bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical Education Teacher Education and the Trend to Proletarianization: A Case Study
Authors: Macdonald Doune , Tinning Richard
Published: August 2016

Drawing on evidence from an Australian physical education teacher education (PETE) program, this paper argues that the preparation of physical education teachers implicates PETE in the trend to proletarianize teachers’ work at the same time that national claims for increased professionalization are being made. The core physical education program and its PETE component was characterized by narrow utilitarian, sexist, scientistic, and technicist approaches to the field of physical education. More specifically, the PETE program represented teaching as technical and unproblematic rather than as a critical and intellectual endeavor, and its faculty and students were accorded a subordinate status within the department.
Physical Education Teacher Educators’ Work Roles in Research and Doctoral-Granting Institutions
Authors: Karp Grace Goc , Williamson Kay , Shifflett Bethany
Published: August 2016

Traditionally, faculty members have had to balance three main components of their work: research, teaching, and service. This balance can be influenced by career stage, personal work orientations, and organizational climate. This study was an exploration of the work roles of physical education teacher educators (PETEs) by gender and tenure status in research or doctoral-granting institutions. A survey was devised to gather information regarding background, workload, institutional expectations, personal skills, sources of support and feedback, and job satisfaction. Respondents (N = 98) from programs cross-referenced with the Carnegie classification system (Carnegie Foundation, 1987), and the Physical Education Gold Book (1987) returned the survey (77% response rate). Frequencies, cross-tabulations, and measures of central tendency and variability for continuous variables were obtained. Results suggested dissonance existed in the areas of research and teaching. Structural ambiguity was evident between institutional values and personal skills, particularly for tenured women.
Assessing and Improving the Accuracy of In-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Daily Practice
Authors: Sharpe Tom , Spies Rob , Newman Dick , Spickelmier-Vallin Donna
Published: August 2016

This paper describes the effects of two instructional strategies on (a) the accuracy of self-monitoring by in-service teachers, and (b) the resulting changes in their daily teaching practices. Independent recordings of teacher and student practices were first compared to teacher self-ratings. Two self-monitoring instructional procedures were then introduced to determine their effectiveness in improving the accuracy of the teachers’ self-perceptions of their classroom practices. A single-subject A-B-A-C design was used to document procedural effectiveness. Results indicated (a) the utility of a behavioral systems observational approach for describing daily classroom activity; (b) the superior effectiveness of verbal and videotape feedback, when compared to verbal only, in facilitating self-monitoring accuracy; and (c) a positive effect of improved self-monitoring accuracy on teacher and student practices related to subject matter learning. Results suggest incorporating the use of self-monitoring accuracy as a facilitating component to the teacher education process.
Teaching Value Laden Curricula in Physical Education
Authors: Chen Ang , Ennis Catherine D.
Published: August 2016

Research on physical educators’ value orientations has identified five orientations: disciplinary mastery, learning process, self-actualization, social responsibility, and ecological integration. An interpretive research design was used to compare the extent to which 2 physical education teachers’ content differed because of their value orientations. Findings revealed that the 2 teachers established curriculum goals and emphasized aspects of the physical education content that were associated with their individual value orientations. Dan, a learning-process-oriented teacher, stressed teaching students learning skills by breaking down movement skills into simple elements. John, a social-responsibility-oriented teacher, emphasized teaching social responsibility through physical activities. Both teachers viewed learning physical activities as a means to develop students’ analytic or social skills. However, philosophical differences were found in how curricular goals and content were determined. The findings suggest that clarifying teachers’ value orientations should be considered an appropriate initial step in curriculum innovation and change.
Instructional Ecology of a High School Volleyball Team
Authors: Griffin Linda L. , Siedentop Daryl , Tannehill Deborah
Published: August 2016

