Physical Education Teachers Research Articles

‘We keep focusing on being excellent’: impact of secondary organizational socialization on late-career faculty members’ delivery of PETE

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of secondary organizational socialization on six late-career faculty members’ (FMs) delivery of physical education teacher education (PETE). Our specific research questions were: (a) What forms of PETE did late-career FMs deliver? and (b) What factors reinforced or impeded late-career FMs’ delivery of PETE? We collected data through three qualitative techniques (i.e. formal interviews, documents, and a written description of FMs’ ideal PETE program). Data were reduced to themes by employing analytic induction and constant comparison. Findings revealed that FMs delivered three distinct forms of PETE that were combinations of the behavioristic, traditional/craft, personalistic, and critical-inquiry orientations to teacher education. While their university cultures were largely positive, the conditions in which FMs worked were mainly unfavorable and impeded their delivery of PETE. To counter this situation, FMs employed a number of tactics in an attempt to strategically redefine their workplaces for the better. These findings may be a catalyst for change in terms of inspiring other FMs to fight back when they face adverse conditions and to reflect on the forms of PETE they deliver. The findings may also serve to make administrators aware of the difficulties sport pedagogy FMs face in general.

Lessons learned teaching social and emotional learning in physical education teacher education: a self-study

ABSTRACT Background Social and emotional learning (SEL) has emerged as a political and educational priority worldwide. Numerous academic and non-academic benefits of effective (well-designed and well-implemented) SEL programmes within educational contexts exist. Not surprisingly, SEL has been acknowledged as one of the most prioritised educational agendas to support students’ holistic growth and success across different subjects in schools, health and physical education is no exception. Yet, while SEL continues to progress as a global education priority, there is limited literature on SEL in physical education, and even less which seeks to explore teaching SEL in a physical education teacher education (PETE) programme. Purpose Framed by Loughran’s conceptualisation of developing a pedagogy of teacher education, this study explored lessons learned from one teacher educator’s first experience teaching SEL in a health and physical education teacher education programme. Method A self-study of teacher education practices methodology supported one teacher educator to interrogate their experience, decisions, identity, and practices teaching SEL in a PETE programme. Data includes written reflections (n = 10 pages, single-spaced), transcribed critical friend discussions (n = 112 pages single-spaced), and teaching artefacts. Data analysis involved a collaborative reflexive thematic analysis approach to facilitate the inductive identification of themes and patterns. Findings Results are grouped into three categories: lessons learned about my practice as a teacher educator, lessons learned about my pre-service teachers, and lessons learned about teacher education. The three lessons include: (1) the importance of SEL being taught not caught, (2) students lack content knowledge, and (3) once is not enough. Results confirm teaching SEL requires a programmatic approach. Each lesson represents an ongoing process of making sense of self in practice. Conclusions The results of this research provide pedagogical considerations about teacher education programmes and those who teach in them. Teaching about teaching is a complex process. Teaching about teaching SEL may be an even more complex process as teacher educators rarely have developed these competencies themselves.

Physical education teaching: A biomechanical perspective of physical education educators and coaches

This study investigated the integration of biomechanical principles into physical education teaching practices. We use a combination of surveys, classroom observations, focus groups, pre-assessments and post-assessments, as well as force analysis in order to look at the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of physical education educators and coaches. Our findings are that theoretically, there is a substantial chasm between knowledge and application in a physical education environment. Most teachers recognized the importance of biomechanics but frequently did not have adequate preparation and resources to make it part of their teaching curricula. From the findings of our study, we conclude that teacher preparation programs and professional development programs need biomechanic education in totality. Eliminating these gaps will significantly enhance the quality of physical education instruction and outcomes for all students. Our study empirically suggests that biomechanical interventions are indeed a practical improvement for students, as they actually make the students’ movements mechanically better, reduce the likelihood of injury, and give them even more motivation.

