Prospective Physical Educators Research Articles

Co-creating strategies for enacting trauma-aware pedagogies with pre-service physical education teachers

ABSTRACT Background In Physical Education (PE), trauma may manifest in a range of different actions/behaviours (e.g. small fouls escalating into physical conflict, students refusing to be part of a team, and struggling to adhere to the rules of the game). Without knowledge of the effects of trauma, teachers often defer to punitive responses, which exacerbate rather than mediate the needs of trauma-affected youth. It is therefore critical that prospective physical educators can enact trauma-aware practices to better support their learning and development. Purpose The aim of this novel paper was to reflect on the principles underpinning trauma-aware pedagogies and, from this, co-create tangible strategies that could be employed by future PE teachers to better support all students, but especially those who have experienced trauma. Methods We worked with three distinct groups of pre-service PE teachers (n = 22) from a range of different institutions, delivering a total of 12 hours of online workshops (2 × 2-hour sessions per group). The workshops were designed to support pre-service PE teachers in becoming trauma-aware and were grounded in the principles of trauma-aware pedagogies, namely: (1) ensuring safety and wellbeing, (2) establishing routines and structures, (3) developing and sustaining positive relationships that foster a sense of belonging, (4) facilitating and responding to youth voice and, (5) promoting strengths and self-belief. Through a range of academic content, individual activities and group tasks, participants were invited to consider, in conversation with us (as the workshop leaders) and each other, how these principles could be enacted in practice during various ‘PE moments’ (e.g. transitions into PE, getting changed, responding to incidents). Audio recordings of the workshops were transcribed, and along with copies of the online ‘chats’, were thematically analysed. Findings The workshops led to the co-creation of a host of tangible strategies – things that could be done to enact trauma-aware pedagogies in PE. While the strategies are noted here in relation to specific principles, we are not suggesting that these are in any way rigid categorisations. Rather, strategies are associated with principles reflecting how these were framed by pre-service teachers during the workshops. Each of the individual strategies is subsequently explored in relation to the relevant principle. For instance, strategies associated with the principle of ‘establishing routines and structures’ included: (1) being predictable, (2) ensuring consistent transitions within and between PE lessons, and (3) forewarning of changes. Conclusions This novel paper provides a range of strategies that could be used by both future and current teachers to enact trauma-aware pedagogies in PE. We argue that these strategies are reflective of ‘good pedagogy’ more broadly – and would benefit all students – but especially those who have been impacted by trauma. However, there remains a need to consider the context of the school, the students, and broader cultures when implementing these within practice.

Path Associations Between Preservice Physical Educators’ Beliefs About Epistemology and Their Value and Self-Efficacy for Sport Education and Teaching Games for Understanding

Teachers’ beliefs about epistemology – that is, their personal broad mental representations about the nature of reality, knowledge, and how people know and learn – have been associated with the many educational outcomes both in the classroom and in physical education. Little is known about whether these beliefs predict physical educators’ value (i.e., interest, importance, like, and usefulness) and self-efficacy (i.e., confidence in performing) for using constructivist teaching models such as sport education and teaching games for understanding. As a result, this study examined path associations from beliefs about epistemology (epistemic worldviews and epistemological beliefs) to value and self-efficacy for sport education and TGfU in prospective physical educators. The sample consisted of 317 undergraduate students enrolled in a large (19,000 student) public university in south-central Canada. These participants completed a survey lasting approximately 10-12 minutes near the conclusion of one of their elective university classes in formal individual-dual games/sports (third year) or formal team games/sports (fourth year). Results revealed that students on average held more to a constructivist than a realist epistemic worldview, held relatively low unavailing epistemological beliefs for games (e.g., stable and simple knowledge that is learned quickly, and had high value and self-efficacy for sport education and teaching games for understanding. The path analyses revealed an excellent fit of the model to the data for these constructivist instructional models with each pathway significant for teaching games for understanding and three of the four for sport education. The results signal that prospective physical educators may be more susceptible to having less value and self-efficacy for using more constructivist instructional models if they believe games knowledge is relatively stable, objective, uncomplicated (simple), quickly learned facts derived more passively (rote learning) from mainly outer sources like expert teachers, coaches, and information resources. More efforts may be needed to uncover, explain, and account for underlying beliefs about epistemology prior to operationalizing constructivist instructional models such as sport education and teaching game for understanding.

대학전공체육수업에서 스포츠교육모형이 정의적 영역에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of sports education model applied in physical education classes on the affective domain of university students who major in physical education. Ten students(5 male and 5 female) ranged from freshmen to senior participated in the study for one semester in 2017. The participants took depth interviews about the perception of sports education model. Collected data were analyzed using content analysis. The results of the study generated six big themes including learning attitude, cooperation, communication, relatedness, leadership, and motivation. The findings suggest that if sports education model is provided for physical education classes, university students can promote multiple characteristics in affective domain. Specifically, the students as prospective physical educators can develop professional knowledge, communication skills, and effective teaching methods required for sports leaders through the experiences of multiple roles.