This study describes the instructional ecology of a high school sport setting involving 4 players from a 10-player team and their coach. Systematic observation strategies were used to detail 44 practices. Post-season focus group interviews were conducted with the team and, individually, with the coach. The managerial, instructional, and student social systems in this volleyball setting interacted intimately. The quiet practice expectations, the posting of fast-paced practice tasks, and the coach clearly “in charge” all speak to orderly management. This system supports the explicitness and specificity of tasks and the clear, differentiated expectations of players by role and responsibility within the instructional task system. Both systems were interwoven and operated jointly to increase player cooperation and practice involvement. Complex levels of the accountability system related to a player’s position and role on the team. Practice effort and quality of match play time produced a secondary accountability system related to competition.
Encouraging Cognitive Growth through Case Discussions
Authors: Bolt Brian R.
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe whether cognitive growth occurred among preservice physical educators in an elementary educational games class in which case discussions were used as a teaching method. Cognitive growth was defined as the ability to identify problems and generate possible solutions while drawing on concepts and personal experiences. Assessing whether change takes place and exploring connections between cognitive growth and the case discussions is an important first step toward learning about the potential effects of case discussions in physical education. Data were case discussion transcriptions, interviews, and preservice teachers’ written reflections on lesson episodes completed before and after their participation in three case discussions. Cases were complex narratives about elementary physical education teaching and learning. Data revealed an improved general propensity to identify problems, suggest solutions, and cite concepts in written reflections. Connections between cognitive growth and the case discussions are explored.
Validation of a Video-Based Game-Understanding Test Procedure in Badminton
Authors: Blomqvist Minna T. , Luhtanen Pekka , Laakso Lauri , Keskinen Esko
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this study is to report on the development and validation of a game-understanding test procedure in badminton. A basic video-based test was constructed, and primary school children (ages 9–10 and 11–12 years, N = 120) served as participants. An advanced test was designed to detect differences between national level junior badminton players (11–14 years, n = 19) and primary and secondary school children (11–14 years, n = 45). The video-based tests consisted of 15 to 19 different sequences that were simulations of actual offensive and defensive game situations. In every sequence, players were to solve tactical problems by selecting appropriate solutions and arguments for their decisions. Validity and reliability of the tests were examined through these groups, and the findings suggest that the test procedure developed provides a valid and reliable method for assessing game understanding in badminton.
Translating Questionnaires and Inventories Using a Cross-Cultural Translation Technique
Authors: Banville Dominique , Desrosiers Pauline , Genet-Volet Yvette
Published: August 2016

With the rise of cultural diversity in populations, researchers are faced with new issues, such as working with participants from other cultures that speak different languages. This research note presents a methodology developed by Vallerand (1989) in the psychological field that translates and validates questionnaires and inventories developed for a specific culture. This cross-cultural technique has seven steps and insures that the instrument will provide data that are valid and reliable in the targeted population. The seven steps are defined, and examples of results from a study using this methodology are provided.
Preservice Teachers Learning about Students and the Teaching-Learning Process
Authors: Woods Marianne , Karp Grace Goc , Escamilla Elizabeth
Published: August 2016

This study engaged 26 preservice teachers (PTs) in research focused on students in a secondary methods course who had early field experience (EFE). The purposes of the study were (a) to determine what PTs learned about students in an early field experience (EFE) that engaged them in a structured teacher research project and (b) to examine how the teacher research process was used by PTs. Results indicated that questions about students became more refined and focused through the research process and that there were fluctuations between student-centered and teacher-centered questions during the EFE. The prevailing themes indicated that PTs came to know more about student motivation and interests, characteristics, and peer interactions. More importantly, much of their data challenged previous beliefs and assumptions about students, as PTs began making connections between their newfound knowledge of students and its implications for curriculum, instruction, and management decisions.
Assessing Observation Focus and Conference Targets of Cooperating Teachers
Authors: Coleman Margaret M. , Mitchell Murray
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this study was to develop a strategy to assess two facets of the supervisory responsibilities of Cooperating Teachers (CTs): (a) what CTs choose to observe during a lesson when preparing to offer comments to a student teacher and (b) what CTs choose to bring to the attention of student teachers after observing a lesson. The purpose also was to determine the usefulness of the strategy in discriminating among CTs that may have different preparation backgrounds for supervisory duties. Eighteen elementary level CTs participated by individually watching a videotaped lesson, preparing a written critique, and responding to interviews regarding the supervision of a student teacher. Results support the strategy used as a viable means for identifying selected supervisory abilities of CTs, facilitating the identification of discernible similarities and differences among CTs, and discriminating between two groups of CTs with different backgrounds.
Determinants of Teachers’ Intentions to Teach Physically Active Physical Education Classes
Authors: Martin Jeffrey J. , Kulinna Pamela Hodges , Eklund Robert C. , Reed Brett
Published: August 2016

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine determinants of teachers’ intentions to teach physically active physical education classes (i.e., spend at least 50% of class time with the students engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity). Based on the theories of reasoned action, planned behavior, and self-efficacy, a model was examined hypothesizing that teachers’ intentions were determined by subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and self-efficacy. Using hierarchical regression analyses, the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior were supported by accounting for 65% of the variance in intention due to the main effects of attitude and subjective norm, as well as their interaction effects. The role of perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy theory were not supported.
The Uses of Printed Curriculum Materials by Teachers During Instruction and the Social Construction of Pedagogic Discourse in Physical Education
Authors: Peiró-Velert Carmen , Molina-Alventosa Pere , Kirk David , Devís-Devís José
Published: August 2016