The Relationship Between Physical Literacy, Strategies and Approaches in Physical Education

Physical literacy is an idea or concept that has relatively recently developed in the international world, including Indonesia, when compared to other literacy concepts. This new knowledge has an important role when we carry out our teaching duties as physical education, sports and health teachers at school. Schools, through extracurricular physical education, sports and health activities, curricular projects to strengthen the profile of Pancasila students, as well as extracurricular sports activities have an important role in promoting physical literacy. This role should make schools a forum for creating learning that is appropriate to the level of development and characteristics of students. The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between physical literacy and strategies and approaches in physical education. This research uses a literature review method, namely by reviewing the results of previous research based on theories that can be accounted for to produce new, more up-to-date theories. Based on the cause and effect interpretation of 10 articles related to physical literacy with approaches to physical education, a very firm conclusion was drawn from this research, namely that physical literacy carried out in physical education increases physical fitness, potential and academic achievement.

Evaluation Model of Physical Education Teaching Effect Based on Embedded Neural Network

In response to the uniqueness of sports learning evaluation, we innovatively chose neural networks as the modeling basis and constructed a sports teaching effectiveness evaluation model based on embedded neural networks. This model achieves intelligent and automated evaluation of physical education teaching through the flexible processing capability of an efficient learning ability logic system embedded with neural networks. Specifically, embedded neural networks can deeply mine complex data during the teaching process. The embedded neural network effectively solves the uncertainty in the evaluation process and significantly improves the accuracy and adaptability of the evaluation system. In the process of model construction, we pay special attention to the adaptive processing capability of data. By introducing an adaptive neural system, the model can dynamically adjust parameters to better adapt to different teaching scenarios and individual differences among students, ensuring the objectivity and impartiality of evaluation results. This adaptability not only enhances the flexibility of the evaluation system, but also provides solid support for its application in practical teaching.

Teaching Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in physical education teacher education (PETE): discursive tensions at the cultural interface

ABSTRACT Amid the global movement toward decolonising and Indigenising education, the imperative for educators to respectfully engage with and include Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in their teaching is unmistakeable. However, Indigenous knowledges and perspectives remain overlooked in physical education teacher education (PETE). This article delves into the discourses surrounding this issue through interviews with physical education teacher educators. Through the lens of Martin Nakata’s cultural interface concept, we explore tensions arising from attempts to Indigenise PETE. These tensions centre around questions of who can teach Indigenous content and how it should be taught, as well as the perceived barriers to teaching it. We argue that embracing the cultural interface as a framework holds promise for further advancing the decolonisation and Indigenisation of PETE.

Life Skills of Physical Education University Students: Identification of Needs – Implications for Educational Practice

Background: Modern education should be strongly oriented towards equipping young people with the skills needed to maintain psychosocial well-being, defined as life skills. The aim of this study was to present the self-assessment of selected life skills of physical education (PE) students, analyze variables differentiating the self-assessment of those skills in the test group, and verify the correlation between the degree of self-assessment of life skills and the subjective assessment of mental well-being. Methods: This study was based on a sample of 494 individuals studying PE in Poland. The diagnostic survey method was used. Results: The skills of coping with and managing stress were assessed as the lowest. Sex, study mode, level of study, and employment while studying were the variables differentiating the self-assessment of life skills among the academic youth. Correlation analysis showed that better mental well-being correlates with higher self-assessment of skills, especially for positive thinking (p 0.001; rs = 0.51) and building a positive self-image (p 0.001; rs = 0.45). Conclusions: The hypothesis that a higher level of life skills in PE students was associated with a better self-assessment of well-being was confirmed. The obtained results may be useful in the preparation of future curricula and intervention programs at universities educating physical education teachers.

