Urban Physical Education Research Articles

‘Put yourself in their shoes’: developing a knowledge base in urban physical education

ABSTRACT Guided by culturally relevant teaching (CRT) and culturally relevant physical education (CRPE), the purpose of this single case study was to examine how one PETE alumnus teaching in a culturally and ethnically diverse urban school developed a knowledge base about cultural diversity and community dynamics. To accomplish this, one participant completed five semi-structured interviews, five reflection journal prompts, and eight voice memos over the course of 12 weeks. Pre-existing data included a semi-structured interview with John completed in May 2021 and documents, such as lesson plans, reflections, and assignments from John’s teacher preparation program. Three main themes emerged, including critical reflections of one's own identity, nurturing knowledge of school and community, and nurturing knowledge of students. This research is significant because it highlights strategies PETE programs and in-service teachers may emulate to identify cultural distance and gain knowledge of community dynamics and their influence on educational processes.

Successful Practices of Novice Urban Physical Education Teachers

Purpose: Guided by the cultural relevance cycle, this study examined experiences of two novice physical education teachers in urban schools. We focused on successes that teachers encountered while navigating their novice years. Methods: Two purposefully sampled participants completed five journal entries and five semistructured interviews lasting between 45 and 90 min each. To promote trustworthiness, we utilized multiple coders, a peer debriefer, and triangulated data from multiple sources. Participants reviewed themes and responded to researchers’ interpretations. Results: We present the results through three major themes. The first theme involves knowledge of students and community. The second theme describes belonging in the school and community, and the third theme discusses curricular realignment. Discussion and Conclusion: By focusing on elements that empowered novice teachers to find success, initial teacher preparation programs and in-service teacher mentoring programs in urban school districts might identify teaching experiences that may contribute to novice teacher retention.

The Evolution of Urban Physical Education Development Model and Its Innovative Development Strategy

In China's urban environment, physical education has changed significantly during the last few decades. Physical education programs are in higher demand than ever, especially in colleges, as people's knowledge of health and fitness has grown. This study examines the effectiveness of an innovative physical education development and strategy, based on self-determination theory principles, in promoting physical activity and motivation among undergraduate students in Taiyuan, China. A total of 256 participants enrolled in fitness-based physical activity classes at a university in China were included in the study. Data was collected through self-reported measures of physical education, physical fitness, innovativeness, lifestyle behavior, and academic achievement. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software. The findings suggest that the physical education development model and strategy may be effective in promoting physical education, physical fitness, innovativeness, and academic achievement among undergraduate students in China. Further research may be needed to explore the relationship between academic achievement and lifestyle behavior in more detail and to identify any other factors that may be influencing academic achievement.

Latina Elementary School Girls’ Experiences in an Urban After-School Physical Education and Literacy Program

Purpose: To understand where and how Latina girls are physically active outside of the Reflective Educational Approach to Character and Health program and the impact of female role models on participation in the program. Methods: The authors implemented a yearlong after-school physical activity and literacy program for fifth and sixth grade girls (N = 22 girls) in a low-income, urban community. Four university students/coaches delivered all sessions. Data were triangulated through 10 Latina girls’ interviews, student journals, coaches’ journals, researcher journals, and field notes, and analyzed using constant comparison. Results: Girls participated in leisure-time physical activities with family in community spaces, in spite of social and cultural barriers. Female coaches facilitated girls’ increased engagement by acting as strong role models and fostering caring relationships. Conclusion: After-school programs, community spaces, and strong connections with coaches play a critical role in students’ engagement in physical activity.

The Role of Content Specificity in Situational Interest and Physical Activity

ABSTRACTPurpose: To identify the role of content specificity in moderating situational interest and its relationship with physical activity (PA), we examined the between- and within-content relations of situational interest and PA in an urban elementary physical education context using fitness and basketball as comparative contents. Method: Fourth and fifth graders (N = 125) completed questionnaires and wore pedometers to assess situational interest and PA across a fitness unit and a basketball unit, respectively. Results: Based on our confirmatory factor analyses and fit indexes, situational interest, and PA demonstrated strong content specificity. Strengths of associations between the two units differed by situational interest dimensions and PA (r ≤ .50). Within-content interrelations of these dimensions and PA were not consistent (X2 Decrease ≥ 3.40, p < .05). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that content specificity in physical education plays a significant role in moderating students’ motivation and its function on PA.

