The present study examined the validity of the factor structure and invariance of the Controlling Teacher Behaviours Scale (CTBS) across two nations. Data were collected from Estonian (n=453) and Lithuanian (n=431) students using the multidimensional measure of teachers’ controlling behaviours. Multi-sample confirmatory factor analyses showed that the measure of teachers’ controlling behaviours with four scales (negative conditional regard, controlling use of rewards, excessive personal control and intimidation) were partially invariant at the configural, metric and strong invariance level. The results of the latent mean estimates showed no differences between Estonian and Lithuanian students in respect of the perception of the use of reward, whereas the perception of negative conditional regard, intimidation and excessive personal control appeared to be higher for Estonian students. The results indicated that CTBS is generally suitable for measuring the perceptions of teachers’ controlling behaviour among Estonian and Lithuanian students. Furthermore, results established that one item was perceived differently across samples and, therefore, there is a need for further research to test the invariance of the CTBS among student samples with different cultural backgrounds.
Educational institutions have been identified as ideal locations to implement health promotion strategies that aim to prevent and treat youth obesity. However, the tertiary training of future health promoters currently lacks health and nutrition instruction. This study sought to investigate attitudes towards youth obesity and perceptions of the roles of schools and educators in strategies to treat and prevent youth obesity. Participants (n = 155) were tertiary students who enrolled in a general-level health and nutrition elective that housed an intervention to increase awareness of obesity. Baseline and post-intervention responses to the Perceptions of Youth Obesity and Health Education questionnaire were collected and compared spanning the 12 weeks. Agreement that health is linked to being of normal weight and that general educators should have a major role in school strategies did not waver over the course of the intervention. The belief that schools are ideal places for obesity prevention strategies was higher at baseline than post-intervention. It was desired that obesity awareness would increase but perceived importance of involvement of school staff in youth obesity strategies did not increase. Further research is required to investigate the influence of attitudes and perceptions held by future health promoters towards their roles in prevention and treatment strategies on professional practice.
The purpose of this study was to explore children’s play during recess and in physical education (PE) classes from the perspective of Huizinga’s theory of play. Specifically, this study investigated how primary school PE teachers used the concept of play, how it was understood by student participants, and how the participants engaged in the different phases of play during recess. Two groups of Year 3 children from two different schools participated in the study. Observations and unstructured group and individual interviews were used to collect data. The results reveal that PE teachers used the concept of play to propose activities, therefore employing play as a pedagogical tool. Participants engaged in some short breaks during the different parts of the PE class, during which they engaged in a ludic mode of play. Finally, the players communicated with each other in different ways while playing in a ludic mode during recess, using verbal and non-verbal communication and a combination of both. The results suggest that PE teachers need to determine which approaches to play are more appropriate to use in their classes.
Group work is used in physical education (PE) to encourage student-directed, collaborative learning. Aligned with this aim, group work is expected to shift some power from teacher to students and enable students to make decisions and co-construct meaning on their own. There are, however, very few investigations focusing on power in group work situations in PE, with most research focusing on learning and content. Assumptions about the nature of power and its mechanisms have been largely implicit. The purpose of this paper was consequently to explore power relations in PE group work. To do this, we have drawn primarily on observational data of three groups working together to choreograph a dance performance in a Swedish PE lesson. A small amount of pre- and post-lesson interview material is used as a complementary data source. Michel Foucault’s notion of power as action-on-action is used to identify different types of power relations in this group work. Four specific kinds of relations are presented concerning: (1) the students’ task; (2) other cultures; (3) gender; and (4) interactions with one another. These relations suggest that power relations are not simply created locally between group members, nor are power relations only a function of the members’ proficiency in the task. In these respects, the results encourage a reconsideration of learning in group work and open up new avenues for further research. The paper is concluded with practical considerations that relate to common assumptions about student power, teacher authority and the potential benefit of ambiguous tasks in group work.
This article explores the different ways in which a dance exergame can be used to teach dance in upper secondary school physical education. Particular attention is paid to the learning processes that students are involved in when the dance game is used as a teaching resource. A socio-cultural perspective on learning constitutes the analytical framework. The study demonstrates three different uses: instructor, facilitator and inspirer. In relation to these uses the students are involved in the following learning processes: learning by imitating, repeating, communicating, negotiating, instructing, modelling and using metaphors. It is argued that dance exergames can be used pedagogically to teach dance because they focus on the moves and steps and allow the teacher to focus on observing, supporting, assigning tasks and providing feedback.
Predisposing factors of perceived physical education (PE) ability and perceived PE worth within the Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model are positively associated with young people’s daily physical activity. The aim of this study was to qualitatively investigate the origins of students’ perceived PE ability (perceived competence and self-esteem) and perceived PE worth (attitude and enjoyment). Fifty-three PE students, aged 12–14 years (mean = 13.18), participated in semi-structured focus group interviews, which were recorded, transcribed and analysed inductively and deductively and represented as pen profiles. Analysis revealed three higher order themes relating to perceived PE ability (external feedback, perceptions of (in)competence and comparison against peers), and three higher order themes underpinning perceived PE worth (PE teachers, expectancy–value relationship and the physical experience of PE). PE should be perceived as interesting, relevant and meaningful by students and provide appropriate opportunities for success so as to influence lifetime physical activity habits.
Physical education reform efforts support constructivist learning theory (CLT) to re-conceptualize K-12 physical education. Advocates of models-based Instruction (MBI) indicate that sport education and a tactical games approach are grounded in CLT. A key implication for physical education teacher education (PETE) programmes is to develop preservice teachers (PSTs) capable of implementing MBI. Often, PSTs enter PETE programmes with the pre-conception that learning can only occur through passive transfer of information. As a result, PETE programmes must help PSTs re-conceptualize physical education. The two purposes of this study were to: (a) explore the use of a ‘living the curriculum’ experience to influence PSTs’ conceptions of learning and teaching in physical education; and (b) examine the usefulness of visual methods to further understand students’ experiences in a PETE course. Participants were undergraduate PSTs (N = 12; five women, seven men) who experienced living a hybrid curriculum. PSTs took five to seven photographs to create a photo-collage that best depicted their experiences in the class. Semi-structured focus group interviews centered on discussion of the PSTs’ photo collages. Data analysis revealed two major themes and sub-themes: (1) Learning in physical education – (a) knowledge is socially constructed and (b) learning is active; and (2) The role of the professor – (a) professor as facilitator and (b) clinging to old conceptions. PSTs experienced cognitive conflict and conceptual addition, suggesting old ideas were not completely extinguished but revised. Overall, the PSTs’ conceptions indicated an openness to and basic understanding of alternate forms of physical education.
Annual age grouping of children according to their birth year is a common practice of the educational systems of many countries. This variation in birth dates among children grouped in the same generation is known as relative age and its implications on different developmental outcomes are referred to as relative age effects (RAEs). The previous body of research of RAEs in youth populations has focused on sporting samples; however, studies examining RAEs in physical education are scarce. The current study investigates the influence of the RAEs on motor abilities in a sample of adolescent pupils. The results indicate significant differences in motor abilities between relatively older and relatively younger participants of both sexes. Since RAE is an under-researched area in physical education, the results may have substantial implications for PE assessment given the fact that many PE teachers still carry out typical norm-referenced assessments. Possible recommendations for future research are discussed.
Children’s engagement in physical activity of a vigorous intensity or higher is more effective at promoting cardiorespiratory fitness than moderate physical activity. It remains unclear how higher intensity physical activity varies between days when schoolchildren participate in physical education (PE) and non-PE days. The purpose of this study was to assess how PE contributes to sedentary behaviour and the intensity profile of physical activity accumulated on PE days compared to non-PE days. Fifty-three schoolchildren (36 girls, 11.7 ± 0.3 years) completed five-day minute-by-minute habitual physical activity monitoring using triaxial accelerometers to determine time spent sedentary (<1.5 Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks (METs)) and in light (1.5–2.9 METs), moderate (3–5.9 METs), vigorous (6–8.9 METs), hard (9–11.9 METs) and very hard intensity (≥12 METs) physical activity on PE days and non-PE days. Sedentary time was higher on non-PE days than on PE days (mean difference: 62 minutes, p < 0.001). Hard and very hard intensity physical activity was significantly higher on PE days compared with non-PE days (mean total difference: 33 minutes, all significant at p < 0.001). During the PE lesson, boys spent more time in hard (p < 0.01) and very hard (p < 0.01) physical activity compared to girls. Schoolchildren spent significantly more time in higher intensity physical activity and significantly less time sedentary on PE days than on non-PE days. As well as reducing sedentary behaviour, the opportunity to promote such health-promoting higher intensity physical activity in the school setting warrants further investigation.
The recently launched Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education has five propositions, one of which is for students to adopt a critical inquiry approach within this subject area. In particular, students are encouraged to explore issues that relate to social power and taken-for-granted assumptions. This paper problematizes the concept of ‘biological race’ as one such assumption at three government high schools in Canberra, Australia’s national capital. This study found that Indigenous students at the three schools experience racialization both from their health and physical education (HPE) teachers and from their non-Indigenous peers. Figurational sociology was used to show that this racialization is a characteristic of power relationships in the physical education and school sport figuration examined. The findings presented are important because they show that HPE teachers perpetuate the myth of ‘biological race’. Further, this fantasy of ‘biological race’ restricts opportunities for Indigenous students and is an obstacle for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Pedagogical practices in schooling bear a potential to impact on student success, achievement and engagement with schooling. This is especially the case for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are deeply dependent on schooling for their educational resources. Central to this paper are pedagogies for social justice and improved engagement of boys in dance within a school located in an area of high socio-economic disadvantage. It is in these areas that boys spend considerable time performing masculinities that are in opposition to the formal processes of schooling, including participation in perceived feminine pursuits. The specific focus of this paper is a project of pedagogical redesign, enacted by a teacher of physical education and dance. The paper will first address pedagogies as they relate to dance, physical education, inclusion and gender. We next describe the action research project before describing redesigned pedagogical processes and outcomes for students. Findings reveal that altered pedagogical practices and relationships resulted in increasing student engagement, as well as broader outcomes across the curriculum. In conclusion we argue for practices that provide safe and supportive learning environments, connect to student life-worlds and extend student skills to offer ‘possibilities’ for boys from disadvantaged backgrounds in dance as well as investment in schooling.