This paper examines teachers’ use of printed curriculum materials (PCM) during physical education (PE) instruction in Spanish secondary schools and the role they play in the enacted curriculum and in the construction of pedagogical knowledge. Three hundred and ten participants (mean age: 37.7 ± 8.7) responded to an interview-questionnaire on teachers’ pedagogical roles and tasks linked to PCM in PE. Results indicated that while PCM were used very frequently for registering students’ attendance and recording observational notes from lessons, textbooks were less and infrequently used. Both, ‘materials for data registration’ and ‘student textbook’ showed the highest and lowest level of teachers’ satisfaction, respectively. ‘Student diary’ was the PCM used more by female and less experienced teachers than their counterparts, while textbooks were used more by experienced teachers than those with less years of teaching experience. Over fifty percent of teachers considered PCM to be ‘Quite important’ because they facilitate students to study theoretical knowledge, investigate and be creative. The paper discusses the contribution of teachers’ use of PCM to the enacted curriculum and their participation in the social construction of PE knowledge through Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic device. In particular, it indicates that PE teachers are relatively independent from external agencies in curriculum development and participate in the social construction of pedagogical knowledge. Female and less experienced teachers’ use of PCM facilitated students’ participation in the construction of knowledge, which suggests weaker framing of the teaching-learning process..
Expanding the Teaching Games for Understanding Model: New Avenues for Future Research and Practice
Authors: Holt Nicholas L. , Strean William B. , Bengoechea Enrique García
Published: August 2016

There has been considerable debate regarding the delivery and outcomes of games experiences in physical education. In particular, the relative benefits of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) approach have been compared to traditional skill-drill approaches to games teaching. However, many discussions of TGfU have focused on cognitive and psychomotor learning outcomes, neglecting the affective domain. The purpose of this article is to review TGfU research, to present an extended TGfU model, and to suggest new avenues for future research and practice. Future research directions include consideration of learning with respect to cognitive, behavioral, and affective characteristics.
Teaching Games for Understanding and Situated Learning: Rethinking the Bunker-Thorpe Model
Authors: Kirk David , MacPhail Ann
Published: August 2016

Bunker and Thorpe first proposed Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) in 1982 as an alternative to traditional, technique-led approaches to games teaching and learning. Despite interest from teachers and researchers, there has been no attempt to review the TGfU model. This is an oversight, given the important advances in educational learning theory and ecological approaches to motor control since the early 1980s. The purpose of this paper is to present a new version of the TGfU model that draws on a situated learning perspective. The paper describes the TGfU approach, overviews recent research on TGfU, and outlines a situated learning perspective. This perspective is then applied to rethinking the TGfU model. The intended outcome of the paper is the provision a more robust and sophisticated version of the TGfU model that can inform future directions in the practice of and research on TGfU.
Engaging Alienated Youth in Physical Education: An Alternative Program with Lessons for the Traditional Class
Authors: Halas Joannie
Published: August 2016

This paper presents a case study of a physical education program for troubled youth attending an adolescent treatment center. The site selected for study was deliberately chosen due to the alternative nature of the physical education program and its apparent success in helping to connect students to their school environment. The researcher, as bricoleur, used a variety of methodological tools and strategies to collect data that corresponded to the study’s entry question: How does the physical education program work? Constructed from the data is the story of a gymnasium culture that has been carefully crafted to promote physically and psychologically safe participation that is fair and flexible, where students are encouraged to play just for fun, and a lack of competence is positioned as an opportunity to learn. By incorporating the theoretical framework of the “Circle of Courage” (Brendtro, Brokenleg, & Van Bockern, 1998) into the data analysis, this paper is intended to show how physical education can provide a reclaiming versus alienating learning environment for young people.
Longitudinal Analysis of Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Physical Education
Authors: Matanin Marcia , Collier Connie
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe three preservice teachers’ beliefs as they evolved throughout a 4-year teacher preparation program. Data collection spanned 5 years and included formal interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and document analysis of reflective writings. The results indicated that participants assimilated program messages into their beliefs about teaching physical education relative to elementary content, teaching effectiveness, and the importance of planning. Participants were less likely to assimilate program messages about classroom management and the purpose of physical education due to the impact of their own biographies. Participants were in favor of emphasizing effort and participation and rejected the program philosophy on assessment of student learning. Data suggest that participants’ K–12 school experiences as well as their lived experiences play a powerful role in the formation of their beliefs about teaching physical education.
Research on Teaching in Physical Education Doctoral Dissertations: A Detailed Investigation of Focus, Method, and Analysis
Authors: Silverman Stephen , Manson Mara
Published: August 2016