Digital Literacy and Technical Competence: Assessing the Competence and Performance of Senior High School Physical Education Teachers in Online Distance Learning

Digital Literacy and Technical Competence: Assessing the Competence and Performance of Senior High School Physical Education Teachers in Online Distance Learning

Psychological and Pedagogical Determinants of the Professional Training of Future Physical Education Teachers for Organisation of Physical Education and Mass Participation Work in General Secondary Education Institutions

Psychological and Pedagogical Determinants of the Professional Training of Future Physical Education Teachers for Organisation of Physical Education and Mass Participation Work in General Secondary Education Institutions

Exploration on the application of dynamics principles in police physical education curriculum teaching

The police physical education curriculum focuses on the integration of physical training and police skills training, aiming to enhance students’ physical fitness and police skill levels. By reasonably applying the principles of dynamics, teachers can develop more scientific and reasonable training plans, optimizing aspects such as strength training, speed training, endurance training, and skill instruction. The application of dynamics principles not only helps improve students’ physical fitness but also assists teachers in better understanding the mechanical principles involved when students perform movements, thereby enabling more effective skill instruction. Therefore, in the teaching of police physical education, emphasis should be placed on the integration and practice of dynamics principles to improve teaching quality and effectiveness, providing strong support for cultivating high-quality police talents.

Considerations for Physical Education Teachers Working With Children and Adolescents During Their Cancer Treatment

The aim of this article is to improve physical education (PE) teachers’ knowledge about working with children diagnosed with cancer. Physical activity (PA) in this population is extremely important. Not only do these children have an increased risk of co-morbidities compared to healthy peers, but cancer treatment has negative effects on fitness (e.g., loss of muscle mass, impaired balance, cardiac dysfunction). A cancer diagnosis can delay motor-skill development and hinder the development of self-efficacy in sport and activity. PA can be used to attenuate treatment side effects and help children to build fitness, stamina, and confidence, enabling them to (re)join sport or group PA. Using data from a feasibility study, frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) recommendations are provided for children undergoing cancer treatment that provide a framework for educators to design action plans.

Effects of the Learning how to motivate training on pupils’ motivation and engagement during pre-service physical education teachers’ internship

IntroductionPre-service physical education (PE) teachers have concerns about how to sustain pupils’ motivation. A training titled Learning how to motivate was designed to address these concerns.ObjectivesThe aims of the study were (1) to compare the perceptions of high school pupils of pre-service PE teachers who had completed the training [experimental group (EG)] and pre-service PE teachers who had not completed the training [control group (CG)] about motivation; (2) to verify changes in the perceptions of EG and CG high school pupils with regard to motivational variables between the beginning and end of the internship; and (3) to compare observations of the motivational climate established by the pre-service PE teachers and of their pupils’ engagement between EG and CG.MethodsThe study involves a sample of four French-Canadian pre-service PE teachers (EG = 2; CG = 2) and their high school pupils (n = 89) during the pre-service PE teachers’ final internship. Data were collected using observations and questionnaires at the start (T1) and end (T2) of the internship.ResultsFindings revealed no significant differences between groups at T1. At T2, the EG exhibited higher levels of pupils’ perceived dimensions of an empowering motivational climate than the CG. Notably, between T1 and T2, performance-approach goals decreased, and external regulation increased in the EG. As for the CG, pupils’ perceived dimensions of an empowering motivational climate, competence satisfaction, and performance-approach goals decreased. Finally, there were some trends (p ≤ 0.15) related to differences between the groups for observed motivational climate and pupils’ engagement.ConclusionThe training shows promise with regard to helping pre-service PE teachers apply theory to practice.

Research on the application of biomechanics analysis in optimizing physical education movement techniques

College and university students’ general health, fitness, and well-being are greatly enhanced by physical education. As various educational institutions work to improve the efficacy of their physical education programs, more evidence-based techniques are required. Biomechanics, to the movement or structure of student activities, provides insights into the efficiency and effectiveness of physical movements. This study aims to explore how physical activity movement skills can be systematically improved by the use of biomechanics analysis, leading to improved physical results and increased student participation in sports and fitness activities. In this study, a novel synergistic fibroblast-optimized malleable convolutional neural network (SFO-MCNN) is proposed to enhance teaching practices using a biomechanical framework that integrates movement analysis. The data collected from cameras that record students’ movements, capturing joint angles and body positions, as well as data from sensors are gathered from the Kaggle. The data was preprocessed using data cleaning and normalization for the obtained data. A system for assessing instruction quality was created using the suggested model and improved SFO. The findings show that the proposed algorithm has the greatest evaluations for average skill performance, physical fitness, student happiness, and physical education teaching efficiency. By comparing the outcomes with those of conventional approaches, the effectiveness of the proposed framework in improving physical education teaching techniques has been established.