In this paper, we critically examine the potential of assessment components in physical education teacher education (PETE) to either reinforce or challenge PETE students’ conceptions of what a physical education (PE) teacher needs to know to teach this school subject. To understand the mechanisms that may contribute to the difficulty of challenging these taken-for-granted beliefs (doxa) within PETE, we draw on the theories and concepts of Pierre Bourdieu. Two different kinds of empirical material are analysed: one consists of 62 essays, written by PETE students before starting their degree programme, dealing with their conceptions of PE teachers’ competencies, while the second consists of course booklets and assessment components used within one PETE programme. The study shows that implicit prerequisites and conditions in assessment components are very similar to the conceptions of competencies in PETE students’ statements. The study also shows that taken-for-granted beliefs may be challenged, but at the same time, we argue, the use of socially critical perspectives in PE practice may also (in the name of the doxa) stigmatise those who are not physically active in their leisure time as well as those who do not look fit and sporty, and thus does not challenge the way power and social superiority or inferiority appear in PE.
The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of research on the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model-based programme within physical education. Papers selected for analysis were found through searches of Web of Science, SportDiscus (EBSCO), SCOPUS, and ERIC (ProQuest) databases. The keywords ‘responsibility model’ and ‘physical education’ were used in different combinations. The relevant articles were checked for the following criteria: (a) the study has been published in a peer-reviewed international journal; (b) it included Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model-based programme implementation; (c) programmes were implemented within physical education classes; and (d) the full text was available in English or Spanish. The quality of the selected studies was scored using a quality assessment list. Twenty-two papers that satisfied the selection criteria were identified. A practical analysis of these papers to present the results placed them into three categories: (a) impact of the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model-based programme on teachers; (b) programme implementation features; and (c) outcomes of the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility-based programme on student participants. Longer studies with follow-up data, quantitative methodological designs, and larger samples would be particularly important for future investigations.
Facilitators and barriers to recess physical activity are not well understood. To date, research on recess physical activity has predominantly focused on quantitative measures typically focusing on a narrow set of predefined factors, often constructed by adults. To really understand the factors affecting recess physical activity it is crucial to observe and listen to children to know how they engage in and perceive recess physical activity. The aim of this paper was to gain knowledge on children’s perceptions and experiences of factors influencing their physical activity behaviour during recess. Data were collected in three separate studies using different qualitative approaches: participant observation; go-along group interviews and participatory photo interviews. The studies were conducted among 10–13-year-old children (grades 4–6) in 17 Danish schools and in five New Zealand schools among 11–12-year-old children. The socio-ecological model was used as the overall theoretical framework. Twelve factors were identified as influencing the children’s recess physical activity: bodily self-esteem and ability; gender; gendered school culture; peer influence; conflicts and exclusion; space and place experiences; lack of play facilities; outdoor play policy; use of electronic devices; recess duration; organised activities; and weather. These factors were located within different layers of the socio-ecological model, but were interdependent. The findings speak for implementing a combination of actions addressing factors from different layers in the socio-ecological model to increase recess physical activity.
The purpose of this study was to analyze the attitudes of physical education teachers about inclusion and teaching students with disabilities in Brazil before and after they participated in a professional development workshop focused on inclusive ideology and strategies. The participants were Brazilian physical education teachers (pretest sample, n = 90, and posttest sample, n = 90, respectively) sampled randomly from a two-day workshop held in Brasília, Brazil. The research method was pretest–posttest group design. The primary data source was the Physical Educators’ Judgments about Inclusion survey, a three-dimensional attitude survey scale with an accompanying demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate the Brazilian physical education teachers: (a) were undecided about inclusion; (b) were accepting of students with disabilities in their classes; and (c) perceived a need for additional professional development training to effectively teach children with disabilities.
Based on the framework of interest, studies have shown that situational interest possesses strong motivation potential for students in physical education. Understanding how teachers can use situational interest in a classroom context is critical to motivate students. However, such investigations have been exclusively conducted in the United States and little is known about situational interest in other contexts. Grounded specifically in the French physical education curriculum, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the five situational interest sources (instant enjoyment, exploration intention, attention demand, challenge and novelty) and total interest, to demonstrate which sources could be related to total interest and to determine possible mediators’ effects among sources. Students (n = 601; M age = 14.37; range 11–18 years; SD = 1.96; 51.4% boys) from 25 classes in six secondary schools participated in the study. They responded to the French situational interest scale after practising learning tasks in regular physical education lessons. On the basis of multiple-regression and mediation analyses, a structural equation model was formed to map out the meaningfulness of the relationships among situational interest sources and the total interest. Our results showed that instant enjoyment and exploration intention have direct and positive effects on total interest. In addition, these sources mediated the effects from attention demand and challenge toward the total interest. These results indicated that an effective way to motivate students in physical education is to build motivational components into the course content, especially those which enhance situational interest.
Changes to the purpose and scope of health and physical education (HPE) in schools have prompted revisions in teacher education degrees within Australia. Using a qualitative approach, this study explored HPE teachers’ perceptions of these changes. Of particular interest was pre-service HPE teachers’ reflections on the importance of skill acquisition (also referred to as motor learning) content in their university degree, which focuses on the theories and practices involved in learning movement and perceptual skills. Findings were based on the thematic analysis of four semi-structured focus groups with 25 pre-service HPE teachers at one Australian metropolitan university. Analysis suggests that the importance of skill acquisition and the imperative to increase physical activity without a focus on competence are contradictory priorities within pre-service HPE curricula. The goal of promoting enjoyment of physical education sustained this tension, implying that there is a new discourse in HPE and suggesting the need for further research into the self-reflection and emotional dynamics of pre-service HPE teachers’ reflections on curricula.
This pilot project aimed to demonstrate the efficacy and feasibility of an innovative physical education programme, referred to as a health club (HC) approach, in a high school setting. We measured adolescent girls’ moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), components of health-related physical fitness, and perceptions about themselves and physical activity (PA) during a 14-week programme. The HC approach produced high levels of MVPA. Pre/post physical fitness testing variables included height, weight, body mass index, waist measurement, sit and reach, grip strength, push-ups, sit-ups and a 10-minute walk test. Significant differences were found in participants’ flexibility and cardiovascular fitness at the conclusion of the 14-week programme. Participants reported greater perceived control over their PA, improvements in their physical self-concept across several domains, more positive feelings about appearance and strength and more positive global statements about their physical selves at post-test. The results of this study suggest that the HC approach is a promising approach that deserves further study.
This article investigates and problematises how contesting discourses about Physical Education (PE) as a school subject are immersed within textbooks used in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) in Denmark. The paper considers PETE textbooks as powerful documents that construct and maintain discourses about PE, and at the same time as central texts for the reading of such discourses. Fairclough’s and Foucault’s notions of discourse and discourse analysis are applied to identify dominant patterns in those 20 textbooks that are most used in PETE in Denmark. The findings reveal three different discourses that represent contesting philosophies about the value and practice of PE. These are termed: (1) Developing the potential for sport, (2) Basis for creative sensing and (3) Being part of a cultural ballast. The paper analyses these three discourses critically and concludes that PETE textbooks are deeply involved in the (re)construction, struggling and ‘working’ of classical discourses in PE. The discussion deals with the way that PETE textbooks comprise powerful documents that through their recurrent use of high modality are unequivocal in their suggestions for PE practices, and how pre-service teachers in this way are exposed to antagonistic discourses in PETE textbooks. We suggest that PETE teachers may use textbook analysis in the educational programme as a tool for reflection upon the working of discourses in PE in general and for discussing central ideological dilemmas in PE.
This longitudinal study investigated the effects of a mastery motivational climate in physical education (PE) classes on 2x2 achievement goal orientation and dominance, self-regulated learning (SRL), and physical activity (PA) in leisure time. A total of 408 (264 women, 144 men) university students were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental and control. For 12 weeks (24 one-hour sessions), the experimental group received an intervention programme based on TARGET model, which emphasized a mastery climate. The control group carried out the same content but without highlighting such strategies. By means of the structural equation model, true intraindividual change in relation to orientation to 2x2 achievement goals, SRL, and PA in leisure time was analyzed. An increase in different variables within the experimental group was confirmed, these being: (a) the orientation to and dominance of mastery-approach (MAp) goals at the expense of the remaining goals; (b) competences in SRL; and (c) moderate and vigorous levels of PA in their free time. In addition, intraindividual changes in the MAp goals were positively related to intraindividual changes in self-efficacy of learning, which, in turn, positively predicted intraindividual changes in PA, regardless of the group (experimental or control). Thus, the mastery climate increases the percentage of participants with a dominant MAp goal and can effectively help to promote regular habits of PA in free time, by mediation of self-efficacy in SRL.
Sport education (SE) has been touted as a model particularly conducive to realizing affective objectives. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence of a training programme on one preservice physical education (PE) teacher’s ability to promote moral and sporting behaviour in SE. The participants in the study were the teacher, Alex, and the 75 middle school students he taught within two 20-lesson SE Ultimate Frisbee seasons. The theories of structural development and social learning guided data collection and analysis. Data were collected with nine qualitative methods and reduced to themes by employing analytic induction and constant comparison. Many of the students in the study had been socialized into norms of sporting participation that were mostly negative and believed that it was acceptable to behave in an unfair and unsporting manner. During the course of the two seasons, Alex managed to get many of them to question this thinking and to engage in positive sporting behaviours. That he did not change the thinking or behaviours of some highly skilled students, and that the behaviours of other students of similar skill level regressed once the seasons became more competitive, illustrated how powerful the negative influences of the institution of organized youth and school sport can be.
Grounded in self-determination theory and achievement goal theory, this quasi-experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of a teaching intervention programme to improve predisposition towards physical education based on developing a task-oriented motivational climate and supporting basic psychological needs. The final sample consisted of 35 secondary education students, aged 15–17 (M age = 15.35, SD = 0.49), divided into two groups: control (n = 15) and experimental (n = 20). The intervention programme was applied in the experimental group to 12 acrosport unit lessons based on motivational strategies by means of TARGET areas (i.e. Task, authority, recognition, grouping, evaluation and time). Firstly, the experimental group obtained significantly higher values in perceived support of the basic psychological needs and in the perceived task-oriented motivational climate in the acrosport unit. Secondly, this intervention was effective in generating a significant increase in predisposition towards physical education in the experimental group. Noteworthy is the need to generate interventions in different content areas that may improve students’ predisposition towards physical education, which could contribute to them adopting a more active lifestyle.