As a part of their doctoral education, students complete a dissertation. Examining these dissertations can provide one analysis of research in a field. The primary purpose of this study was to analyze all physical education dissertations with a teaching focus that were completed between 1985 and 1999. All possible dissertations were examined through the electronic version of Dissertation Abstracts International. For the teaching dissertations (n = 201), each abstract was coded for (a) research type, (b) research focus, (c) student variable measured, (d) observation used, (e) interview used, (f) other methods used, (g) population, (h) general methodology, and (i) statistics reported/used. Most research on teaching dissertations addressed issues related to teacher effectiveness and focused on motor skill learning and attitude. There was an increase in qualitative methods from those reported in a previous study (Silverman, 1987). While there were methodological advances, many dissertations still used methods that were not informed by the research methods literature.
Development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge: Moving from Blaming Students to Predicting Skillfulness, Recognizing Motor Development, and Understanding Emotion
Authors: McCaughtry Nate , Rovegno Inez
Published: August 2016

This study used developmental theory to examine changes in four preservice physical education teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge during a 20- lesson middle school volleyball unit. Participant observation methodology was used including interviews, field observations, and document analysis. Data were analyzed using constant comparison. Three main shifts in their knowledge were identified. First, the teachers moved from poorly predicting students’ skillfulness and blaming students when those predictions caused problems, to valuing the matching of tasks to students’ skill levels. Second, they understood motor development differently as their inability to recognize skill development caused problems in helping students learn, and they were then mentored by experienced teachers to better see and facilitate learning. Third, the preservice teachers grew to respect and emphasize student emotion in teaching, realizing that overlooking emotion led to problems in teaching. The discussion focuses on common pitfalls in teacher development and the need for attention to emotion in the research on teacher knowledge.
Retention in an Urban Extended Day Program: A Process-Based Assessment
Authors: Hellison Don , Wright Paul
Published: August 2016

Evaluations of extended day programs in underserved communities have shown that participants usually drop out by the time they are 11–12 years old. Most of these programs, especially those that focus on physical activity, do not promote broadly developmental and empowerment-based processes and outcomes advocated by the emerging field of youth development. This article investigates both the retention issue and youth development processes and outcomes for two sequential physical activity extended day programs in an underserved community. Retention data and participant program evaluations were collected over a nine-year period, and these data together with a selective review of related studies are analyzed to determine the extent of linkage between the promotion of positive youth development and retention beyond 11–12 years old.
Understanding the Meaning of Effort in Learning a Motor Skill: Ability Conceptions
Authors: Li Weidong
Published: August 2016

This study was designed to examine the relationship between conceptions of ability and understandings of the meaning of effort. Participants practiced a novel task and completed an ability conceptions questionnaire prior to instruction and a meaning of effort survey after practicing the task. The majority of participants believed in the efficacy of effort, no matter what view of ability they endorsed. Partial support was provided for the proposition that participants with stronger incremental views of ability were likely to endorse the view that trying hard allowed them to fully use their ability. It is suggested that, to promote active engagement and enhance skill learning, teachers capitalize on the belief in the efficacy of effort by focusing their motivational strategies on students’ effort.
A Collaborative Approach to Developing an Interdisciplinary Unit
Authors: Chen Weiyun , Cone Theresa Purcell , Cone Stephen L.
Published: August 2016

This study describes how a physical education teacher collaborated with a second-grade teacher to plan and implement an interdisciplinary unit, and it identifies factors that contributed to the teachers’ actual collaboration. One accomplished elementary physical education teacher, one experienced second-grade classroom teacher, and 35 students from two second-grade classes voluntarily participated in this study. The data were collected by audiotaping the two planning sessions, videotaping eight integrated lessons taught by the physical education teacher and three integrated lessons taught by the classroom teacher, transcribing the taped lessons, and interviewing the teachers. The findings indicated that the teachers’ collaborative planning focused on providing students with integrated and relevant learning experiences. Throughout the collaboration, the two teachers shared leadership roles and teaching responsibilities. The teachers attributed their effective interdisciplinary teaching to their long-term collaborative working experiences, common teaching philosophy, and mutual respect and trust.
Techniques of Power in Physical Education and the Underrepresentation of Women in Leadership
Authors: Webb Louisa A. , Macdonald Doune
Published: August 2016