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The academic advantages of knowledge are often compromised when learners and teachers hold counterproductive epistemic beliefs, that is, personal convictions about the nature of knowledge and knowing. This study was an investigation of associations between prospective physical educators' game-specific epistemic beliefs (worldviews and beliefs in simple and stable knowledge and the need for cognition) and their preferred instructional model (Direct, Teaching Games for Understanding, or Sport Education) for teaching games in physical education. Following theoretical and applied instruction of each instructional model, 311 junior and senior undergraduate students enrolled in elective formal games classes at a mid-sized public university in south-central Canada completed several previously validated quantitative measures and one open-ended qualitative item. Those reporting a high need for cognition in games had higher contextualist and lower realist worldviews, along with more sophisticated beliefs about the simplicity and stability of knowledge. Participants most preferred a contextualist epistemic worldview and the TGfU instructional method, and a significant main effect difference was found in epistemic beliefs by preferred instructional model. Students' qualitative comments about each instructional model also reflect a collective awareness of the dynamics of the models and their potential advantages and disadvantages in particular learning settings. It appears useful to increase knowledge about the potential role of epistemic worldviews and beliefs on games teaching preferences in prospective physical educators, particularly if these educators are to foster availing epistemic beliefs in their students.

Modified Delphi Investigation of Motor Development and Learning in Physical Education Teacher Education

Purpose: As the scope of motor development and learning knowledge has successfully broadened over the years, there is an increased need to identify the content and learning experiences that are essential in preparing preservice physical educators. The purpose of this study was to generate expert consensus regarding the most critical motor development and learning competencies that prospective physical educators need to learn within the physical education teacher education (PETE) curriculum and to identify learning environments and instructional methods for delivering core knowledge. Method: The study employed a 2-round, modified Delphi procedure involving the repeated circulation of a questionnaire to a panel of motor development specialists, motor learning specialists, teacher educators, and K–12 physical education teachers. Panel members rated an initial list of theoretical and applied motor development and learning competencies derived from various curricular guidelines and textbook sources. An open-response question was incorporated into the 2nd round asking panel members to recommend specific instructional methods and settings for delivering core motor development and learning content to prospective physical educators within the PETE curriculum. Results: Expert consensus determined that 64 out of the initial 159 motor development and learning competencies were critical in preparing preservice physical educators. Early field experiences and peer practice in a variety of settings were recommended by panelists for delivering the identified competencies. Conclusions: The Discussion section represents an important link between the motor development and learning body of knowledge and physical education teachers' role in promoting skillful movement, physical activity, and fitness among youth in the school setting.

Variations in acculturation and Australian physical education teacher education students' receptiveness to an alternative pedagogical approach to games teaching

Background: The development of intelligent, thinking performers as a central theme in physical education curriculum documents worldwide has highlighted the need for an evolution of teaching styles from the dominant reproductive approach. This has prompted an Australian university to change the content and delivery of a games unit within their physical education teacher education (PETE) course and adopt a productive student-centred approach that is compatible with current curriculum directives. The significance of prospective physical educators' biographies on their receptiveness to this pedagogical innovation was studied.Purpose: To investigate whether past school and sporting experiences are powerful influences on Australian PETE recruits' initial perspectives about effective physical education teaching practice and their receptiveness to an alternative pedagogical approach.Participants and setting: A total of 49 first year pre-service PETE students volunteered to take part in the study and were grouped according to their highest level of representation in games, either school/club, regional, or state/national. Students experienced the constraints-led approach during an eight-week games unit informed by nonlinear pedagogy and underpinned by motor learning theory.Data collection and Analysis: Prior to the commencement of the unit, participants completed a mixed response questionnaire aimed at gathering data about their physical education and sporting background. The data were summarised using descriptive statistics. Before and after taking part in the games unit, participants also completed a questionnaire, responding with their opinion of the importance of each sub-component of the traditional, reproductive style for an effective games teaching session. This resulted in a ‘traditional reproductive games teaching’ belief score. For each sub-component, participants were invited to respond in more detail to justify their opinions. A one-way between-groups analysis of variance, Tukey's HSD Post Hoc Test and a two-tailed, paired-samples t-test were used to analyse the quantitative data. Content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.Findings: The traditional, reproductive approach was the most frequently reported teaching approach used by the physical education teachers and sports coaches of participants in all groups. Prior to the commencement of the alternative games unit, participants in each representative level group held very strong beliefs in this reproductive approach, responding that an effective games teaching session should consist of a visual demonstration of the ‘ideal’ performance model, repetitive practice of the model using isolated drills with corrective feedback by the teacher, before the playing of the actual game. After experiencing the alternative games unit, there were statistically significant differences in the traditional reproductive games teaching belief mean scores for each group. This combined with participants' qualitative responses indicated receptiveness to the alternative pedagogy.Conclusions: The results of this present study show that, contrary to the mixed success found in previous research undertaken in North America, in Australia, we found strong evidence to show that it is possible for PETE educators to change beliefs in order to overcome the constraint of acculturation. Participation in the alternative games unit provided PETE students with the knowledge, understanding and belief in an alternative approach to teaching games compatible with curriculum documents.