This study examined the effectiveness of a brief theory-based intervention on muscular strength among adolescents in a physical education setting. The intervention adopted a process-based mental simulation technique. The self-reported frequency of practising for and actual levels of abdominal muscular strength/endurance as one component of health-related physical fitness was targeted. Adolescents aged 16–19 years (n = 105) from nine classes were cluster-randomly assigned to experimental, mere-measurement control, and no-measurement control groups. All participants performed the one-minute sit-up test at baseline and four weeks later to measure their abdominal muscular strength/endurance. In the middle of the four-week period, participants allocated to the experimental group mentally simulated the process (i.e. practising) for doing better on the follow-up test relative to the baseline. Results revealed a significant effect of the process mental simulation on test performance at follow-up, but no effect on self-reported frequency of practising for the follow-up test. There was no evidence for the mediation of the effect of process mental simulation on test performance by planning, motivation, or anxiety variables. Results supported the effectiveness of the process mental simulation intervention in enhancing muscular strength among adolescents in a physical education setting, but not in promoting frequency of practise. The latter may be due to the process mental simulation not increasing the frequency but rather the quality of practising. This knowledge could help physical education teachers to facilitate adolescents’ endeavours in improving their muscular strength as one component of health-related physical fitness.
The purpose of this study was to explore how a physical education (PE) teacher employed the direct instruction model (DIM) teaching games in a United Kingdom secondary school. The research sought to identify how the teacher utilised the DIM and those factors that influenced his use of the model. Occupational socialization was used to identify the factors that encouraged his use of the DIM. Data were collected from interviews and lesson observations. Inductive data analysis showed that while the teacher presented a ‘full version’ of the DIM, his limited content knowledge impacted on the use of the model in teaching cricket. Factors influencing his use of the model were a sporting perspective, a Post Graduate Certificate in Education mentor and the ability and behaviour of the students. These factors reinforced his undergraduate learning and subsequent use of the DIM. It is suggested that the comparable backgrounds of many PE student teachers may make the DIM an apt model to learn in undergraduate and postgraduate PE courses. However, effective use of the model requires students to be taught and to possess in-depth content knowledge of the game(s)/activities being taught and learned.
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the meaning that elite athletes with visual impairments ascribed to their school-based physical education (PE) and sport experiences. A convenience sample of four elite male goalball athletes with visual impairment voluntarily participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews and reflective field notes, and an interpretive phenomenological analysis was conducted for theme development. Member checking, peer debriefing, and communicative validity were utilized to ensure trustworthiness. Even though the participants’ experiences varied due to their personal and contextual characteristics, four interrelated themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) PE teachers are central to PE experiences; (b) internalized exclusion; (c) athletic identity struggle; and (d) extracurricular opportunity. These themes are discussed in relation to the existing literature. Implications with regard to the education of PE teachers and the need for school-based PE and sport programming to better serve students with visual impairments are highlighted.
Britain’s 1981 Education Act stimulated a partial migration of pupils from special to mainstream schools. The onus has since been on teachers to meet the needs and capitalise on the capabilities of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream school settings. The research analysed learning support assistant (LSA) and special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) views on inclusion in physical education (PE). Individual interviews were conducted with 12 LSAs and 12 SENCOs working in mainstream schools in North-West England. Open, axial and selective coding was performed on interview transcripts to identify reoccurring themes. The research found that SENCOs and LSAs considered PE to be an inclusive subject, the conceptualisation of which was left to them. However, developing PE provision that met the needs and optimised the capabilities of pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and supporting pupils with SEND during team games and competitive sports, were identified as key challenges to inclusion in PE. This may be of concern to some educationalists given that these types of curriculum activities have recently been repositioned at the heart of PE in England. A key challenge for all those involved in educating pupils with SEND in PE, especially teachers and LSAs, is to plan and teach team games and competitive sports in ways that meet the needs of and stretch all pupils, in particular those with ASD.
This study examined the effects of using Physical Best lessons to promote adolescent energy balance knowledge and task values. Seventh graders (N = 90) were randomly assigned to the experiment and the comparison groups. The experiment group took 10 selected Physical Best lessons, while the comparison experienced 10 district lessons. Pre- and post-measurements of knowledge and task values were taken at the beginning and the end of the experiment. Analysis of covariance and multivariate analysis of variance were conducted to test the difference over time and between the groups in energy balance knowledge test scores and task values. Both groups improved knowledge test scores, but the experiment group scored significantly higher than the comparison, controlling for the pre-test. The comparison group reported higher initial attainment values which declined over time, while the experiment group increased. The findings suggested that Physical Best lessons were effective (p 2=.18) in improving students’ energy balance knowledge in 10 structured lessons, and that students reported a higher perceived value about the importance of physical education after they learned energy balance and exercise principles. Perhaps these concepts should be taught in physical education to improve student knowledge and perceived values of the subject.
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Sport Education on the constructs that facilitate amotivation. A total of 78 amotivated secondary students were engaged in a 15-lesson unit of badminton taught using the Sport Education or skill-drill-game approach. Constructs that facilitate amotivation were assessed using the Amotivation Inventory in Physical Education survey using a pre-test and post-test design. Data were analysed using linear mixed modelling. Results indicated that Sport Education brought about a significant change for half of the pre-cursors of low levels of motivation. These findings indicate support for the notion that Sport Education can facilitate positive change for students with low levels of motivation.
This study (a) presented a structural model for examining how parents’ perceptions of their children’s competence, exercise benefits, exercise barriers and neighbourhood safety influenced parental support and their children’s physical activity (PA) and (b) examined the mediating effect of parental support on children’s PA. Parents of 478 children aged 6–9 years were recruited into the study. The parents were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing the aforementioned constructs and report their children’s PA outside school time over 7 days. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to examine the relationship between parents’ perceptions and the reported PA of their children. The results revealed that (a) only parental support predicted children’s PA directly and (b) parents’ perceptions of their children’s competence and exercise benefits predicted parental support and, in turn, predicted children’s PA. PA interventions for Hong Kong children should emphasize increasing parental support in addition to enhancing parents’ confidence and ability to promote their children’s PA by providing positive feedback, acting as active role models and facilitating participation in PA. Additional studies are required to examine children’s PA from the perspective of parents.
Obesity prevention and control have been identified as top public health priorities in modern societies. Sport and exercise science researchers from multiple perspectives (e.g. behavioral, pedagogical, psychological, and physiological) have been active contributors addressing this topic. This paper examines the importance of energy balance (EB) knowledge in enabling behaviors associated with weight management in youth (e.g. physical activity and dietary behaviors). Relevant research studies were searched using ERIC, Proquest, PubMed, and Scopus. A total of 48 articles that met the inclusion criteria were identified and retrieved. The research findings of the included articles were summarized after being thoroughly reviewed. The paper reveals mixed findings about the association between EB knowledge and behaviors, reinforcing the importance of developing knowledge through education. The literature review further identifies that there is inadequate knowledge about EB among youth, coinciding with a national call for action to enhance EB education in schools. The knowledge inadequacy is related to two plausible reasons: the science of EB is still evolving and systematic EB education is lacking in schools. In addition, while some school-based EB education programmes are available, many of these programmes are expensive and lack generalizability and sustainability over time. The paper concludes with a proposal to enhance EB education using concept-based physical education.
The question of physical interaction is especially relevant in school physical education, where a lot of the teaching and activities are based on body movements. However, the issue of ‘touching’ has been questioned in recent years. This paper takes its starting point in the discourse of child protection and the growing anxiety around intergenerational touch in educational settings. The purpose is to examine PE teachers’ self-regulation in relation to the child protection discourse and no touch policies. What sort of strategies have the teachers developed for dealing with physical contact in their teaching? It is a matter of problematising teachers’ pedagogical interactions in PE practice.
The study takes its starting point in a discourse-analytical tradition using a methodology based on Foucault’s ideas about governmentality. Twenty-three teachers (10 women and 13 men) aged 30–63 and at different stages in their careers were interviewed. The results show two different self-regulating processes: (1) adaptation using avoidance-oriented strategies and (2) resistance using downplaying-oriented strategies. The paper discusses potential consequences for PE teachers’ pedagogical work if they feel that they have to protect themselves instead of operating in a way that is in the best interest for students’ learning and development. The study aims to contribute to the literature on child protection and ‘no touch’ policies and to a more multifaceted understanding of physical interaction in PE.
This article is grounded in social constructivist perspectives of learning: its purpose is to provide an overview of the ‘Interactions Sociales et Acquisition’ (ISA) [Social Interactions and Acquisition] French group’s research that examines how a peer-assisted learning (PAL) group context facilitates students’ acquisition of motor and social skills in physical education (PE). Issues addressed include the pairing of students in dyads and how training them to endorse tutor and tutee roles facilitates students to work in small groups. The effects of peer interaction on social relations and the inclusion of students with special needs are also overviewed. Findings regarding the influence of student interactions on learning were derived using a variety of data collection methodologies, including quantitative data used to test the effectiveness of various interactive procedures and qualitative analyses of verbal protocols to better understand the interactive dynamics involved in such learning devices. The ISA work highlights the complementary value of both of these methodological approaches for studying group work effects. ISA findings suggest that PE teachers prepare students for functional interaction group work by taking into consideration the students’ characteristics (like gender or desire for control) in the constitution of dyads and then effectively training the tutors to deliver the expected content. Cooperative learning (CL) contexts also provided a viable alternative for facilitating the inclusion of students with disabilities or those with lower initial skill levels.
In physical education (PE), children frequently participate in teams and the exchanges that transpire shape their perspectives and subsequently, influence learning. While Sport Education is one pedagogical model designed to enhance social exchanges through team membership, we previously identified the need for additional research to monitor these exchanges more closely. This study examined the verbal exchanges of students in two fourth grade PE classes participating in a season of team handball. One mixed-skill team from Class 1 (a heterogeneous skill league) and one low-skill team from Class 2 (a homogeneous skill league) were selected for in-depth study. Data collection included videotaped lessons from each team. Data analysis produced descriptive results of the frequency and focus of students’ individual exchanges. Our results indicated middle-to-high status students had higher rates of exchanges at the commencement of the season segments. Students in the homogeneous league had higher frequencies of exchanges than those in the heterogeneous league, and the focus of exchanges predominantly included on-task exchanges for the skill, in both skill leagues. This study highlights the potential for varied rates of exchange, based on student characteristics and unit design. Careful consideration for these factors should be employed to determine optimal learning environments for students.