In a research project investigating the underrepresentation of women in leadership in physical education within the context of workplace cultures and teachers’ lives and careers, subtle effects of power were found to be influential. This article outlines the analytical framework that was used for the discourse analysis of interviews from this research based on the work of Gore (1998), Wright (2000), and Foucault. Seventeen teachers (7 male and 10 female) were interviewed and the data analyzed through discourse analysis using eight techniques of power described by Gore that are pertinent to educational and physical education settings. These techniques explained the colonization of space by dominant masculinities, the male gaze on female bodies, gendered expectations of behavior and appearance, dominant discourses of male leadership, and exclusion from male-dominated networks that all contributed toward the underrepresentation of women in leadership in physical education.
Complex Learning Theory—Its Epistemology and Its Assumptions about Learning: Implications for Physical Education
Authors: Light Richard
Published: August 2016

Davis and Sumara (2003) argue that differences between commonsense assumptions about learning and those upon which constructivism rests present a significant challenge for the fostering of constructivist approaches to teaching in schools. Indeed, as Rink (2001) suggests, initiating any change process for teaching method needs to involve some understanding of the theories supporting it. Although there has been considerable discussion about constructivism in the physical education literature over the past decade, there has been less attention paid to the assumptions about learning and knowledge that underpin it. This article makes a contribution toward redressing this oversight in the literature by examining the epistemology and assumptions about learning that constructivist theories of learning rest upon. Drawing on the work of Davis and Sumara (2003), I suggest that the term “complex” learning theories may offer a more useful description of the sometimes confusing range of constructivist approaches. I provide examples of, and suggestions for, the application of constructivism in practice and within which the body forms a prominent theme.
Preparing Culturally Competent Teachers: Service-Learning and Physical Education Teacher Education
Authors: Domangue Elizabeth , Carson Russell Lee
Published: August 2016

Following the devastation of hurricane Katrina, a university located in the south-eastern United States created a service-learning program. This program was established so that physical education teacher education (PETE) students could provide physical activities to children living in a temporary, government-funded housing community. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the service-learning program shaped preservice teachers’ cultural competency. The participants were 16 PETE students in a curriculum development course. A questionnaire was used to assess changes in the students’ cultural competency. Reflective journals and interviews were qualitative data sources used to identify significant elements of the service-learning program that elicited thoughts about the role of cultural competency in teaching. Findings revealed that there were changes in cultural competency. Triangulation of the data suggested that the service-learning participants identified consistent engagement, exposure to another culture, and an engaged instructor as key contributors to cultural competency within the service-learning program.
Perceptions of Overweight Students Concerning Their Experiences in Physical Education
Authors: Trout Josh , Graber Kim C.
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this investigation was to examine overweight students’ perceptions of and experiences in physical education. Specifically, the applicability of learned helplessness as a framework to understand their experiences was explored. Participants were seven female and five male high school students whose body mass index was at or higher than the gender- and age-specific 85th percentile based on Centers for Disease Control growth charts. Data collection included formal interviews with students and their parents. The primary findings indicate that students have mixed opinions concerning the benefits to be derived from physical education. Despite recognizing the relationship between lack of physical activity and obesity, many participants avoided participation because they had been traumatized to the extent of exhibiting symptoms consistent with learned helplessness. Participants demonstrated greater concern about visibility than they did about their performance, which suggests they might engage in physical activity if shielded from the view of peers.
The Great Debate Over Teacher Education Reform Escalates: More Rhetoric or a New Reality?
Authors: Metzler Michael
Published: August 2016

A debate over the quality of teacher education programs has been ongoing for nearly 100 years. The most current round in this debate started with Α Nation at Risk (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983) and has escalated in recent years to involve an increasing number of participant-constituents, each of whom has voiced an opinion about the preparation of teachers. The purpose of this article is to analyze several of the key participant-constituents in this debate in regards to their expressed warrants, authority, rhetoric, and strategic action plans for improving teacher education. The paper will conclude with some prognostications about how the results of this debate could influence the conduct of P–12 physical education programs and, by extension, physical education teacher education in coming years.
Following the Yellow Brick Road: A Teacher’s Journey along the Proverbial Career Path
Authors: Lynn Susan K. , Woods Amelia Mays
Published: August 2016