Teaching Physical Education Online in Schools: Challenges and Recommendations from the Preservice PEMAC Teachers in Fiji

Teacher preparation programs in institutions of higher learning serve as an incubator for the professional development of teachers and leaders in the education sector. It is imperative for these programs to deliver high-quality instruction, even when circumstances are extraordinary. To this end, during the COVID-19 pandemic, teacher preparation programs worldwide were forced to move programs online with little preparation. This study aimed to learn about barriers to teaching online physical education (PE) in Fiji using an Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. Data were collected from preservice PE, Music, and Arts (PEMAC) teachers enrolled in the second or third year of the PEMAC teacher preparation program in Fiji. Five focus group discussions were conducted with a total of twenty participants (14 males and 6 females). Sixty percent of the participants did not think the digital infrastructure for teaching online PE was adequate. Seventy percent thought online PE could potentially make an impact. Four superordinate themes were identified as a result of the IPA including: (a) the development of pedagogical skills; (b) program design; (c) instructional delivery; and (d) advocacy, branding & marketing for PE. The findings imply that greater investment in digital infrastructure is needed and also suggest that preservice teachers can benefit from professional development aiming to build teacher confidence and competency for teaching online PE effectively in Fiji.

Students’ Technological Readiness and Online Learning Self-Efficacy in Physical Education

The study of ‘technological readiness and online learning self-efficacy’ has been thoroughly examined across multiple fields in recent years. Most investigations on this topic have consistently shown a contradictory relationship between the two factors. Moreover, there is a dearth of studies undertaken in the field of Physical Education within higher education, particularly in the setting of the Philippines. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between Technological Readiness (TR) and Online Learning Self Efficacy (OLSE) among a sample of 305 Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) students in a higher education institution in the Philippines. Correlational and predictive analyses, specifically Pearson-r and Multiple Regression, were employed to ascertain the association between the four aspects of TR (Optimism, Insecurity, Innovativeness, and Discomfort) and OLSE. The findings indicate a positive and direct correlation between TR and OLSE. Moreover, the four dimensions of TR, exhibit a positive correlation with OLSE. According to the results, PETE students’ inclination to utilise advanced tools through online learning platforms could greatly enhance their online learning self-efficacy. The following recommendations and prospective research initiatives are hereby provided.

Pre-service teachers’ experiences of an activist approach in a health and physical education teacher education context

In the past four decades, health and physical education teacher education (HPETE) research has grown, emphasising social justice and activist approaches as a way to challenge the status quo of systems of oppression, including capitalism, imperialism, patriarchy, racism, LGBTQI+ phobia, and ableism. Despite a wealth of research on social justice and activist approaches in HPETE, there is a notable gap in understanding the outcomes for pre-service teachers (PSTs), necessitating further exploration into the impact and effectiveness of these approaches. This study aimed to explore PSTs’ experiences of an activist approach in an HPETE context. Participants included a teacher educator/researcher and 65 PSTs who experienced the activist approach within their HPETE program while working with school students. Data were collected from: (a) field notes from the teacher educator; (b) reflective diaries from the PSTs; (c) focus groups with the PSTs; and (d) artefacts from the PSTs. Findings were discussed under three themes highlighting the experiences of PSTs engaging with an activist approach in an HPETE program. First, the study underscored how PSTs understood and valued students’ voices and embraced a student-centred approach. Second, PSTs emphasised the pivotal role of building relationships and creating safe spaces within the health and physical education environment. Third, the findings underscored how PSTs understood the messiness in teaching and the need to understand students’ needs in experiencing the activist approach. By investigating PSTs’ encounters with the activist approach, the study provided insights into its effectiveness in enhancing PSTs’ learnings and informing their pedagogical practices.