The purpose of this study was to use the Joint Action Studies in Didactics (JASD) to understand how teachers’ and students’ interactions co-construct knowledge during Cooperative Learning (CL). The basis of CL is that students learn with and from each other through a structured interdependent relationship. A case study approach was used to examine how a group of three year-5 students and their teacher from an ethnically diverse primary school in New Zealand co-constructed knowledge within a 3-month CL intervention in physical education. The JASD protocol included collecting data on the teacher’s intention, practical epistemology and student interactions as they engaged in CL task structures. Data analysis included a search for patterns in the evolution of the didactic contract of content learned as students interacted in the co-construction of knowledge. Findings revealed that the CL tasks provided a pedagogical structure where student interactions were generally aligned with the didactic intent of the tasks. The teaching techniques of the student coach served to make the development of content more dynamic, with an increased frequency of breaches in the didactic contract. This dynamic may facilitate student learning during productive group problem-solving tasks. When the intended content was more specifically defined, the topogenetic technique of teacher intervention within tasks was critical to re-align students’ interpretation of the knowledge at stake in the CL tasks.
This paper relates to students’ productive disciplinary engagement (PDE) within the teaching of gymnastics in Tunisia. Students’ engagement is investigated from the pragmatist and social-interactionist perspective of the didactic joint action framework in conjunction with productive disciplinary engagement. Data were collected through ethnographic observations using video recordings and teacher interviews during a 12th grade gymnastics unit conducted by a female teacher in a senior high school. Analyses of students’ actions were carried out during significant episodes when they worked without the direct presence of the teacher. The study draws attention to how breaches of the didactic contract initiated by students promote knowledge content development and how students contribute to the situated didactic process. The analyses of students’ contrasted cases (two high-skilled, two low-skilled students) highlight how students actively participate in shaping their learning. The discussion points out some generic patterns that keep students engaged in a PDE. The paper is concluded with a consideration of the utility of the two theoretical frameworks for understanding student learning in physical education lessons.
Students with disabilities are more likely than ever to be educated in physical education classes with their typically developing peers. Because of this, it is essential for all educational personnel, including physical educators, to have proper teacher education to help meet the unique needs of these students. Currently, the research base is underdeveloped with regard to the meaning that graduate-level pre-service adapted physical education (APE) specialists ascribe to practicum experiences teaching students with severe and profound disabilities during their graduate teacher education. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to describe and explain graduate students’ experiences instructing students with severe and profound disabilities during course-related practicum experiences. This study utilized a descriptive-qualitative approach using an exploratory case study design and was interpreted through the lens of occupational socialization theory. Nine graduate students enrolled in two master’s level APE programmes acted as participants for this study. As part of their coursework, each student completed a 200 hour hands-on practicum experience teaching students with severe and profound disabilities. Data were collected during this practicum experience through semi-structured interviews, follow-up email correspondence, and demographic questionnaires. Three themes, explainable through the use of organizational socialization theory, emerged, and were: (1) the ambiguous roles of APE teachers; (2) the need for specialized expertise; and (3) reality shock-unpredictable behaviors. Although each of the participants expressed some difficulties during the experience, they also described degrees of success in contributing to the education of students with severe and profound disabilities.
The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a continuing professional development (CPD) intervention in producing changes in physical education (PE) teaching practice and PE teaching quality by generalist primary school teachers when the CPD addressed the use of a game-centred approach. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in seven primary schools in the Hunter Region, New South Wales, Australia. One year six teacher from each school was randomized into the Professional Learning for Understanding Games Education (PLUNGE) intervention (n = 4 teachers) or the 7-week wait-list control (n = 3) condition. The PLUNGE intervention (weeks 1–5) used an instructional framework to improve teachers’ knowledge, understanding and delivery of a game-centred curriculum, and included an information session and weekly in-class mentoring. The intervention was designed to enhance content and pedagogical knowledge for the provision of pedagogy focused on a broad range of learning outcomes. Teaching quality was assessed at baseline and follow-up (weeks 6 and 7) via observation of two consecutive PE lessons using the Quality Teaching Lesson Observation Scales. Linear mixed models revealed significant group-by-time intervention effects (p < 0.05) for the quality of teaching (effect size: d = 1.7). CPD using an information session and mentoring, and a focus on the development of the quality of teaching using a game-centred pedagogical approach was efficacious in improving the quality of PE teaching among generalist primary school teachers.
Anti-fat bias by professors in physical education departments may interfere with the training provided to pre-service teachers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of professors in physical education departments toward obese individuals. Professors from randomly selected institutions across all four US regions participated in the study (N = 94). Participants took the Implicit Association Test and answered the Anti-Fat Attitude Scale and two questions specifically designed to measure their attitudes toward physical education teachers and majors who are obese. The participants exhibited implicit good–bad (p < .001) and lazy–motivated (p < .001) anti-fat biases. Professors favored accepting majors who are obese (p < .001), but they strongly disapproved of obese physical education teachers as role models to their students (p < .001). Explicit anti-fat bias was associated with a stronger disapproval of physical education teachers who are obese as role models to students (p < .001) and accepting majors who are obese (p < .001). Implicit good–bad anti-fat bias was associated with a stronger disapproval of obese physical education teachers as role models to students (p = .047). The anti-fat bias demonstrated by the professors may negatively affect the training of pre-service physical education teachers to work with students of all body sizes. Awareness programs may be necessary to diminish anti-fat bias among professors in physical education teacher education programs.
Although assessment practices are commonly part of the physical education (PE) curriculum they may often frustrate rather than support students’ basic needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Nevertheless, assessment also provides various promising opportunities to support these basic needs and enhance learning in students. In order to address this issue, we developed an in-service teacher training programme that was grounded within contemporary theories on assessment and motivation, and aimed at improving PE teachers’ expertise on motivational assessment practices. In close collaboration with PE teachers and other experts in the field an in-service teacher training programme was developed that covered important topics such as quality assessment, motivation and assessment for learning. Specific attention was directed to the translation of theoretical concepts into practical and applicable tools. The in-service training programme was then provided on-site three times to a total of 33 PE teachers (of whom 20 were male (60%) and 12 were female (40%), teaching experience 3–32 years) representing different PE departments. Through an iterative cycle of development, provision, evaluation and adjustment the programme was gradually optimised. Focus group sessions and questionnaires were employed to evaluate various aspects, and identify barriers and success factors. The in-service teacher training programme is a successful first step in improving the expertise of PE teachers to start and develop higher quality and more motivating assessment practices. Nevertheless, in order to generate durable change within daily PE practice, follow-up training sessions or counselling methods (e.g. through communities of practice) are essential to overcome implementation barriers. Development, adjustment and future directions for assessment are discussed.
This study aimed to examine the association among parental moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), parental support, and the MVPA of children by gender. Participants comprised of 172 boys and 151 girls aged seven to 11 years old from three primary schools in Shanghai. Their parents were also included as research respondents. Accelerometers were utilized to measure MVPA duration among the children. Questionnaires that focused on parental support and MVPA were completed by the parents. Results indicated that only 4% of the children met the recommended MVPA duration of 60 minutes per day based on objective data. Parental support consisted of two constructs: logistic support and explicit modelling. Boys engaged in more MVPA than girls although no gender differences were noted in terms of the logistic support and explicit modelling of parents and their MVPA. A regression analysis revealed that 23.3% of the variance in MVPA for boys was explained by explicit modelling and MVPA of fathers. Moreover, 10.5% of the variance for girls was explained by the explicit modelling of mothers. Thus, parents should be highly encouraged to support the MVPA of their children by acting as role models. They can also enhance the MVPA of their children using different methods based on gender.
Previous research has illustrated that physical educators feel their subject is valued less than others in the context of schools. However, to date, no instruments have been developed to measure physical education teachers’ perceptions of mattering. This study sought to propose and validate the Perceived Mattering Questionnaire – Physical Education (PMQ-PE). In total, 460 physical educators completed an online survey that measured perceived mattering, role stress, and resilience. Data analysis began with exploratory factor analysis to identify a stable two-factor structure that measured physical educators’ perceptions that they matter and that the discipline of physical education matters. Next, confirmatory factor analysis was used to affirm the factor structure and to examine convergent, discriminant, and divergent validity. The model was a good fit for the data and the PMQ-PE correlated positively with resilience and negatively with role stress. These analyses support initial validation of the PMQ-PE.
The purpose of this study was to identify students’ perspectives of the role of healthy behaviours in their well-being and school success. Since a number of studies focused on establishing the link between healthy behaviours and learning have relied on quantitative measures, it was deemed important to provide a different perspective on the topic and give students a voice. Participants were 50 Aotearoa/New Zealand nine- and 10-year-old students of various ethnic backgrounds from two elementary schools. Using situated learning theory to determine the impact a school environment that promotes physical activity has on students’ perspectives, four categories were drawn from student focus-group interviews: (1) opportunities to be active, (2) roles of physical activity, (3) students’ misconceptions of health concepts, and (4) students’ support for health education and physical education at their schools. Students in this study were afforded multiple opportunities to be physically active and acknowledged the benefits these bouts of activities gave them while differentiating the types of opportunities and value they gained from them. Within their community of practice, students were sometimes ‘full’ participants as their knowledge was fully constructed, and sometimes ‘peripheral’ participants, needing more time, active engagement and content knowledge to better grasp some concepts. Little health education content knowledge was provided to classroom teachers, which might have caused some of the misconceptions held by students related to the impact of physical activity and nutrition on their brain function.
Extra-curricular physical activity (ECPA) may have an important role to play in the health and well-being of adolescents, but the actual benefits are relatively unknown. This study examined ECPA participation amongst adolescent males (age 12–15 years) from disadvantaged backgrounds, and evaluated its impact on overall physical activity (PA) accumulation and psychological well-being. At three time points over a single academic year, participants from four schools (n = 174) wore a pedometer for seven days and completed a questionnaire assessing habitual PA, frequency of ECPA participation, barriers to ECPA participation and seven psychosocial subscales. An average year-long score was calculated for each participant, for each variable. Across seasons, 84% of participants reported regular (≥ twice a week) or occasional (once a week) participation in ECPA. Those reporting regular participation in ECPA were significantly (p < .01) more active (steps/day) and scored higher (p < .01) on each psychosocial subscale. Results of multinomial regression analysis showed that perceived physical competence (p < .001) had a significant main effect on ECPA participation. Our study results indicate that students from disadvantaged backgrounds whom participate in ECPA at least once a week are significantly more physically active and have a higher level of psychological well-being than those who never participate.