The Fessler and Christensen (1992) teacher career cycle model provides the theoretical framework for this case study incorporating a narrative design nested within a larger research project examining six teachers’ journey across the career cycle (Woods & Earls, 1995; Woods & Lynn, 2001). The current case study sought to gain a greater understanding of why one teacher, Patsy, was unable to negotiate environmental hurdles that are commonplace in physical education and how these factors were being negotiated as a classroom teacher. Data sources included: seven interviews with the participant, multiple interviews with her principals, spouse, and three former university teacher educators, field notes from live lesson observations, and related documents. An interpretative framework was used to understand the perceptions and meanings Patsy gave to her experiences and revealed that she reported being both positively and negatively affected by most of the personal and organizational environmental factors in the teacher career cycle model. Viewing Patsy’s teaching career through the lens of the career cycle provides insight into areas of change necessary to motivate and retain quality physical education teachers.
National Board Certified Physical Educators: Background Characteristics, Subjective Warrants, and Motivations
Authors: Woods Amelia Mays , Rhoades Jesse Lee
Published: August 2016

This study examined National Board Certified Physical Education Teacher’s (NBCPETs) demographic characteristics, recalled subjective warrants for entrance into the profession, and reasons for seeking this advanced certification. An extensive search for approximately 1,200 NBCPETs resulted in contact information for 819 NBCPETs. All were sent a demographic questionnaire which 334 returned, resulting in a 41% return rate. Sixty five were randomly selected and participated in qualitative interviews. The results indicate that NBCPETs are predominantly female (79%), Caucasian (78.9%), hold masters degrees (71.1%), and work in the elementary setting (55.1%). The mean age is 45 years, with about 20 years of teaching experience. Several themes related to subjective warrant emerged including career pursuit because of: a joy of working with and helping children; continued association with sport and physical activity; lack of aspirations to coach; and enjoyment of physical activity. The most frequent reasons for pursuit of NBC were related to procurement of financial incentives, an attempt to confront the challenge, and a desire to develop professionally.
A Comparison of Supply and Demand for PETE Professionals in Higher Education in the United States
Authors: Boyce B. Ann , Rikard G. Linda
Published: August 2016

This study examined the supply and demand issues of D-PETE professionals in higher education. The three concerns addressed were: (a) doctoral graduates and their respective job placements in the academic years of 1996–97 through 2008–09, (b) an examination of two targeted academic years (2005–06 and 2008–09) to determine the supply of entry level doctoral candidates and experienced job seekers, and (c) the number of advertised positions in pedagogy and outcomes of those position searches. A general comparison of the two academic years revealed: over half of the positions were filled with both graduates and ABD pedagogists and a third of position searches failed. The following conclusions were made demand was greater than supply and ABD’s in D-PETE filled pedagogy positions. Lastly, the impact of these failed searches must be examined as it relates to the profession.
The Influence of State Motivation, Content Relevance and Affective Learning on High School Students’ Intentions to Use Class Content Following Completion of Compulsory Physical Education
Authors: Webster Collin , Mîndrilă Diana , Weaver Glenn
Published: August 2016

Little research has examined mechanisms leading to the utilization of compulsory physical education content in future contexts. This study tested a model in which motivation to be in physical education class functions as a predisposition influencing perceptions of teacher communication of content relevance, perceptions of course relevance to one’s personal life, affect for physical education and intentions to apply class content in the future. High school students (N = 636) enrolled in compulsory physical education classes completed questionnaires assessing each of these variables. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated the questionnaire items were adequate indicators of the five constructs. Structural equation modeling with diagonally weighted least squares estimation supported the hypothesized model. The results suggest that continued use of knowledge and skills learned in physical education might hinge on teachers making physical education appealing to students and communicating how class content connects with students’ personal interests.
The Effects of Prompts and a Group-Oriented Contingency on Out-of-School Physical Activity in Elementary School-Aged Students
Authors: Hastie Peter , van der Mars Hans , Layne Todd , Wadsworth Danielle
Published: August 2016

This study examined the effectiveness of three conditions in which 48 fourth-grade students were prompted to be physically active out of school. Using an alternating treatments design (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007) the three intervention conditions included: (a) Baseline: No prompting of students, (b) Teacher Prompts: Verbal prompt to “remember to do something active after school today”, and (c) Teacher Prompts and group-oriented contingencies: Verbal prompts with an index card where students could record their activity to earn bonus points as part of a team challenge. Graphically plotted pedometer data depicting data paths, variability, and trends within and across three conditions showed that students were more active outside of school only when the contingent reinforcement (c) was in place. This suggests that using prompts and group-oriented contingencies within Sport Education appears to be an effective and authentic context for promoting independent (i.e., free play) out-of-school time physical activity.
How School Social and Physical Environments Relate to Autonomous Motivation in Physical Education: The Mediating Role of Need Satisfaction
Authors: Rutten Cindy , Boen Filip , Seghers Jan
Published: August 2016

