (407 boys and 394 girls) from grades 1 to 4 in several primary schools in Slavonia. The sample was divided into two subsamples urban/rural, which were thereafter classified within each subsample according to gender. A sample of variables consisted of two anthropometric recordings of body height and body weight, after which a body mass index – BMI was calculated.The basic descriptive parameters were calculated and the t-test was used for determining the difference between the observed variables. A two-factor multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) tested the significance of differences between the two subsamples. No significant differences were observed between anthropometric characteristics of children from urban and rural areas. There is a noticeable trend of steady growth in body height and body weight for both genders. BMI also shows a negative trend of increase for both genders, and there are also more children who are at risk of obesity during the first four grades. Significant differences were observed only between genders in grades 1 and 2 in which boys are more dominant in body height and body weight. Systematic monitoring of anthropological characteristics should be an integral part of children’s growth and development in order to ensure timely and adequate precaution measures and prevent negative health effects.Key words: anthropometry, BMI, children, growth, nutritional status SAŽETAKCilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi tempo rasta, stupanj uhranjenosti kao i moguće razlike djece različitih demografskih područja u slavoniji. Uzorak ispitanika činilo je 801 djece (407 učenika i 394 učenica) 1. do 4. razreda osnovnih škola u Slavoniji, a uzorak varijabli činile su antropometrijske  dvije mjere tjelesna visina i tjelesna masa, te je izračunat  indeks tjelesne mase - BMI. Izračunati su osnovni deskriptivni parametri, za utvrđivanje razlika u promatranim varijablama između korišten je t-test, a dvofaktorskom multivarijatnom analizom varijance (manova) testirala se značajnost razlika između dva subuzoraka. Uočeno je kako nema značajne razlike u promatranim antropometrijskim karakteristikama između djece urbanih i ruralnih sredina. Kod oba spola je primjetan ravnomjeran trend prirasta u tjelesnoj visini i tjelesnoj masi. Vrijednosti BMI također pokazuju negativan trend porasta kod oba spola, kao i povećanje broja djece koja se nalaze u zoni rizika od pretilosti, tijekom prva četiri razreda. Značajne razlike primjećene su samo između spolova u 1 i 2 razredu pri čemu su dječaci dominantniji u tjelesnoj  visini i tjelesnoj masi.Sustavno praćenje antropoloških obilježja trebalo bi biti neizostavno tijekom rasta i razvoja djece kako bi se pravovremenim i adekvatnim pristupom preventivno djelovalo na organizam i sprječile negativne posljedice na zdravlje.Ključne riječi: antropometrija, BMI, djeca, razvoj,  stupanj uhranjenosti

The main objective of this study was the evaluation of physical education teaching in higher grades of primary school through the attitudes of subject teachers. The sample consisted of 89 primary school teachers from the Osijek-Baranja County in the Republic of Croatia. A questionnaire was designed so as to assess the attitudes of preparation, teaching diversity and outcomes of teaching by using three subsets of variables (total of 42 items). A satisfactory reliability (Cronbach (α) 0.79 to 0.82, and the ICC – intra-class correlation coefficient from 0.68 to 0.73 were obtained. Differences in the teachers' estimates were made with two sets of classification variables (demographic characteristics and evaluation of working conditions). Descriptive statistics, response percentages and the ANOVA univariate test of difference were applied. The results indicate that the majority of teachers regularly prepare and successfully adapt their teaching to pupils’ abilities. They commonly use kinesiology methods and organization of work in their teaching. They rarely use modern teaching methods. They evaluate the prescribed programming system as complex and they apply it differently. High marks which students receive in physical education are not in accordance with the level of achievement, and they evaluate their efforts highly. Differences in the teachers’ attitudes relate to the preparation segments and the methodological diversity, while these differences are less pronounced in the area of assessing teaching outcomes. Key words: attitudes; evaluation; methodological diversity; preparation; subject teachers. --- SažetakOsnovni cilj ovoga rada bio je vrednovanje nastave tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture u višim razredima osnovne škole na temelju stavova predmetnih učitelja. Uzorak ispitanika obuhvatio je 89 učitelja osnovnih škola Osječko-baranjske županije u Republici Hrvatskoj. Konstruiran je upitnik kojim su s tri podskupa varijabli (ukupno 42 čestice) procijenjeni stavovi o pripremanju, metodičkoj raznolikosti i ishodima nastave. Dobivena je zadovoljavajuća pouzdanost (Cronbach (α) od 0,79 do 0,82 te ICC – intraklasni koeficijent korelacije od 0,68 do 0,73. Razlike u procjenama učitelja učinjene su s dva seta klasifikacijskih varijabli (demografska obilježja, procjena uvjeta rada). Primijenjeni su deskriptivna statistika, postoci odgovora i univarijatni testovi razlika ANOVA.  Rezultati ukazuju na to da se većina učitelja redovito priprema i uspješno prilagođuje nastavu mogućnostima učenika. U nastavi se najčešće koriste kineziološke metode i organizaciju rada. Rjeđe se primjenjuju suvremene metode poučavanja. Propisani sustav programiranja ocjenjuju složenim i različito ga primjenjuju. Visoke ocjene učenika iz tjelesne i zdravstvene kulture nisu u skladu s razinom postignuća i najviše se ocjenjuje učeničko zalaganje. Razlike u stavovima učitelja najviše se odnose na segmente pripremanja i metodičke raznolikosti, a manje su izražene u području procjene ishoda nastave. Ključne riječi: metodička raznolikost; pripremanje; predmetni učitelji; stavovi; vrednovanje.