An Inclusion Instrument Based on Planned Behavior Theory for Prospective Physical Educators.

The purpose was to provide validity evidence for an attitude survey that will predict the intention of Czech prospective teachers to include students with physical disabilities in general physical education (GPE). Based on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991, 2000), the Czech Attitude Toward Teaching Individuals with Physical Disabilities in Physical Education (ATIPDPE) contained statements of intention and of behavioral, normative, and control beliefs. Attitude was inferred from behavioral beliefs. Content validity evidence was established by experts in two countries and by pilot studies utilizing 96 university students to elicit accessible beliefs and intentions. Construct validity evidence was derived from data collected from 145 GPE and 47 adapted PE prospective teachers enrolled in three universities in the Czech Republic. Bivariate correlations, hierarchical regression analysis, and ANOVA examination of known group difference provided good validity evidence for the ATIPDPE. Alpha coefficients ranged from .71 to .94.

Infusing Health-Related Physical Fitness in Physical Education Teacher Education

Our growing appreciation for physical activity and its health-related henefits exemplifies the need for physical educators who are adequately prepared to Facilitate the development of the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and fitness levels that will enable a child to maintain a physically active lifestyle across the life span. Unfortunately, there is some evidence to suggest that physical education teacher education programs may not adequately prepare prospective physical educators to meet this professional responsibility. Faculty members within the West Virginia University School of Physical Education have recently initiated a curricular revision that is intended to enhance the prospeclive physical educator's ability to promote children's physicd activity and fitness by infusing this content throughout the undergraduate curriculum. The purpose of this paper is to describe the infusion of a health-related physical fitness education strand into the physical education teacher education cuniculum.

Preparing Prospective Physical Educators in Exercise Physiology

This paper addresses the need for the continued assessment of the course content and instructional methods traditionally employed within physical education teacher education programs to deliver theoretical and applied information from the foundational subdiscipline of exercise physiology. The current literature suggests that physical education teacher educators must implement alternative instructional strategies in order to help students effectively inteprate exercise physiology theory into the practice of teaching physical education. An innovative course at West Virginia University has heen designed to facilitate students' ability to bridge the existent gap between theory and practice in the area of exercise physiology. The infusion of developmental exercise physiology subject matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge. and pedagogical content knowledge into a single course is intended to ultimately enhance prospective teachers' readiness to foster school-aged children's appreciation for regular physical activity as an essential component of a healthy lifestyle.

Concerns of Preservice Physical Education Teachers

The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the concerns of preservice physical education teachers at the University of Leuven (Belgium). In two studies, data were obtained with two different methodologies, namely a questionnaire and the logbook. In the first study the Teacher Concerns Questionnaire (TCQ) was administered to 100 students on three occasions during their early field teaching experiences. Of the three types of concern—self, task, and impact—only impact concern increased significantly and could be identified as a stable factor. In line with related studies, data did not reveal the three stages of Fuller’s concern model. In the second study written concerns were gathered using the logbook method. Concerns about pupil control and organization were found most frequently. Finally, concerns obtained from the TCQ were compared with the written ones. The contradicting findings suggest there are both idealistic and realistic concerns. Further research into a valid instrument for assessing concerns of prospective physical educators is recommended.

Professional Preparation: A Process of Discovery

Preparing prospective physical educators is a challenging task. The development of a “human service educator” may be the key to the direction of professional preparation. Teacher education must be seen as a process of becoming, of personal discovery. This self-awareness leads to growth, change, and full functioning. In achieving this growth, four guidelines may be valuable: increased autonomy; more adequate assumptions about reality, possibility, and value; improved competencies; and increased awareness and openness to experience. Prospective physical educators must be put in the position to achieve success, feel competent, and be aware of their potential.

Prospective Physical Educators’ Perception of Stressful Teaching Events

Prospective Physical Educators’ Perception of Stressful Teaching Events

Fuller’s Concerns Theory as Tested on Prospective Physical Educators

Fuller’s Concerns Theory as Tested on Prospective Physical Educators

Fuller's Concerns Theory as Tested on Prospective Physical Educators

Fuller's Concerns Theory as Tested on Prospective Physical Educators

Fuller's Concerns Theory as Tested on Prospective Physical Educators

Fuller's Concerns Theory as Tested on Prospective Physical Educators

Psychological Femininity and the Prospective Female Physical Educator

Abstract Women with high interest in sports and games involving physical skill have often been assumed to differ from other women in certain personality dispositions and, in particular, psychological femininity, since high interest in sports has been found to be negatively associated with the female sex role in American society. In order to test this assumption, prospective female physical educators and education majors, who were matched on socioeconomic status, were compared on the masculinity-femininity scale from the MMPI as well as the Gough Scale of Psychological Femininity. On both of these scales physical education majors had significantly lower and less feminine scores than the education majors. However, when individual test items were placed according to content into 11 categories, education majors, as opposed to physical education majors, were found to differ in a feminine direction in only two categories — that of Restrained and Cautious and Religious Beliefs.