Based on the self-determination theory, this study investigated the mediating role of the satisfaction of the three psychological needs (need for competence, relatedness and autonomy) in the relation between need support from the physical education (PE) teacher and autonomous motivation to engage in PE and between the physical school environment and autonomous motivation to engage in PE. Data were collected from 2418 6th grade children. Analyses were performed using bootstrapping. The results showed that perceptions of competence and autonomy mediated the relation between need support from the PE teacher and autonomous motivation. Moreover, the perception of autonomy also mediated the relation between the physical school environment and autonomous motivation. These findings suggest that not only the PE teacher but also the physical school environment is able to promote autonomous motivation by satisfying the need for autonomy.
Ninth Graders’ Energy Balance Knowledge and Physical Activity Behavior: An Expectancy-Value Perspective
Authors: Chen Senlin , Chen Ang
Published: August 2016

Expectancy beliefs and task values are two essential motivators in physical education. This study was designed to identify the relation between the expectancy-value constructs (Eccles & Wigfield, 1995) and high school students’ physical activity behavior as associated with their energy balance knowledge. High school students (N = 195) in two healthful-living programs (i.e., combination of physical and health education) responded to measures of expectancy-value motivation, energy balance knowledge, in-class physical activity, and after-school physical activity. The structural equation modeling confirmed positive impact from expectancy beliefs and interest value to in-class physical activity (Path coefficient range from .19 to .26, ps < .01). Cost perception was found exerting a negative impact on after-school physical activity but a positive one on lower level of understanding of energy balance (Path coefficient range from -.33 to -.39, ps < .01). The findings painted a complex but meaningful picture about the motivational impact of expectancy-value constructs on physical activity and energy balance knowledge. School healthful-living programs should create motivational environments that strengthen students’ expectancy beliefs and interest value and alleviate their negative perceptions and experiences.
Student Motivation Associated With Fitness Testing in the Physical Education Context
Authors: Jaakkola Timo Tapio , Sääkslahti Arja , Yli-Piipari Sami , Manninen Mika , Watt Anthony , Liukkonen Jarmo
Published: August 2016

The purpose of the study was to analyze students’ motivation in relation to their participation in fitness testing classes. Participants were 134 Finnish Grade 5 and 8 students. Students completed the contextual motivation and perceived physical competence scales before the fitness testing class and the situational motivation questionnaire immediately after the class. During the fitness test class, abdominal muscle endurance was measured by curl-up test, lower body explosive strength and locomotor skills by the five leaps test, and speed and agility by the Figure 8 running test. For the fitness testing class, students reported higher scores for intrinsic motivation, identified motivation, and amotivation than in their general physical education program. The result of the path analysis showed physical fitness was positively related to perceived physical competence. In addition, perceived competence was found to be a positive predictor of situational intrinsic motivation, but not of other forms of situational motivation. Significant path coefficients in the model ranged from −.15 to .26.
Physical Education Teachers and Their Attitudes Toward Change: Implementation of the New Horizon Educational Reform
Authors: Zach Sima , Inglis Varda
Published: August 2016

The New Horizon (“Ofek Hadash” in Hebrew) educational reform agreement was signed between the Israeli government and the Teachers’ Union in 2008. The purposes of the educational reform document were (a) to improve students’ achievements, (b) to provide fair recompense to teachers, and (c) to strengthen teachers’ status in society. Research goals were to clarify the ways in which New Horizon was implemented among physical education (PE) teachers, and to examine their attitudes toward the reform and to the changes entailed in implementing it. A survey questionnaire was completed by 381 PE teachers. The study participants reported that changes were positive following the implementation of the reform.
Elementary Classroom Teachers’ Adoption of Physical Activity Promotion in the Context of a Statewide Policy: An Innovation Diffusion and Socio-Ecologic Perspective
Authors: Webster Collin Andrew , Caputi Peter , Perreault Melanie , Doan Rob , Doutis Panayiotis , Weaver Robert Glenn
Published: August 2016