The study addresses professional vision, including the abilities of selective attention and knowledge-based reasoning. This article focuses on the latter ability. Groups with different sport-specific and pedagogical expertise (n = 60) were compared according to their observation and interpretation of sport activities in a four-field design. The first group (novice) was composed of student teachers who had their university studies and who were characterised by low sport-specific and low pedagogical expertise. The second group (athlete) comprised athletes with high sport-specific expertise determined by league affiliation. The third group (teacher) included teachers with high pedagogical expertise based on teaching experience and further pedagogical criteria. The fourth group (expert) consisted of teachers with high pedagogical expertise, who, in addition, played and coached basketball at a high level (high sport-specific expertise). Observational data were obtained from physical education classes. The participants’ comments were recorded in a guided interview and analysed based on qualitative content analysis. The results were exported for further statistical analysis. The findings reveal general and specific differences in knowledge-based reasoning and identify different types of knowledge and beliefs used in this process. The implications for physical education teacher education programmes using video-supported reflection are discussed in light of the results.
The purpose of this study was to examine middle school students’ recollections of their participation in a significant number of Sport Education seasons over a period of five years.
Thirty-one (18 boys and 13 girls) eighth-grade students (average age at data collection = 13 years) who had all participated in at least 17 Sport Education seasons served as the participants in this study. Autobiographical memory theory guided qualitative data collection, which included surveys, formal interviews, focus group interviews, and autobiographical critical reflections. Student responses were categorized into general events, which had a focus on evaluating, preparation, first season, integrity, competition, and gamesmanship. Descriptive event-specific memories included authenticity and gameplay as most memorable aspects of students’ experiences within multiple Sport Education seasons. The findings suggested that participating in multiple Sport Education seasons leads to better developed student roles and a stronger sense of fair play. More importantly, adherence to the central features of Sport Education and meaningful participation in several iterations of quality Sport Education seasons may be required for students to move closer to achieving the lofty goals of the model for students to become competent, literate, and enthusiastic sportspeople.
There are growing expectations on schools to promote health and physical activity and helping schools to effectively do so is considered a priority. This paper reports on selected findings from a research project that was concerned with supporting secondary schools in the effective promotion of physical activity and establishing their needs in this regard. Specifically, the paper explores secondary school teachers’ experiences of and perspectives on promoting physical activity. The study involved an online survey with secondary schools across the United Kingdom, plus interviews with teachers from eight schools from different regions in England. The findings highlighted a number of issues concerning the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles generally, many of which seem to be long-standing. For example, issues associated with the status and place of health, the amount and nature of the training and support provided or accessed by teachers in the area, and schools’ effectiveness in promoting and engaging all pupils in healthy, active lifestyles were identified. These findings led to questions regarding the extent to which teachers are adequately and appropriately equipped to effectively promote physical activity and to recommendations to improve the support for and practice of schools in this area.
In 2006, the European Union published its recommendations on competences for lifelong learning. Since then, key competences have been integrated into the official curriculum in Spain. The objectives of the present study are: a) to describe the strategies used most frequently by physical education teachers to incorporate key competences in their programmes; and b) to identify the profiles of teachers and schools that promote the inclusion of key competences in their physical education programmes. Data were collected via a questionnaire administered to a sample of 2051 physical education teachers in primary and secondary schools in Spain.
The results show that while teachers include key competences in their programmes, they do not usually do so explicitly. The competences most frequently included are: social and citizenship skills; autonomy and personal initiative; learning to learn; and knowledge of, and interaction with, the physical world. To develop these competences, lesson plans often aim to integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes, apply problem-solving approaches, and foster the transfer of learning to everyday life. The lack of interdisciplinarity emerges as a negative aspect. Factors favouring the inclusion of competences are the provision of competence-based training for teachers and the presence of a coordination system for dealing with competences in the school. The conclusion drawn is that merely including key competences in the official curriculum is not enough; reinforcement and correction of all the aspects mentioned are essential to ensure that adequate attention is paid to competences in physical education programmes.
The organisers of the 2012 London Olympics have endeavoured explicitly to use the Games to inspire a generation. This is nothing short of putting the main claim of Olympism to the test, but surprisingly the Inspire project has received virtually no scholarly scrutiny. Using an educationally-informed view of inspiration, this paper interrogates the official evaluations of the London 2012 Inspire programme from a realist evaluation perspective and asks what are the theory, mechanisms and outcomes of the programme. It also considers the relationship between evidence, research and policy making in the context of the Olympic Games as an educational project. It is contended that the official evaluations of the Inspire programme failed to provide answers to the key questions of why, how and under what conditions the programme effects have occurred and for whom. In this way they further perpetuate the mythical powers of the Olympics to change young people’s behaviour through sport on the basis of highly problematic evidence.
The public health benefit of school physical education (PE) depends in large part on physical activity (PA) provided during class. According to the literature, PE has a valuable role in public health, and PA levels during PE classes depend on a wide range of factors. The main objective of this study, based on ecological models of behaviour, was to analyse what personal, psychosocial and environmental factors were associated with moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during PE lessons. The sample consisted of 189 adolescents (60.8% girls; M = 16.3 years, SD = 0.7) from nine high schools. PA was assessed by accelerometer. Differences in PA behaviour between the study groups were evaluated using the analysis of variance. Mixed-model regression analysis, adjusted for clustering within schools, evaluated the relation of each independent variable with MVPA. Results indicated that MVPA represented 21.5% of the total time of the session (11.8 minutes, SD = 5.3). Boys performed more MVPA than girls (13.6 versus 10.7 minutes), specifically during sessions in which fitness activities (cardiorespiratory endurance and strength), net games and sports were performed. The highest levels of MVPA occurred among students with high physical self-efficacy perception, when lessons were held outdoors, in schools with high socio-economic status, and during lessons with cardiorespiratory fitness activities and invasion games and sports. Gender, number of students per session and PE content were significantly related to MVPA according to regression analysis. Present findings show that PA levels during the PE sessions depend on several personal, psychosocial and environmental factors.
Research among former Physical Education (PE) school students has demonstrated how fat phobia in PE classes is oppressive and makes it extremely difficult for most students to develop positive subjectivities. This study explores how a group of pre-service Health and Physical Education (HPE) specialist teachers from an Australian university construct fatness discourses. Taking a Foucauldian perspective, focusing particularly on the concepts of surveillance and normalisation, this paper explores the dominant discourses that pre-service HPE specialist teachers construct about fatness. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews (three interviews per participant) were conducted with 14 students (11 females and three males) aged between 18 and 26 at the time of the first interview. The results of a content analysis of the interview data suggest that students generally tend to classify certain bodies as ‘decent’ and ‘normal’, implying the existence of ‘indecent’ and ‘abnormal’ bodies. Participants also expressed a paternalistic approach and moral judgments towards people they considered to be fat. The results suggest that HPE specialist teachers have certain constructions of fatness that could be explored in their undergraduate degrees so as to minimise any possible ramifications for their teaching.
A small body of previous research suggests that teachers who purposefully negotiated the physical education curriculum empowered their pupils and enhanced the quality of their experience. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of one purposefully negotiated season of sport education (SE) on one teacher and his 18 male eighth grade pupils. Data were collected by employing seven qualitative techniques. These included extensive non-participant observation and formal interviews with the teacher and pupils. Data were coded, categorized, and reduced to themes using standard interpretive techniques. The purposefully negotiated SE season was largely successful and the indications were that SE provided an excellent framework on which to build such a unit. Unlike more direct models of instruction in which teachers make most of the decisions, there was no contest, in the form of negative negotiation, between the teacher and his pupils. Rather, most negotiations were positive and involved discussions among and between pupils. Key pedagogies employed by the teacher were the indirect teaching styles of guided discovery and divergent production, and the ability to avoid interfering with the pupils as they designed and implemented their SE season.
The purpose of this research was to examine how three physical education (PE) teachers’ professional socialization programmes influenced their early careers in urban schools in the US. Using cultural relevance theory and occupational socialization theory, three early career PE teachers were observed and interviewed for a period of six weeks each. Data were analyzed using constant comparison and inductive analysis. Three major themes emerged from the data, including a lack of coursework in sociocultural issues, a curricular emphasis on team sports, and varying exposure to urban schools and communities during physical education teacher education (PETE). The findings highlight the challenges and struggles that early career PE teachers in urban schools faced that were not addressed in their professional socialization programmes. Based on these findings, PETE students need to have a broader range of experiences within the school context. This needs to be prioritized within PETE programmes.
Classroom teachers are increasingly called upon to help increase pupils’ physical activity (PA). Grounded in Guskey’s model of teacher change, this study was part of an intervention that provided classroom teachers with training for implementing classroom-based PA (CBPA). The study examined teachers’ attempts to implement CBPA and focused on their self-reported practices (number of CBPAs implemented and management routines used) as well as their perceptions of this process. Participants (N = 13) were teachers from a U.S. primary school. Data collection included self-reported number of CBPAs implemented (in the year prior to, and the year of, the intervention), self-assessment of management routines used, semi-structured interviews, self-reflection cards, and field notes from classroom observations. Descriptive statistics were calculated and group mean comparison tests were performed for the number of CBPAs implemented and the use of management routines. Qualitative data analysis involved constant comparison and analytic induction techniques, along with several trustworthiness techniques. Teachers implemented a significantly greater number of CBPAs on most days during the study compared to the year before (M = 2.55, SD = 1.36, Cohen’s d = 1.88) and indicated a high level of consistency relative to the use of management strategies taught. Four themes were generated from the qualitative data: (a) positive teacher perceptions of CBPA; (b) perceived positive pupil outcomes and responses; (c) common management routines and common challenges; and (d) teacher support and valuable feedback for the intervention. Findings suggest that sustained professional development can provide classroom teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to regularly implement CBPAs. Also, findings indicate the usefulness of Guskey’s model of teacher change in studying classroom teachers’ involvement in PA promotion programmes and provide valuable insights that can inform similar future projects.
Despite the advent of game-centred approaches (GCAs) to teaching sport games (e.g. teaching games for understanding (TGfU)), traditional direct instruction approaches remain prevalent in physical education. Moreover, the latter have tended to produce high levels of student inactivity. What remains unclear is whether and how much GCAs aid in students reaching the UK and USA recommendation of 50% of lesson time being spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Participants for this study were 85 students (41 girls) from three separate physical education classes (n = 23, n = 26, and n = 36) at one middle school in the western United States. A licensed teacher/soccer coach with expertise in GCAs taught units of soccer (n = 8 lessons per class; Mlength = 34 minutes 43 secsonds; SD = 3.13). Data on students’ physical activity levels and lesson context were collected using the system for observing fitness instruction time. Teacher behaviour data were collected using the West Virginia teaching evaluation system. Data were analysed using standardized protocols from each instrument. GCA-focused soccer units resulted in students accumulating recommended MVPA levels in physical education, suggesting that skill/game learning goals and public health goals are two sides of the same coin and need not be mutually exclusive when a teacher employs a GCA.
