Physical Education Graduate Research Articles

The effect of guided note taking during lectures on Thai university students’ understanding of electromagnetism

This paper reports on the implementation of a guided note taking strategy to promote Thai students’ understanding of electromagnetism during a lecture course. The aim of the study was to enhance student learning of electromagnetism concepts. The developed guided notes contain quotations, diagrams, pictures, problems, and blank spaces to encourage student interactive engagement with the lectures. The guided note templates were critiqued by a group of experienced university physics lecturers and piloted with graduate physics education students to check the content validity. Over 300 first year university students (aged about 18–19 years) attended lectures that did not involve guided note taking. Six hundred students participated in the guided note taking approach. Students’ understanding of electromagnetism was investigated using a conceptual test. Comparison of the pre‐ and post‐test results of the two groups of students indicated that students who were involved in the guided note taking approach performed better on the conceptual test than students who were not involved in this approach. From interviews, it was found that students viewed the guided note taking approach as a supportive tool that helped them concentrate on the lecture. Promoting student involvement in the lecture class through the process of guided note taking was shown to be a meaningful learning strategy for first year university physics classes.

Licenciatura em Educação Física: Concepções a partir da Vivência Experienciada dos Professores do Ensino Superior em seu Percurso Formativo

Este artigo visa divulgar a compreensão das concepções da formação de professores da Licenciatura em Educação Física a partir da narrativa dos professores envolvidos no processo de construção e implantação do projeto político-pedagógico e reestruturação curricular do ano de 2004, do CEFD/UFSM. Apresentamos, então, o entendimento de que as aprendizagens mostram-se como a percepção da atuação de si próprio durante as vivências, assumindo um caráter formativo das suas concepções. Palavras-chave: Educação Física. Narrativa. Educação Superior.

The specialized academic preparation of the Physics Education teacher as perceived by student teachers and graduates

This study aimed at Investigating the Physical Education graduates and prospective teachers about their academic preparation program. This may help us identify the strengths and weaknesses of the program and bridge the gap between the PE teacher education and the requirements of the field practice. Thus a questionnaire including the theoretical courses, the practical courses and the elective courses was developed and validated, and then was administered to 145 female and male teachers and 50 student teachers. The findings of the study showed the relevance of most of the theoretical and practical courses offered in the department to the teachers’ career. It also showed that the program needs to include some other courses such as aquatic and fighting sport. Further, some elective courses should be offered such as posture education, scientific research, recreation, handicapped education, and sport management. Moreover, the credit hours of the specialized courses should be increased.

The specialized academic preparation of the Physics Education teacher as perceived by student teachers and graduates

This study aimed at Investigating the Physical Education graduates and prospective teachers about their academic preparation program. This may help us identify the strengths and weaknesses of the program and bridge the gap between the PE teacher education and the requirements of the field practice. Thus a questionnaire including the theoretical courses, the practical courses and the elective courses was developed and validated, and then was administered to 145 female and male teachers and 50 student teachers. The findings of the study showed the relevance of most of the theoretical and practical courses offered in the department to the teachers’ career. It also showed that the program needs to include some other courses such as aquatic and fighting sport. Further, some elective courses should be offered such as posture education, scientific research, recreation, handicapped education, and sport management. Moreover, the credit hours of the specialized courses should be increased.

Views of sport science graduates regarding work skills developed at university

There has been recent interest in how higher education might improve the employability of students, although there is little feedback from graduates about the value of university experiences to their working life. The aim of the study therefore was to investigate the views of graduates regarding the extent to which work skills had been developed while at university. A survey of 57 physical education and sport science graduates found that they felt university experiences had helped to develop many work skills. Personal and interactive skills had been developed to a greater extent than business skills. However, this study produced more questions than answers. Skills acquired depend on the ethos of the institution, content of the programme and the quality of the teaching and learning experiences. In addition, students arrive at university at varying stages of maturity, react differently to particular experiences and need diverse qualities in future jobs.