Physical activity promotion in the academic classroom (PAPAC) is an effective means for increasing children’s school-based physical activity. In the context of a South Carolina policy requiring elementary schools to provide children with 90 min of physical activity beyond physical education every week, the purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model of elementary classroom teachers’ (ECT) PAPAC adoption drawing from Rogers’ (1995) diffusion of innovations theory and a social ecological perspective. ECTs (N = 201) were assessed on their policy awareness, perceived school support for PAPAC, perceived attributes of PAPAC, domain-specific innovativeness, and self-reported PAPAC. Partial least squares analysis supported most of the hypothesized relationships. Policy awareness predicted perceived school support, which in turn predicted perceived attributes and domain-specific innovativeness. Perceived compatibility, simplicity, and observability, and domain-specific innovativeness predicted self-reported PAPAC. This study identifies variables that should be considered in policy-driven efforts to promote PAPAC adoption.
A Paradigm for Curriculum Implementation
Authors: Virgilio Stephen J.
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this article is twofold: to discuss some current problems with curriculum design in physical education, and to offer some suggestions for model-based attempts to assist the process of implementing new curriculums. The process of curriculum implementation can be broken into two phases, the preoperational stage and the operational stage. Several issues within each of the two stages are discussed, for curriculum changes in general and specifically for physical education. The key elements in curriculum implementation are: support (material and human), change strategies, communication channels, staff development, and instructional planning. Each element has its own role to play in the process, and the lack of any single element will severely hinder the efficacy of the changes desired. The final section of the article presents a model of the curriculum change process as outlined in the text.
Fitness—Direct Instruction
Authors: Taggart Andrew
Published: August 2016

Young students who train intensively for competition reach much the same level of physiologic development as do adult athletes who undergo an equivalent program of conditioning. Failure to find a training response in more average children cannot therefore be attributed to a preexistent adequate level of habitual activity. Presumably blame for any absence of response must be attributed to an inadequate program of physical education (too low an intensity relative to normal daily activity, and/or too little involvement of the individual class members, V. Seliger, 1968). Given a vigorous program that involves all students for most of the class time, it is possible to induce gains not only in performance test scores, but also in aerobic power muscular strength, and sensory perception. (Shephard, 1982, p. 193)
The Effects of Three Disparate Instructional Approaches on Skill Attempts and Student Learning in an Experimental Teaching Unit
Authors: Salter Wallace B. , Graham George
Published: August 2016

The effects of three disparate styles of teaching were examined to determine their influence on motor skill acquisition, cognitive learning related to the performance of a motor skill, and students’ ratings of self-efficacy. The subjects were third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade children (N = 244) in two rural elementary schools. The three instructional methodologies employed were Command, Guided Discovery, and No Instruction. The criterion lesson was a 20-minute experimental teaching unit using a novel golf task. Results revealed no significant differences between the groups taught by the three instructional approaches on skill improvement or self-efficacy. Cognitive understanding improved significantly for the groups taught by the command and guided discovery approaches, however, as compared to the no-instruction groups. Students in the no-instruction groups had a significantly higher number of skill attempts (M = 29.56) as compared to the command (M = 18.56) and guided discovery (M = 20.63) groups. This finding served as a plausible explanation for the lack of significant difference in skill improvement between the three groups on the criterion skill.
Cataloguing the Collective Wisdom of Teacher Educators
Authors: Hawkins Andrew , Wiegand Robert L. , Landin Dennis K.
Published: August 2016

Research indicates that feedback given to teacher trainees is often vague and incomplete. Frequently the feedback fails to provide specific strategies designed to improve subsequent teaching performances. This investigation developed a taxonomy of feedback strategies based on the content of data-based feedback provided by teacher educators to teacher trainees in peer teaching. Strategies were categorized to correspond with specific data situations frequently observed in the lessons. A discussion of the rationale for the strategies, coupled with descriptive data on the frequency of strategy selection, revealed much about the interpretive model that teacher educators may superimpose on data. Additional study on the empirical validation of the taxonomy is warranted subsequent to this descriptive/logical point of departure.
Assessment of a Teacher Education Program Based on Student Intern Performance
Authors: Paese Paul C.
Published: August 2016

The initial purpose of this study was to assess the differences between five physical education majors and five elementary education majors at the entry level of a teacher education program. Elementary education majors pursue a certification in elementary education (classroom), but must also work on a certification in one other elementary specialization (i.e., physical education, health, reading). An experimental teaching unit (ETU) with pre- and posttests was used to determine student achievement and differences between the two entry level groups in various criterion process variables. Both entry level groups of student interns were also compared to five student teachers in physical education, who were from the same teacher preparation program and had completed the same ETU the previous year. Results indicated that the two entry level groups were fairly equal in overall teaching effectiveness. When the two entry level groups of interns were compared to the student teacher group, it was concluded that the entry level groups were more effective teachers. This conclusion was generated after data analysis indicated a significant difference (P < .05) between groups on student skill gain (pre- to posttest in ETU), management time, activity time, and engaged motor. A restructuring of this teacher preparation program is recommended.