This study seeks to identify factors that promote positive experiences in high school physical education (PE). The study combines elements of Self-determination Theory (SDT) with the theory of flow. Special attention is given to gender differences. The study sample consisted of 167 Norwegian senior high school students (78 females and 89 males) who completed a questionnaire after having participated in a PE class. The majority of the students reported having flow experiences, although this was more true for boys than for girls. Those who had experienced flow also tended to be those who had experienced the fulfilment of basic psychological needs and were characterized by a high level of autonomous motivation. In boys, the need for competence was a stronger predictor of flow than other factors, while for girls the need for relatedness was the stronger predictor of flow. Although a high percentage of the participants in this study reported an experience of flow, a significant minority of the students (more girls than boys) did not report an experience of flow. The findings confirm previous research on the relationship between the different constructs of SDT and the experience of flow, indicating that this relationship also applies in PE. The experience of flow in PE might result in positive PE experiences that can have significant health benefits for the individual student and our society.
Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory, the objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an intervention programme on a series of motivational variables in a corporal expression teaching unit. An analysis was also conducted in terms of whether the impact of the intervention would be effective in boys and girls, given the social stereotypes inherent to this type of expression activity. A sample of 224 students, with ages varying from 12 to 14 years old (105 boys, 119 girls) participated in 10 sessions. A quasi-experimental design was carried out, dividing the total sample into two groups: control (n = 115) and experimental (n = 109). The intervention programme was applied in the experimental group via specific strategies based on the TARGET areas. In the experimental group, the results showed significantly higher values in perceived task-oriented climate, autonomy, competence, intrinsic motivation, identified regulation and enjoyment, as well as significantly lower values in ego-oriented climate. The intervention programme proved to be effective in boys and girls and the results were even better in boys. The importance of developing and applying specific motivational strategies in corporal expression activities should be stressed in order for this to have an impact on variables such as motivation and enjoyment in boys and girls, thus achieving more positive experiences.
In taking heed of the so-called ‘spatial turn’ in social theory this paper explores how the spatial intersects with boys’ performances of gender and (dis)pleasures in school physical education (PE). In particular, the paper aims to contribute to our understanding of how the organisation and implementation of physical and social spaces in PE can be seen as enabling or restricting boys’ participation and enjoyment in this subject. The research setting was a multicultural single-sex boys’ secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand which is widely known for its strong focus on sports and especially rugby. The data was generated through a participatory visual research approach involving video recordings, focus groups and individual interviews. In order to interpret the data I draw on Foucault’s theorising of the disciplinary use of space, what he calls ‘the art of distributions’, to examine the co-construction of gender, space and (dis)pleasures within boys’ PE. I demonstrate how through their performances of gender, as shaped by discourses and relations of power associated with sport and masculinity, the boys capitalise on the spaces of PE to highlight them as productive and pleasurable spaces.
Within the United Kingdom and internationally, the practice of separating pupils by ability endures as a characteristic feature of mathematics and science classrooms. Although there is extensive international research literature on ability grouping within classroom-based subjects, limited research exists in the context of physical education (PE). The purpose of this paper is to explore ability grouping in PE in North East of England schools. Specifically, the paper examined the prevalence of setting and within-class ability grouping in PE, the contexts of its use, how sets and within-class ability grouping were established, and the rationales used to justify decisions about setting and within-class ability grouping in the subject. Data were collected via a web-based survey. The electronic survey was sent to 194 PE Heads of Department from North East of England schools catering for pupils in Key Stage 3 (ages 11–14) and/or Key Stage 4 (ages 14–16). The results indicated that setting is embedded in the organisational and pedagogical practices of PE in many secondary schools. Ability also served as a basis upon which to organise pupils within mixed-ability and setted PE lessons. A variety of other factors, including friendship and behaviour, were also reported as factors influencing grouping of pupils in PE lessons. Our discussion directs attention to issues arising for policy and practice in PE and points to the merits of further exploration and analysis of between-class and within-class grouping practices in the subject.
Most national Physical Education (PE) curriculums worldwide are based on a variety of outcome goals. The most important are physical activity and fitness, self-actualization, motor skill development and social development. Capturing PE Teacher Education pre-service teachers’ beliefs toward these outcomes may offer a useful insight into the process of identifying and understanding prospective teachers’ decisions and actions. The aim of the current study was to compare PE pre-service teachers’ beliefs regarding four important outcome goals, according to year in university, athletic background and occupational orientation. A total of 483 undergraduate pre-service teachers from a Greek faculty of PE completed a previously validated four factor instrument. Significant differences were observed in the four outcome goals beliefs between pre-service teachers in different years of studies and between teaching and coaching oriented pre-service teachers. No differences were found between pre-service teachers with different athletic backgrounds. Findings suggested that sport participation per se did not affect outcome beliefs toward a specific direction and all pre-service teachers rated higher the physical activity and fitness goal. Participants with a teaching orientation rated higher three of the four outcome goals than their coaching oriented counterparts. Furthermore, third year field-based experiences had a positive impact on pre-service teachers’ beliefs, while the fourth year of studies and the coaching specializations contributed to a beliefs ‘washout effect’. Recommendations arise from previous and present findings regarding the faculty's undergraduate programme and we propose that future studies build on this research by continuing to examine PE students’ and teachers’ beliefs more thoroughly.
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between student grades and assessment for learning (AfL) in physical education. In educational literature, the focus on formative assessment has grown dramatically, partly because research indicates that good AfL is one of the most effective instructional tools to drive student learning forward. Therefore, a positive influence of AfL on students’ grades was hypothesised. The study employed a questionnaire of 1454 PE students (aged 15–19 years) from six upper secondary schools in Norway. Based on theory and factor analysis, a construct to map the experience with AfL was identified. A regression model was used to analyse the relationship between the construct and students’ grades, demonstrating that AfL is negatively associated with student grades. While the main finding is statistically small, the study also discusses the influence of other variables, possible explanations for the results and related implications.
According to Eccles et al.’s (1983) Expectancy Value Model, the two major constructs that influence young people’s activity choice are subjective task value and expectancy beliefs (Eccles et al., 1983). Eccles et al. (1983) conceptually distinguished four dimensions of subjective task value: attainment value, intrinsic value, utility value and cost, and two dimensions of expectancy beliefs: expectancies for success and competence beliefs. Previous studies have been conducted with Western populations, but little is known about how the subjective task value and expectancy beliefs act in relation to physical activity for Chinese populations. This study sought to examine the factors that contribute to Hong Kong Chinese young people’s values and expectancy beliefs in physical activity. The participants were selected purposefully for this qualitative interview study from a larger mixed method study (Pang and Ha, 2010). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Hong Kong Chinese young people (six boys and six girls, aged 10–12) in three government-funded schools. Results invite us to take into account the two contrasting values of collectivism and individualism, the deeply rooted capitalistic economy and the philosophy of Confucianism that act hand in hand in shaping the physical activity values and expectancy beliefs of contemporary Hong Kong Chinese young people.
This paper explores the tacit expert knowledge and understanding about games curriculum and pedagogy of three men, Len Almond, David Bunker, and Rod Thorpe, credited as the founders of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) model. The model emerged from teacher practice in the late 1970s and was little theorized at the time, apart from a handful of articles written by the founders. This paper attempts to retrospectively theorize and represent the founders’ ideas in terms of the beliefs, intentions, and actions they believed to be fundamental to TGfU. From here, some benchmarks are proposed so that TGfU can be more easily recognized when it is being practised and researched. Data were collected through two online sequential questionnaires, informal personal telephone interviews, and emails. All data were member checked throughout the two-year study. Both of the questionnaires were completed by the three founders in the persona of their ‘ideal’ TGfU teacher, in the hope that this would lead to greater clarity of response. The first questionnaire, called the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI), was developed by Daniel Pratt and builds a profile of teacher beliefs, intentions, and actions, which are then grouped into five perspectives and ranked by personal bias. Questions posed on SurveyGizmo formed the second questionnaire, which helped the founders reflect further about their ideal teacher’s beliefs, intentions, and actions, as they became apparent in the dominant and recessive perspectives identified in the TPI profiles. The findings were grouped into the founders’ beliefs and intentions about: (1) learners and learning; (2) content; and (3) teachers’ role and responsibilities. The data forming what the founders’ considered to be best pedagogical practice formed eight areas for consideration to include: (1) preparation; (2) management; (3) starting a TGfU lesson; (4) continuing a TGfU lesson; (5) teacher behaviours; teacher focus during a game; (7) teacher expectations; and (8) learning environment. This paper aims to provide a starting point for further research, debate, and reflection as we engage with the founders’ intentions – to provide students with teaching that is an overt social, cultural, and relational activity, as well as a set of plans, practices, and actions.
Studies from several countries show that girls with an immigrant background participate in organized sports to a lesser extent than other young people. Barriers related to culture and religion serve in many of these studies as explanations. In this article we suggest that the notions of culture and religion in this field of studies could be elaborated and we distinguish between three different approaches: (a) culture and religiosity as restricting factors; (b) culture and religiosity as embodied dispositions for action; and lastly (c) culture and religiosity as the basis for reflexive praxis. Analyses of qualitative interviews with young Norwegian-Pakistani women show the relevance of the three perspectives. The study’s most important contribution is to illustrate how culture and religiosity have multiple meanings. The three perspectives presented in this paper might be used as analytical tools in future research on minority women and sports.
It is implied by governing organizations that Australia is presently experiencing its first national curriculum reform, when as the title suggests it is the second. However, until now Australian states and territories have been responsible for the education curriculum delivered within schools. The present national curriculum reform promises one curriculum framework for health and physical education (HPE), currently under review. This paper explores the history of Australian curriculum reform in the HPE key learning area, revealing that the present review offers an opportunity to focus on the vital ‘implementation’ stage which seems to be continually overlooked.
This study examined barriers to Physical Education (PE) in a sample of Christian and Muslim schoolgirls attending UK comprehensive secondary schools. Also assessed was whether religion and school year (age) had any impact upon barrier strength and if school year x religion interactions existed. A questionnaire was developed and exploratory factor analysis was utilised to uncover barrier factors. Six factors were found; these were: ‘Self-Conscious’, ‘Sensations’, ‘Embarrassment’, ‘Dislike/Unimportant’, ‘PE Uniform’ and ‘Religiosity’. For the total sample, the highest quotient was assigned to the ‘PE Uniform’ barrier factor. The remaining barrier factors received relatively low quotients. When analysed by religious persuasion, it was found that four of the barrier factors were rated significantly higher by the Muslim girls. For both Christian and Muslim samples, barrier strength tended to increase in line with school year (age). School year x religion interactions were also evident. These results provide a contemporary picture of potential barriers to PE for girls attending comprehensive secondary schools in the UK.