Student Reflections on Urban Physical Education and Involvement in College Physical Activity

The purpose of this study was to understand freshman college students’ reflections on urban high school physical education (PE) programs and to discern the extent to which their experiences influenced college physical activity. Sixteen university freshman students enrolled in a college PE class who had taken at least one high school PE class in an urban school setting were interviewed. Data collection methods included open-ended semi-structured qualitative interviews. Using constant comparative analysis, the reflective findings of the study revealed that students who had positive experiences had increased college physical activity involvement.

REACH Harlem: young urban boys’ experiences in an after-school PA positive youth development program

ABSTRACTBackground: After-school approaches offer a viable solution to the current challenge of physical inactivity among many adolescents; however, availability, cost, transportation, and interest limit many youths’ choices during non-school hours [Roth, Brooks-Gunn, Murray, and Foster 2003. “Youth Development Programs: Risk, Prevention and Policy.” Journal of Adolescent Health 32 (3): 170–182]. In addition to these limitations, safety concerns in urban communities act as barriers to participation in both after-school programs [Sanderson and Richards 2010. “The After-School Needs and Resources of a Low-income Urban Community: Surveying Youth and Parents for Community Change.” American Journal of Community Psychology 45: 430–440] and physical activity [Moore, Roux, Evenson, McGinn, and Brines 2010. “A Qualitative Examination of Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity for Urban and Rural Youth.” Health Education Research 25 (2): 355–367].Purpose: This year-long qualitative case study sought to explore young urban boys’ experiences in an after-school program that aimed to empower young men through the sport of basketball.Method: Two coaches facilitated weekly sessions for 5–20 young men of color in an urban, public school after-school program in Harlem, NY. The program recruited young men to an after-school program that offered basketball instruction in a safe space. During the program, students worked on basketball skills as well as reflective reading and writing through weekly journals and immersive conversations that revolved around weekly themes such as sportsmanship, culture, power, and communication. At the conclusion of the study seven boys aged 10–14 agreed to be interviewed about their experiences in the REACH program. Sources of data include journals, interviews, and observations. These data were coded by two independent coders, peer reviewed by a third researcher and analyzed using the constant comparative method.Findings: Theme one: Shooting guns (violence) is a barrier to shooting hoops at local courts. Analysis of the data highlighted violence as an always-present barrier to playing basketball, specifically, and physical activity, generally speaking. Theme two: Future plans, the NBA. The vast majority of boys discussed joining the NBA, either directly from high school or after a year at a college. The NBA dream operated as a perceived pathway to a safer future and higher education. Theme three: Having and being role models. Analysis of the data also pointed to participants both being and/or having a role model. These relationships impacted them in a variety of ways and not only helps us better understand their experiences in the program but also elucidates how barriers to physical activity were alleviated. The young men who participated in this after-school program were able to engage in interest-based physical activity and academic learning tasks, thus creating a peaceful space to develop positive associations between school, physical activity, and community.Conclusion: Closely examining the lived experiences of the REACH participants is significant for understanding their barriers to physical activity and how REACH, as a PYD sport program, alleviated those barriers. Examining the data around these issues also expands on the need for PYD programs [Wright and Li 2009. “Exploring the Relevance of Positive Youth Development in Urban Physical Education.” Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 14 (3): 241–251] and extends understandings of the PYD framework put forth by Holt et al. [2017. “A Grounded Theory of Positive Youth Development Through Sport Based on Results From a Qualitative Meta-Study.” International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 10: 1–49]. Specifically, our study demonstrates the reciprocal and iterative nature of PYD climate, life skills focus, and PYD outcomes. Our study also expands on the understandings of PYD climate, extending the focus beyond relationships to also including participants’ experiences and perceptions.