Multifaceted Aspects of Assessment in Service Learning: Lessons Learned

Article Overview. Service learning is a teaching methodology that combines community service with explicit academic learning objectives, preparation, and reflection. It is a formal program that fosters student service in the local community and coincides with the theme of a course or specific topic of discussion. Much of the research in service learning, however, has been conducted on undergraduate students. Despite educators' eagerness to incorporate service learning throughout university health professions education programs, there is a paucity of graduate-level outcomes research in evaluating the effectiveness of personal and professional development. This article synthesizes the available instruments to measure outcomes of service learning. It presents strategies for the use of qualitative and quantitative analyses in measuring the effectiveness of service learning within a physical therapist education program curriculum. Key Words: Service learning, Physical therapy, Graduate, Outcome assessment. INTRODUCTION A dynamic physical therapist (PT) interacts daily with people of all backgrounds, age groups, and heritages. To prepare students for this reality, educators are often challenged to design for them engaging cross-cultural experiences. Service learning is a pedagogy that combines community service with explicit academic objectives, preparation, and reflection,1 and it is an effective tool for linking academic learning with practical experience.2 Before adopting service learning as a mandatory experience within the curriculum, it is important to assess its effectiveness in promoting the skills necessary for successful physical therapist-patient/client interaction. This article will present our initial attempt to assess the benefits of service learning through quantitative and qualitative data collection. It will conclude with a discussion of strategies for assessment that include practical tools for implementation in planning for successful service-learning outcomes. Introduction to Lessons Learned in Assessment Our research exploring the use of various assessment strategies was conducted in 1999, when few instruments were available to measure service learning for graduate students. Therefore, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to analyze the integration of service learning into the curriculum of a graduate physical therapist education program. We hypothesized that graduate PT students who were educated using a service-learning model would demonstrate increased levels of civic responsibility when compared with graduate-level PT students who had not participated in a service-learning course. Ninety-two Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) students participated in the study at the initiation of the fall semester (1999) and at the completion of the spring semester (2000). All students were given a survey at the beginning of the fall semester and again in the spring, at the end of the academic year. They were also instructed to keep journals of their experiences on a regular basis and to write in them immediately after their service. Upon completion of the 30 hours, students were asked to write summaries of their entire service-learning experience. Faculty members teaching in the program were responsible for discussing service learning as it related to physical therapy interventions and physical therapist practice, thereby guiding students toward making connections between learning in the community and in the classroom or clinic. The Data Collection Instruments The guiding questions for this study included: 1. How does your experience affect the way you view service learning in the community? 2. How does service learning shape your role as a PT? 3 . Do you have a greater understanding of yourself as a result of service learning? The data were both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Qualitative data included journal entries and summary statements. …

Práticas Corporais alternativas: formação em Educação Física

The objective of the present study was to investigate the importance of course work related to Alternative Body Practices (ABPs) in the formation and professional performance of Physical Education (PE) teachers, at Fundamental, High School and Graduate level. Data were collected through questionnaires sent to the PE teachers at public and private Institutions from Rio Claro, Campinas and Piracicaba, at the three academic levels. Only 38,5% of the teachers had some discipline related to ABPs in the academical formation and 15,4% of them have been participating in events related to them. However, most of the teachers (84,6%) consider it important to include such courses in the graduate grade of the PE students. In conclusion, in order to better qualify PE professionals, ABPs courses should be included in the grade of graduate PE students, considering that it is not usual the professional to seek such training after the graduation.

Tracking the careers of graduates in sport and sport-related programmes: a European perspective

As part of the work of a European Observatory on Sports Occupations (EOSE), and building on previous national studies, a questionnaire and a methodology were developed to facilitate the tracking of graduates in physical education, sport and recreation in various European states. The questionnaire consisted of five major sections: personal data, education curriculum, career curriculum, specifications about current job and future employment aspirations. It was tested in 1998 in a Flemish and a German survey and, partly, in a French survey. The preliminary results of these pilot studies indicate that education is (still) the most important employment sector for Flemish and French graduates. In Germany, the sports sector seems to be the most important. Consequently, for Flemish and French graduates "handling pupils/children' and "(oral) communication' are seen as the most important skills. The German graduates indicated "commitment' as most important, and "(oral) communication' as second. The pilot reinforces the need for a consistent European methodology to investigate graduate employment in this field.