The aim of the current study was to explore relative age’s influence on physical and motor tests among fourth grade children (9 to 10 years) from Germany. Data from 1218 children (49% female) who had performed the German Motor Ability Test (Bös et al., 2009) were analysed. The test battery, which was comprised of physical and motor tests, included 20 m sprint, balance backwards, jumping sideways, stand and reach, push-ups, sit-ups, standing broad jump, and six-minute run. Analyses of variance only revealed statistically significant effects for height, weight, and 20 m sprint time (p < .01) among boys, with relatively older boys performing better than relatively younger boys. For the girls, the only significant difference between quartiles was for height (p < .01), with the oldest quartiles being taller than the younger quartiles. These results may have implications for statistical vs. practical significance, sampling, and how youth are evaluated in physical education classes.
The aim of this study was to explore physical education teacher education students’ meaning-making of participating in lessons – in this case gymnastics and basketball – based on their aesthetic judgements, expressed in written stories. A transactional approach, drawing on the work of John Dewey, was used in the study and the empirical data was generated through observations and collection of students’ written stories. A practical epistemology analysis was used in order to explore the students’ meaning-making in-depth. The purposes that the students ascribed to participating in the lessons were to develop both as athletes and as teachers. When analysing the stories, the importance of being a competent athlete emerged as the main purpose of participating in the lessons, and the majority of the students never included the purpose of developing as a teacher in their stories at all. By making the competent athlete the centre of their participation, other positions of participation were excluded or marginalized. However, even if all the students’ stories contribute to the collective appropriation of the type, the majority did not include the projected, ideal type in all respects. In their stories, it was clear that many of the students expressed a tension between doing gymnastics or basketball within the context of competitive sport and doing the same activities within the context of physical education teacher education. Even if the students did not fulfil this awareness of contrasting ideals by undoing ‘the competent athlete’ completely, many of them did highlight the conflict.
This article reports on a study of one recently qualified teacher’s employment of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) model in a UK secondary school. The study sought to examine how the teacher, not formally educated in its use, delivered TGfU and to identify those factors that led to this interpretation of the model. Occupational socialization was used to explore how childhood experiences of physical education (PE) and sport, higher education and the workplace influenced the experience of learning informally to use the model. Qualitative data are reported from interviews, lesson observations and teacher documentary evidence. Findings illustrated that informal learning during organizational socialization had developed the teacher’s use of TGfU. However, a partial understanding of the tactical problem-solving nature of games and issues around the use of social constructivist learning strategies impeded effective use of the model. It is recommended that teachers attempting to learn informally how to use TGfU effectively receive sustained external expertise and continuing support from colleagues.
It is not clear how best to support youth with type 1 diabetes to participate in physical education (PE) at school. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of facilitators and barriers to PE in youth with type 1 diabetes and to determine how schools can help these individuals to be physically active. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with youth with type 1 diabetes aged 7–9 (n = 8) and 12–14 (n = 8) years with type 1 diabetes, their parents (n = 16), diabetes professionals (n = 9) and schoolteachers (n = 37).
Data were thematically analysed. Four main themes were identified relating to support needs of youth with diabetes in school in general and specifically in PE lessons: (1) differences between primary and secondary schools; (2) areas requiring address in all schools; (3) what teachers can do to help accommodate youth with type 1 diabetes; and (4) what schools can do to help accommodate youth with type 1 diabetes.
Diabetes support varied across schools. Primary schools in particular could improve communication between schools and primary specialist PE teachers regarding youth with type 1 diabetes to aid participation in PE. Diabetes knowledge was limited among all teachers. Participants felt that diabetes could be used as an excuse to sit out of PE and that teachers’ fears could facilitate this.
Improved and consistent diabetes management training and guidance on the responsibilities of teachers is necessary. Better communication between schools, teachers, parents, youth with type 1 diabetes and diabetes professionals is also required. The findings have helped produce suggestions for practice and research on how to improve support for youth with type 1 diabetes in schools in general and specifically in PE lessons.
Advances in technology have created new opportunities for enhanced delivery of teaching to improve the acquisition of game skills in physical education (PE). The availability of a motion-tracking system (i.e. the A-Eye), which determines positional information of students in a practice context, might offer a suitable technology to support pedagogical approaches in the teaching of movement skills in game situations. This paper explores the possibility and potential of using this technology to augment pedagogical practices in PE. Using examples from its implementation in sports science investigations and pilot work in a Singapore school, we discuss how such motion-tracking systems can be incorporated in schools, assisting practitioners in refining pedagogical practices. The implications of its wider use in a PE context will also be discussed.
We examined the utility of distinguishing between appearance- and competition-focused approach and avoidance performance goals to our understanding of motivation in physical education. Four achievement goals were tested composed of approach–avoidance and appearance–competition components. Three hundred and two pupils, aged 11–14 years, completed measures of appearance–competition approach–avoidance goals at the start of a football or gymnastics unit of work in physical education. Teacher-rated effort and National Curriculum attainment levels were recorded at the end of the unit of work as markers of performance in physical education. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the delineation of four goals in terms of the approach–avoidance and appearance–competition elements. Regression analyses subsequently revealed differences in the predictive utility of the four goals to performance in physical education. Thus, our understanding of motivational processes in physical education may be enhanced by utilising a more differentiated conception of normative achievement goals.
Physical Educationalists in many western and westernised societies across the globe are facing new challenges as system wide changes take place increasing the role of private bodies (e.g. Academy trusts) in the delivery of school based education. This reflective and rather personal paper1 considers the place and meaning of ‘inclusion’ and ‘equity’ on a terrain of consortia, free schools, academies and de-nationalised curricula, where outsourcing Physical Education (PE), either to corporate coach/sport industries and/or health providers is fast becoming the norm. The paper addresses class, race and gender issues, highlights the repackaging of privilege in PE, and pleads for the rediscovery of PE grounded in education principles rather than the interests of health and sport industries.
Many adolescent girls do not achieve a health-enhancing level of physical activity. This study aimed to identify the school physical environment factors that adolescent girls perceive to be important and influential regarding their physical education (PE) behaviour. Adolescent girls (n = 38; aged 13–16) participated in eight moderated focus groups, which were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were inductively content-analysed using NVivo to cluster participants’ comments into hierarchical themes. Six higher order themes emerged relating to the physical environment and included both positive and negative comments. Emergent themes related to 1) the activities offered; 2) the quality of the facilities for PE and changing; 3) the equipment available; 4) the length, quantity and scheduling of PE during the day; and the influence of 5) the weather and 6) clothing on PE participation. From the emergent findings it is evident that the physical environment is perceived as important to girls and can influence the quality of their PE experience. These findings may be used by teachers and exercise leaders to create an environment conducive to enhancing physical activity levels.
In physical education, it has become necessary for children to learn kinesiological knowledge for understanding the benefits of physical activity and developing a physically active lifestyle. This study was conducted to determine the extent to which cognitive assignments about healthful living and fitness contributed to knowledge growth on cardiorespiratory fitness and health. Fourth grade students (N = 616) from 15 randomly sampled urban elementary schools completed 34 cognitive assignments related to the cardiorespiratory physical activities they were engaged in across 10 lessons. Performance on the assignments were analyzed in relation to their knowledge gain measured using a standardized knowledge test. A multivariate discriminant analysis revealed that the cognitive assignments contributed to knowledge gain but the contribution varied assignment by assignment. A multiple regression analysis indicated that students’ assignment performance by lesson contributed positively to their knowledge growth scores. A content analysis based on the constructivist learning framework showed that observing–reasoning assignments contributed the most to knowledge growth. Analytical and analytical–application assignments contributed less than the constructivist theories would predict.
Validating selected theoretical assumptions associated with the Spectrum of Teaching Styles is critical to the pursuit of knowledge about effective instructional strategies. To assess these styles, a total of 77 college-aged students at one university enrolled in four physical activity classes and participated in three 50-minute lessons with different teaching styles. One lesson was delivered in the command teaching style, one in the practice teaching style, and one in the inclusion teaching style. All 12 lessons (three to each class) were taught by one Spectrum trained teacher. Students performed the same series of five Pilate’s abdominal exercises in all three lessons. Three observation instruments were used to systematically code instructional climate (Stewart, 1989), time-on-fitness (Chung, 1989), and teacher feedback (Dodds, 1989; Mosston and Ashworth, 2002). Descriptive statistics were computed for the student and teacher behaviors. One-way ANOVAs were used to examine behavior differences among teaching styles. The results revealed that the amount of time spent in instruction was higher in the inclusion style of teaching and amount of time spent in activity was lower. Within active fitness time, no differences were revealed across teaching styles. Individual skill feedback was provided at a higher rate in the practice and inclusion styles of teaching. This information is critical to educators making informed decisions regarding the efficacy of a specific teaching style and its potential utility in facilitating student performance behavior.
Over 30 years ago the original teaching games for understanding (TGfU) proposition was published in a special edition of the Bulletin of Physical Education (Bunker and Thorpe, 1982). In that time TGfU has attracted significant attention from a theoretical and pedagogical perspective as an improved approach to games and sport teaching in physical education (PE). It has been particularly championed as a superior alternative to what Kirk (2010) and Metzler (2011) described as a traditional method. Recently, however, one of the TGfU authors suggested that the TGfU premise needs to be revisited in order to explore and rethink its relevance so that pedagogy in PE again becomes a central and practical issue for PE (Almond, 2010), as it has not been as well accepted by PE teachers as it has by academics. In order to review and revisit TGfU and consider its relevance to games and sport teaching in PE this paper outlines two areas of the TGfU proposition: (1) the basis for the conceptualisation of TGfU; (2) advocacy of TGfU as nuanced versions. The empirical-scientific research surrounding TGfU and student learning in PE contexts is reviewed and analysed. This comprehensive review has not been undertaken before. The data-driven research will facilitate a consideration as to how TGfU practically assists the physical educator improve games and sport teaching. The review of the research literature highlighted the inconclusive nature of the TGfU proposition and brought to attention the disparity between researcher as theory generator and teacher practitioner as theory applier. If TGfU is to have improved relevance for teachers of PE more of an emphasis needs to be placed on the normative characteristics of pedagogy that drive this practice within curricula.