Motivational Pathways to Leisure-Time Physical Activity Participation in Urban Physical Education: A Cluster-Randomized Trial

Purpose: Grounded in the trans-contextual model of motivation framework, this cluster-randomized trial examined the effectiveness of an autonomy supportive physical education (PE) instruction on student motivation and physical activity (PA). Method: The study comprised six middle schools and 408 students (Mage = 12.29), with primary outcomes of students’ autonomous motivation in PE and exercise, PA intention, and self-report PA. Results: The path analysis showed that the intervention had a weak positive effect (γ = .11) on students’ perception of autonomy (R2 = .51), which in turn had a moderate positive effect (β = .29) on autonomous motivation in PE (R2 = .51). Students’ perception of autonomy during PE had a positive effect (β = .63) on their autonomous exercise motivation (R2 = .44) and autonomous exercise motivation had a positive effect (β = .37) on PA intentions (R2 = .34). Autonomous exercise motivation was an indirect link transferring PE autonomy to PA intentions and participation. Conclusion: T...

Understanding Stress and Aggression Behaviors among Urban Youth

Background/Objective: Youth violence, including school bullying and fighting, has become a global public health problem. Stress has been identified as a factor related to aggression (i.e., bullying behaviors, fighting, and anger), of which inner-city youth are particularly vulnerable given their often disproportionately high stress living environments. Stress and aggression are of particular concern in urban physical education (PE) given the proliferation of competitive, sport-based curricula, “culture of basketball”, and the often-limited supervision that takes place. Using the Social Ecological Model, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between stress and aggression in inner-city elementary PE students. Methods: After parental consent, participants completed a questionnaire with validated scales measuring stress, aggression, and demographics. Participants included 138, 3rd-5th grade students (Mage = 9.77) from six inner-city schools in the Midwestern United States. Analysis/Results: After correlations were conducted to determine relationships, a series of multiple regression analyses were used to determine the predictors of aggression; controlling for gender, race, and age. Regression results revealed that fighting was significantly predicted by the independent variables with stress, anger, and bullying uniquely contributing (F (6,115) = 21.54, p < 0.01, adj. R2 = 0.51). Additionally, bullying was uniquely predicted by fighting and anger (F (6,115) = 35.01, p < 0.01, adj. R2 = 0.63). Conclusions: This study established a significant relationship between stress, anger, fighting and bullying behaviors in urban PE, possibly indicating a need for renewed focus on anti-aggressive approaches and positive stress response techniques. Specifically, mindfulness-based physical activities, such as Yoga, could enable educators to create more peaceful and less stressful climates, which might then lead to less bullying, fighting, and aggression, hence a more productive learning environment

Underserved Adolescent Girls’ Physical Activity Intentions and Behaviors: Relationships with the Motivational Climate and Perceived Competence in Physical Education

This study investigated underserved adolescent girls’ perceptions of the motivational climate in relationship to their perceptions of competence in urban physical education, self-reported physical activity, and future physical activity intentions. A total of two-hundred-seventy-six underserved (i.e., minority, urban, high poverty) adolescent girls completed questionnaires and a multi-step approach was used to test these relationships. First, a trichotomous model of the perceived motivational climate was tested using confirmatory factor analysis and results suggested a good fit of the data. Structural equation modeling analyses were then used to test both direct and indirect relationships between the perceived motivational climates in physical education, perceived competence in physical education, and physical activity outcomes. Findings revealed that the relationship between the perceived motivational climates and physical activity outcomes were best understood when perceived competence in physical education was accounted for as an intermediary factor.

The Nature, Occurring Contexts, and Psychological Implications of Weight-Related Teasing in Urban Physical Education Programs

This study examined the nature, occurring contexts, and psychological implications of weight-related teasing in urban physical education programs. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 47 participants from a large urban school district. Data were analyzed using inductive analysis and constant comparisons. Most overweight adolescents experienced many different types of teasing in physical education. Victims of teasing felt hurt and experienced uncomfortable feelings due to social comparisons. Overweight students who were not teased reported a variety of reasons. Teachers lacked awareness of and strategies to handle teasing of overweight students. There is a need to implement preventive policies and rules to eliminate weight-related teasing and create inclusive physical education environments.