Perceptions of Adapted Physical Education Graduates From Selected Universities on Attainment of Doctoral Competencies.

Graduates from four adapted physical education doctoral programs (1980-1999) within the United States were surveyed to determine their perceptions on the extent to which they attained published competencies in the areas of research and adapted physical education. A survey was mailed to 109 doctoral program graduates. A total of 99 surveys (91%) were usable for data analysis. Competency data were analyzed separately across two 10-year time periods (1980-1989; 1990-1999). Respondents' perceptions improved significantly in cumulative research competency scores from the first to the second time period. Responses for adapted physical education competencies were similar across both time periods. Follow-up analyses on responses for each of the separate 18 research and 20 adapted physical education competency statements resulted in significant improvement from 1980-1989 to 1990-1999 for eight research competencies and one adapted physical education competency. Results have implications for the future of adapted physical education doctoral training in the United States and beyond.

Challenges Associated With Providing Physical Therapy for Elderly People: Implications for Graduate Education

This qualitative study explored the challenges associated with practicing geriatric physical therapy and the implications for graduate physical therapy education. A total of 4 focus groups were conducted between June 1999 and January 2000 with the intent of identifying challenges associated with treating older adults. The groups were a group of practicing physical therapy clinicians and faculty, 2 groups of master's-level physical therapist students, and a group of elderly respondents who had received physical therapy services during 1999. Findings indicate that the role of the physical therapist in the treatment of patients, including elderly patients, is one that includes a combination of technical and relationship-building competencies. Relationship-building competencies were emphasized by students and patients and to a lesser degree by clinicians and faculty. Given the current health care environment, some therapists were not able to provide the level of services they felt necessary for quality care. In particular, they felt that elements of the thera-pist-patient relationship were likely to be affected where time constraints were apparent. Students were unsure whether content related to relationship-building competencies belonged in the curriculum, commenting that learning these skills through experience is most effective. Faculty also had similar beliefs and questioned whether these skills could actually be taught in a classroom setting. In order to prepare students to practice physical therapy in a health care system that does not always value the importance of the therapist-patient relationship, academic and clinical educators must overcome a number of educational barriers.

Socialization of Prospective Physical Education Teachers: The Story of New Blood

There has been much criticism of how teachers are prepared to teach and physical education has not been immune from this criticism. Despite numerous efforts to improve the content and focus of teacher education programmes there is still a paucity of programme evaluation research on the efficacy of these teacher education programmes (Metzler & Tjeerdsma, 1998). This paper reports on part of a yearlong investigation on the efficacy of a graduate physical education teacher education programme to prepare teachers. The focus of this aspect of the study was to identify what attracted graduate students to pursue a teaching career and what beliefs they held about physical education teachers and teaching. This was a qualitative case study and multiple data sources were gathered to address the research questions. The data sources included interviews, analyses of the students' autobiographical statements, and observations of their teaching, critical incidents from their teaching and peer responses to critical incidents. Findings indicate that this cohort of graduate students, many embarking on a major career change, was more committed to teaching and their love for teaching children than coaching. While their own success and love of sport was a factor in their career choice, their experiences in helping young people engage in and enjoy physical activity was more significant than their desire to gain a teaching credential. They believed their role as a physical education teacher was to be a physically active role model and help students appreciate the importance of physical activity, to contribute to the development of student self-esteem, especially those sometimes marginalized in physical education classes, and to plan and teach lessons that would motivate all students to participate in class. This work is grounded in the occupational socialization literature and the findings are discussed in terms of what we know about how to maximize the impact of teacher education programmes especially when students' beliefs may not be aligned with those of the programme.