Physical Education Response to Intervention: Outcomes and Strategies for Implementation

Response to Intervention (RTI) has become prevalent in education recently, while the time youth spend being physically active has consistently decreased. Given the known physical, mental, and cognitive benefits of regular physical activity and the time youth spend in school, this article explores the use of increased physical education (PE) time as an RTI strategy to enhance students’ overall physical activity, academic achievement, behavior, and cognitive skills. Two intervention groups received PE RTI, while the control group received normal classroom instruction. Several variables showed positive associations, indicating that a before-school PE RTI can be an effective way to enhance students’ physical activity and academics. The article also shares sample activities used during the RTI along with implications for PE teachers to incorporate a similar RTI in their own school.

Using the grounded theory to develop the theoretical model of Chinese school sports coaching competence

BackgroundSchool sports coaching is gaining recognition as a formal profession worldwide, highlighting its significant role in students’ holistic development. Given the complex social and cultural dimensions of the role, this study explores a coaching competence model tailored to the school context, emphasizing the need to consider both national and local frameworks to ensure effective implementation. In China, school sport coaches are responsible for both physical education teaching and sports training across all types of schools. Within the integration of sports and education, school sport coaches can expand their impact not only on student-athletes or athletes but also on general students in practice. Compared with physical education teachers’ perspectives, sports coaches’ competence development has rarely been studied. This study aims to develop a sustainable Chinese school sports coaching competence model.MethodsThe qualitative data were gathered mainly through semi-structured interviews. School sports coaches and related stakeholders (N = 22) were selected as participants using purposive sampling techniques. Grounded theory was employed to analyse the data via NVivo 11.0 software.ResultsThe school sports coaching competence model comprises three categories consisting of 15 sub-categories, 92 concepts, and 317 labels. These categories are as follows: (a) Perception of identity, encompassing role of the coach, reflection on students, and understanding of policies; (b) Code of ethics, which includes sports virtues, sports-humanistic spirit, and principles of movement science; (c) Coaching excellence, comprising lifestyle and fitness strength, local sports development, teacher-coach partnership, leadership in extracurricular activities, safety and injury protection, athlete selection and training, instruction and demonstration, coaching reflective practice, and athlete-coach rapport.ConclusionChinese school sport coaching competence model emphasizes the integration of sports and education for student development. It provides both local and national perspectives to enhance the professional development of school sports coaches’ community worldwide.

PROMOTING THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF THE POPNEURO, A SUCCESSFUL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY OUTREACH PROGRAM.

Here, we report a successful initiative between Brazil and Germany to stimulate neuroscience outreach: the POPNeuro Program. The POPNeuro Program is a neuroscience outreach project created in Brazil that has been active for over ten years. It was initiated in Uruguaiana/RS/Brazil and linked to the Physiology Research Group from the Federal University of Pampa. The neuroscience dissemination was developed mainly in school environments by a team that includes neuroscientists and university undergraduate and graduate students. One of the key focuses of POPNeuro is to identify and avoid the dissemination of neuromyths (misconceptions generated by a misunderstanding, a misreading, or a misquoting of scientific facts). Following an initial research cooperation, the Brazilian and German teams decided to replicate some of the POPNeuro activities in Germany. The POPNeuro spin-off developed the first activities in Germany included neuroscience disclosure activities during the TUC Open Campus Day and a Neuroscience of Learning course for sports and physical education teachers. During the activities, participants took a quiz to identify the prevalence of neuromyths and knowledge of neuroscience facts. The results demonstrate a high prevalence of neurotmyths between the different participants. Despite the socio-cultural differences, these results are in line with previous results from POPNeuro in Brazil. Considering our experience and the participants' evaluations, we are confident that promoting the internationalization of this successful neurophysiology outreach program, expanding the Brazilian POPNeuro program in Germany will have a positive impact. This initiative represents a model of international cooperation that should be stimulated.

Job Satisfaction Among Physical Education Teachers: A Scientometric Review

Job Satisfaction Among Physical Education Teachers: A Scientometric Review