The Nature, Occurring Contexts, and Psychological Implications of Weight-Related Teasing in Urban Physical Education Programs

The Nature, Occurring Contexts, and Psychological Implications of Weight-Related Teasing in Urban Physical Education Programs

Coping Against Weight-Related Teasing among Adolescents Perceived to be Overweight or Obese in Urban Physical Education

The purpose of this study was to examine coping against weight-related teasing among adolescents perceived to be overweight or obese in urban physical education. Forty-seven students perceived to be overweight or obese from a large urban school district were interviewed. Trustworthiness of data analysis was established by using a member-checking procedure, focus group interview, and peer debriefing throughout the research process. The results indicated that adolescents perceived to be overweight or obese used self-protection, compensation, confrontation, seeking social support, avoidance/psychological disengagement, losing weight and stress reduction strategies to cope against weight-related teasing. Adolescents used multiple strategies under different mechanisms to cope, and the strategies they chose were dependent on the situation.

Social Goals in Urban Physical Education: Relationships with Effort and Disruptive Behavior

This study investigated the relationships among four distinct types of social goals, effort, and disruptive behavior in urban physical education. Social responsibility, affiliation, recognition, status goals, along with effort and disruptive behavior in physical education were reported by high school physical education students (N = 314) from three urban schools. Findings from correlation and structural equation modeling analyses revealed that social responsibility goals had a positive relationship with effort and an inverse relationship with disruptive behavior. Social status goals demonstrated a positive relationship with disruptive behavior and no relationship with effort. Social recognition goal results were mixed, as they had positive relationships to both effort and disruptive behavior while social affiliation goals were unrelated to effort or disruptive behavior. Application of these results suggests that physical educators who are able to identify the diverse social motives that underlie students’ goals can maximize learning opportunities by increasing student effort and minimizing disruptive behavior.

An ecological examination of an urban sixth grade physical education class

Background: There are several factors that influence teaching urban physical education. Violence, poverty and irrelevant curricula influence the teaching-learning environment in urban physical education. One approach to urban physical education is to look carefully at the ecology that exists within an urban physical education class. This ecology is created through the interaction of three task systems: the managerial task system, the instructional task system, and the student social system. Although urban physical education has been explored to some degree, to this point, an ecological perspective has not been investigated. Purpose of study: The purpose of the study was to examine the ecology of an urban elementary physical education class. Participants: Participants were an intact class of 15 sixth-grade students and their teacher. Data collection and analysis: Data were collected in four ways: (1) videotaped record of lessons, (2) field notes, (3) formal interviews using a semi-structured interview guide and (4) document data. Field notes and interview data were inductively analyzed using constant comparison. Categories were developed and examined for common elements that ran throughout and tied them together. Themes were then extracted from these categories. Data were selectively coded for examples that illustrated the themes. Results: Two main findings are reported. First, the interactions between the managerial task system, instructional task system and the student social system resulted in little learning. The managerial task system was very fragile as a result of the teacher's inability to deal effectively with off-task behavior and misbehavior. In addition, the instructional task system was characterized by a lack of detailed instruction and loose accountability with regard to the completion of instructional tasks. The student social system consisted of negative interactions between students, as well as between a given student (or students) and the teacher. The student social system often suspended both the instructional and managerial task systems. Second, interactions between the student social system and the curriculum impacted the teaching-learning environment. Results indicated that overall, students found the curriculum to have little relevance and that they often engaged in student social tasks such as talking with friends and modifying tasks so that they were more to their liking. Conclusions/recommendations: Specific recommendations for future research include investigating the benefits of training physical educators in urban settings with regard to their instructional and managerial skills and their ability to meaningfully reflect on their instruction and student learning. Information gleaned from this type of investigation would be valuable not only for teachers currently in the field, but also for professionals involved in teacher education.