Changing Kinesiology and Physical Education by Infusing Information About Individuals With Disabilities

Just as faculty are expected to refer to performance and behavior changes that occur by age, gender, and other factors, an infusion of information about individuals with disabilities requires us to focus on the range of human variability and its relation to physical activity across the life span. This call to infuse information about individuals with disabilities should affect most kinesiology/ physical education undergraduate and graduate curricula in institutions of higher education. Advocacy for this idea has been developing for many years (Hall & Stiehl, 1978; Sherrill, 1988; Stein, 1969). Such infusion could add to and enhance our ability to contribute to the broad goals of society. But for us to assume this role, we must change our curricula to meet our published mission of serving society. This change will help disciplinary and professional preparation programs produce a broader range of scholarly activity and provide leadership that other disciplines may envy

Internal Teaching Models of Four Physical Education Graduate Teaching Assistants

This study was designed to be an initial step toward a better understanding of how graduate teaching assistants teach their courses and the influences that shape their teaching decisions. The purposes included gaining insights into internal models that guided their teaching and describing the influence of an induction program on these internal models. A multi-case-study approach was employed to construct individual portraits. These portraits revealed that internal models were developed primarily from past experience as athletes, students, and teachers. Teaching could best be portrayed as a “pedagogy of contentment.” That is, teaching assistants were generally satisfied with their own teaching and did not perceive a need for additional improvement. Reported satisfaction was based on their belief that they already knew the different strategies, methods, and routines for teaching their particular subject.

What Changes Lie in Store for US Graduate Physics Education?

What Changes Lie in Store for US Graduate Physics Education?

“Information Age” at the National Museum of American History

Exhibit Reviews “INFORMATION AGE" AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY EDWARD TENNER “Information Age: People, Information, and Technology,” a new permanent exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Mu­ seum of American History, may not be the first blockbuster show at a technology museum, but it sets a new standard for ambition and electronic complexity. The presentation hardware alone would stock a superstore. There are 10 miles of cable, two theaters, a minicomputer, forty-eight personal computers, and forty-three videodisc players. One curator of the exhibit told me it would take a visitor two and a half hoursjust to see all the audiovisual presentations. A concluding “videowall experience” called “The New Age” is a composite of twelve television screens, each linked to a computer-controlled, synchronized tape player. Within the lifetime of many visitors, the entire computer power of the United States was less than that of the electronics assembled here. “Information Age” is, among other things, technology about tech­ nology, just as there are films about film and television about television. Visitors are encouraged to pick up a brief guide imprinted with an individual bar code, scan it at five stations with interactive programs “to enter information into the exhibition’s computer net­ work,” and obtain a souvenir printout of their visit. Touch-screen presentations are spread throughout the floor. Interactive terminals offer experiences closer to science centers than to traditional histor­ ical displays. The range of American experience here is equally daunting: business organization, railroad operations, home entertainment, mil­ itary command and control, industrial automation, and scientific research are represented. If there is any great theme, in fact, it is the Dr. Tenner writes on technology and society. He has been executive editor for physical science and history at Princeton University Press and has held visiting positions at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study.® 1992 by Edward Tenner. All rights reserved. 780 “Information Age” at the National Museum ofAmerican History 781 close link between computing and communicating. While some parts of the exhibit are set pieces, such as the Kennedy-Nixon debates, others are unknown to all but a handful of enthusiasts and specialists. Still others are famous but rarely on public display, such as the ENIGMA machine. Given the space allotted and the limits ofhuman heads and feet, the Smithsonian has generally succeeded in introducing visitors to histor­ ical questions of information in society—as opposed, for example, to a more restricted definition it might have chosen. “Information Age” has three main chronological sections—1832— 1939, World War II, and 1946—today—which in turn have ten inter­ active centers marked by special symbols in the guide. The exhibition starts on a dramatic note. In a darkened passage, the visitor sees a painted street illuminated for a parade to celebrate completion of the first transatlantic telegraph in 1858, complete with the interior ofNew York’s Trinity Church whence a sermon resounds on the blessings of international communication. Around the corner is the anticlimax: the telegraph office closed before any commercial traffic could be accepted, the connection broken because of the limits of cable technology. This amusing but serious lesson in the hazards of technological pioneering is followed by a superb set of exhibits on the telegraph and telephone. Samuel Morse’s telegraph is presented as an ingenious synthesis of off-theshelf technologies and concepts: Joseph Henry’s electromagnet, cop­ per wire, print-shop equipment, batteries, and even an artist’s canvas stretcher. Two large walls of the first part of the exhibition continue the theme of instantaneous communication: the social and commercial logic behind printing and sounding telegraphs and their use in the military, in businesses, newspapers, firehouses, and hotels, and finally by private individuals. The telephone and radio receive the same meticulous documenta­ tion (to give just two examples) with the parallel development of Alexander Graham Bell’s and Elisha Gray’s instruments from the harmonic telegraph, and the part that graduate physics education played in the development of vacuum tubes. Here, too, is the best of both worlds: a striking number of important original instruments along with labels that put them in a business and social framework— for example, the role...