The purpose of this study was to describe children’s engagement during two (high and low) autonomy-based climates. Twenty-five preschool children participated in a nine-week object control skill intervention. Children completed the object control subscale of the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd Edition and the perceived physical competence subscale of Harter and Pike’s Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance (1984). Skill attempts were tallied by video analyses. A skill attempt was considered appropriate if the movement was consistent with the correct execution of the skill and the goal of the task. Findings indicate (a) no significant difference in appropriate skill attempts between each climate, (b) no significant difference in appropriate skill attempts of low- and high- skilled children in each climate, (c) regardless of climate, children improved in object control percentile and low-skilled children improved significantly more than high-skilled children, and (d) high-autonomy group children significantly improved in pre- to post- intervention on perceived competence compared to the low-autonomy group, regardless of skill level. High-autonomy climates provide variations of task difficulty that may promote the development of perceived physical competence of preschool children.
The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Amotivation Inventory in Physical Education (AI-PE). In addition, the study sought to identify the relationships between students’ amotivation, physical self-concept, and teacher ratings of National Curriculum attainment levels in PE. Students (N = 510) from a secondary school in South-East England participated in the study by completing a questionnaire during their scheduled PE lesson. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the factorial validity of the four-dimensional model of amotivation. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted on a sub-sample of students with moderate to high levels of amotivation in PE (n = 164). The results showed that both physical self-concept (negatively) and attainment (positively) were predicted by students’ deficient ability beliefs. Overall, the findings support the multidimensionality of amotivation and its association with important outcomes in PE.
The purpose of this study was to carry out a preliminary investigation to explore the use of outdoor and adventurous project work (PW) within an educational setting. Specifically, differences between the PW and normal academic school experiences were examined using a self-determination theory framework integrated with a goal orientation and psychological skills perspective. Additionally, an exploratory investigation was carried out to examine the extent to which key motivation constructs predicted skill development (i.e. problem solving, collaboration and communication) through the PW experience. Six questionnaires were adapted and utilised to collect the relevant data for both school and PW experiences (Basic Psychological Needs questionnaire; the Learning Climate Questionnaire; Intrinsic Motivation Inventory; the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire; 2 x 2 Achievement Goal Questionnaire and perceived skills learned in PW questionnaire) from the 224 students (Mean age 13.2 ± 0.3 years) who participated in the 12-day PW. Results indicated that there were significant differences between school and PW experience (p < 0.01). Specifically, PW experience rated higher in autonomy supportive climate, autonomous motivation, perceived competence, and a greater emphasis on task approach goal orientation. Furthermore as a cohort, the students reported improvements in problem solving, collaboration and communication as a result of the PW experience. Finally, an exploratory hierarchical regression analysis revealed potential importance of perceived value, utilising meta-cognitive skills, and experiencing relatedness and autonomy in the prediction of skill development through PW experiences. The findings of this study present preliminary support the potential usefulness of outdoor and adventurous PW within a school context and provide implications for future research which are discussed further.
Using a multilevel latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) approach, this study examined longitudinal change in levels of physical fitness performance over time (i.e. four years) in young adolescents aged from 12–13 years. The sample consisted of 6622 students from 138 secondary schools in Singapore. Initial analyses found between-school variation on fitness test scores with intra-class correlations ranging from 0.02–0.19. Subsequent multilevel growth curve analyses revealed a quadratic trend of the longitudinal data across five stations of performance tests, with significant within-school student variability in change over time. The result of the multilevel LGCM showed that there were strong school effects on all of the physical fitness performances, in addition to inter- and intra-individual differences.
The Code of Practice of the Department for Education (1994) establishes the role of special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to help facilitate the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools. SENCOs, thus, should form an integral part of the culture of all departments, including physical education (PE). This paper draws on the concept of hegemony to examine the processes and practices that shape the experiences and views of SENCOs and ultimately, the extent to which they facilitate an inclusive culture in PE. Our findings, generated via an online survey, suggested that most SENCOs are not a part of the senior management team (SMT) and do not have control of the SEN budget. The majority of SENCOs acknowledge, and often reinforce, the hegemonic status of English, mathematics and science vis-à-vis the prioritisation of SEN resources, which may constrain the ability of teachers to provide meaningful experiences for pupils with SEN in other subjects, such as PE. While 93% of SENCOs did not have PE-specific training for their role, 52% suggested that the learning support assistants (LSAs) in their school are not adequately trained to include pupils with SEN in PE. This is perhaps surprising, given that it is SENCOs themselves who are largely responsible for the training of LSAs. In conclusion, from the evidence provided by SENCOs, PE does not appear to constitute a significant dimension of their training programmes and SENCOs themselves may further subordinate PE, in the process of training LSAs. This may call into question the ability of both SENCOs and LSAs to contribute to the cultivation of an inclusive culture in PE.
Creating environments in physical education (PE) that foster perceived competence and physical activity during gender-mixed game play lessons is a challenge, especially with adolescent girls. This study is a small experiment in one PE lesson that aimed to increase the perceived competence and in-class physical activity in girls, by applying a single-gender grouping strategy within co-educational classes. A final sample of 216 students (90 girls; 42%) within 13 classes in grades 7–9 (age 11–15) played basketball in mixed-gender and in single-gender teams. The effects on participant’s perceived competence and moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA) were assessed using questionnaires and heart rate monitors, respectively. Although girls’ perceived competence was lower than that of boys, girls’ perceived competence increased during single-gender game play. Physical activity levels were high during both mixed-gender and single-gender game play. Playing invasion games (i.e. basketball, handball, soccer) in gender-specific groups could be a useful strategy for PE teachers to implement into their lessons, in order to improve girls’ perceived competence during invasion games.
Physical education (PE) is steeped in history, tradition and ritual. The accepted tradition of excuse notes allowing pupils to self-exempt from lessons is one such ritual associated with the subject in schools. This paper explores the impact of this phenomenon, focusing on participation and engagement levels within PE lessons. Data was collected over a five-year period, through the use of surveys, focus group interviews, field-notes, brief case studies and analysis of documentation including excuse notes. Participants included parents, PE teachers, trainee teachers and pupils from across 10 UK secondary schools (age range 11–18) situated in the east of England. Grounded theory methodology informed an emergent model highlighting that ritual associated with excuse notes served to facilitate non-participation in PE. The notion of power as a theoretical construct emerged as a result of constant comparison between the testimonies of the parents, pupils, teachers and trainee teachers, highlighting the seemingly ‘agreed acceptance’ of excuse notes by those key stakeholders involved in pupil participation. It is perceived that the policy of excuse notes attributes power to parents and pupils to self-exempt from participating in PE. Parents will provide an excuse note for their child if they do not believe PE holds much value. The condoning of pupil self-exemption by parents is influenced by their values towards PE, embedded by their own school experiences and dispositions. Whilst acknowledging the value of the use of a note to communicate issues associated with health and physical wellbeing, the paper suggests that one solution is to re-position the perceived authority afforded the excuse note, in order to facilitate positive attitudes towards greater participation in lessons. The adoption of an alternate policy at a micro level, that requires pupils to change into PE kit even if they have a note, can foster an inclusive learning climate in which all pupils will have the opportunity to learn to enjoy being active, whether as a performer, coach or official. A fully inclusive model of participation, supported by parental education on the types of learning opportunities within lessons, may contribute to PE becoming viewed as an inherent part of a child’s day at school and not as a subject that a pupil can easily self-exempt from participating in a lesson.
There has been growing interest in alternative assessment strategies that focus on student participation within higher education over the past 20 years. At the same time, it is important to note that there is very little published research dealing with alternative forms of assessment in the field of physical education teacher education (PETE). In this paper we seek to make a case for democratic assessment practices within a critical pedagogy of PETE. We begin by outlining developments in assessment in higher education in general, before considering student participation in assessment processes. We then consider some strategies of participative assessment, and discuss their benefits, risks and difficulties. An account of the experience of the National Network of Formative and Shared Assessment in Higher Education in Spain provides us with a working example of the implementation of democratic practices in assessment in PETE. We conclude that the lack of research in physical education on democratic assessment practices raises serious questions about the extent to which our field is committed to producing teachers capable of meeting the complex social and cultural challenges they will surely meet in the schools of tomorrow.
The aim of this paper is to explore and develop ways to describe what there is to know, from the perspective of the one who knows, when knowing how to carry out a complex movement. The paper will challenge the distinction between mental and physical skills, drawing on theories of tacit knowing (Polanyi, 1969), knowing how (Ryle, 1949) and knowing-in-action (Schön, 1991), together with empirical data from the context of elite sport. One assumption is that exploring knowing in movement, in this context, can contribute to developing students’ movement education in physical education (PE). Pole-vaulting provides examples of what there is to know, in terms of embodied capabilities possible to explicate and develop as an educational objective in PE, irrespective of the context of competitive sports. Explicating the knowing (or capabilities) involved in the "capability to move," as exemplified in this study, could emphasize an educational aim concerning practical knowledge, such as knowing in movement, and not necessarily specific skills related to competitive sport activities.
Research has revealed that while pre-service teachers (PTs) with coaching orientations reinforce sexism and masculine bias, those with teaching orientations combat and reject it. The purpose of this study was to examine four sport education (SE) seasons taught by two experienced in-service teachers for the presence or absence of sexism and masculine bias. The concept of hegemonic masculinity (HM) served as the theoretical framework. A case study approach was employed. Data were collected through non-participant observations; formal, informal, and stimulated recall interviews; document analysis; and electronic journals. Analysis techniques used were analytic induction and constant comparison. Findings revealed that the in-service teachers were able to combat and reject the effects of HM to a greater extent than teaching-oriented pre-service teachers were shown to do in previous work. The foundations of the teachers’ effectiveness were their liberal beliefs about sport and gender, and the teaching orientations. In addition, the teachers were able to provide a relatively equitable experience for girls and smaller, less physically-able boys. This was because these teachers possessed good levels of curricular, pedagogical, content and pedagogical content knowledge, as well as superior knowledge of their pupils.
The purpose of this research was to examine university supervisors’ experiences and perceptions of a cooperating physical education teacher education (COPET) programme while on teaching practice. Teaching practice is a central tenant to physical education teacher education preparation. The COPET programme was designed to support the triad members of student teachers, cooperating teachers and university supervisors during teaching practice. The programme was piloted with 30 student teachers, 26 cooperating teachers and 10 university supervisors during a two week teaching practice placement. Six university supervisors participated in a focus group to determine their experiences and perceptions of the programme. Findings indicated that the COPET programme provided a helpful and structured framework for the role of university supervisor. Future directions for the programme revolve around universities needing to consider ways of encouraging supervisors to work collaboratively with student teachers, cooperating teachers and other university supervisors to improve the teaching practice process.