Four Considerations for Urban Physical Education Teachers

(2009). Four Considerations for Urban Physical Education Teachers. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 80, No. 8, pp. 29-31.

Exploring the relevance of positive youth development in urban physical education

Background: While there are numerous claims that physical activity promotes positive youth development, there is a need for more empirical research in this area. Many qualitative studies suggest a relationship between a youth development orientation and participants' attitudes and behaviors in physical activity programs. A quantitative analysis of such relationships would test some of the underlying assumptions of physical activity programs designed to promote youth development. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among four youth development scales (Affective Context, Support for Youth Development, Opportunities to Engage Youth as Resources, and Belonging) and perceived effort, enjoyment, and usefulness in the context of urban physical education. Participants and setting: Eighty-seven African American high school students (41 male and 46 female) with a mean age of 14.8 years volunteered to participate in the present study. The setting was a public high school located in an inner-city neighborhood. This school was located in a mid-sized city in the southern USA. Research design: A single administration, cross-sectional design was employed. Data collection: Participants completed the battery of questionnaires in a classroom setting after they completed a six-week physical fitness unit. Directions for completing questionnaires were read aloud and a sample item was provided to clarify the process. Most participants completed the questionnaires in approximately 30 minutes. Data analysis: The relationships among effort, youth as resources, support, belonging, usefulness, enjoyment, and affective context were assessed using simple Pearson correlations with the option of no missing data. A one-way MANOVA was conducted to investigate whether ratings of effort, youth as resources, support, belonging, usefulness, enjoyment, and affective context would vary as a function of gender. Three multiple stepwise regressions incorporating both forward and backward selection were used to investigate the relationships between the independent variables of interest and dependent variables. Findings: The results indicated positive correlations among effort, youth as resources, support, belonging, usefulness, enjoyment, and affective context. Perceived effort, enjoyment, and usefulness were significantly predicted by various combinations of the four youth development scales. Conclusions: It is suggested physical education could be integrated into comprehensive, school-wide positive youth development programs, and that physical education teacher education programs should integrate youth development principles and practices.

Measuring Students’ Perceptions of Personal and Social Responsibility and the Relationship to Intrinsic Motivation in Urban Physical Education

The purpose of the current study was to test the validity and reliability of a two-factor model of the Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire (PSRQ) and examine the relationships between perceptions of personal and social responsibility and intrinsic motivation in physical education. Participants were 253 middle school students who completed the questionnaires. The results from a confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency suggest the two-factor PSRQ is valid and reliable for assessing students’ perceptions of personal and social responsibility in physical education. The correlational analysis suggests that participants with higher levels of personal and social responsibility were likely to enjoy physical education more. An important implication for teaching practice is that, to encourage all individuals to be intrinsically motivated to participate in physical education, physical education teachers need to empower students with choices and voices, focus them on effort and self-direction in physical education, and create a respectful and caring learning environment.

De-escalation: How to take back control in your urban physical education classes

De-escalation: How to take back control in your urban physical education classes

Lifers and Troupers: Urban Physical Education Teachers Who Stay

The purpose of this study was to understand factors that influenced the career trajectories of veteran urban secondary physical education teachers. The careers of these teachers were studied from the theoretical perspectives of teacher efficacy and teacher career development. Participants included 9 secondary urban physical education teachers (4 females and 5 males). Data were collected using 7 qualitative methods. Data analysis involved constant comparison through the processes of open and axial coding followed by a cross-case comparison (Strauss &amp; Corbin, 1998). Findings indicated that organizational contexts of these veteran urban physical education teachers played the most salient role in shaping their beliefs and behaviors. Although the organizational contextual factors reported were similar across this group of teachers, individual responses differed greatly. These differences delineated teachers into two groups of stayers: lifers and troupers. Knowledge of workplace conditions’ specific effects on teachers’ career trajectories provides valuable information for initial preparation of novice teachers and for further professional development.