Current Status of Graduate Physical Education: Program Demography and the Issue of Program Ranking

Published rankings of graduate departments, programs, and faculties play an important role in American higher education. Rankings serve as a measure of prestige, and prestige in higher education is very important, especially as it relates to career patterns and career opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to identify the most pertinent and controversial issues surrounding prestige rankings in graduate physical education, and examine their importance and consequences. Appropriate research and related literature are presented and examined, with conclusions, implications, and suggestions being offered as results.

Training Health Fitness Professionals in Human Interaction Skills: The Link to Physical Education Graduate Education

The author argues in a personalized statement that exercise science graduate degree programs ought to include attention to the questions of how people develop and maintain persistent exercise habits, and how health fitness professionals can help them do so. Recommendations are made for two-tiered graduate preparation in exercise science: master's degrees that focus on preparation of health fitness professionals trained in human interaction skills as well as exercise physiological bases for conducting fitness programs, and doctoral degrees that continue to focus on preparation of researchers and faculty members trained to expand the knowledge base in exercise physiology and to prepare both the new master's and doctoral candidates though graduate education programs.

AAHPERD's Role in the Perceived Quality of Physical Education Graduate Faculty

AAHPERD's Role in the Perceived Quality of Physical Education Graduate Faculty

Erroneous Assumptions in Graduate Physical Education

Graduate physical education is not always as it seems. Those committed to graduate education, consumers (students) and designers (administrators and faculty), hold a variety of assumptions prior to and during the academic year. Students assume they are educated by knowledgeable and dedicated mentors. Faculty assume that the curriculum meets the needs and interests of students. Administrators presume that effective teaching and learning occur in each graduate class. These assumptions may not accurately reflect the current status of graduate physical education programs. This paper examines the milieu of erroneous assumptions. Values and maxims surrounding graduate programs must be clarified. Such assumptions, by and among concerned parties, should be explicit and should be shared to produce a scholarly atmosphere for learning.

Departmental Prestige and Career Mobility Patterns of College Physical Educators

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the prestige of physical education graduate departments where faculty obtained their doctorates and the prestige of physical education graduate departments where faculty are now employed. Based on previous research in other academic disciplines, it was expected that graduates from the most prestigious departments tend to be employed at the most prestigious institutions; that their proportion declines as the institutional prestige of the doctoral granting institution declines; and that the institutional inbreeding of doctoral graduates in physical education will be the highest among the most prestigious institutions. Subjects (N = 795) were regular resident faculty with earned doctorates who were employed at any one of the 58 highest physical education doctoral degree producing institutions. A multiple regression analysis revealed a significant relationship (.01) between prestige of doctoral granting department and prestige of emp...