Background: In order to design appropriate environments for performance and learning of movement skills, physical educators need a sound theoretical model of the learner and of processes of learning. In physical education, this type of modelling informs the organisation of learning environments and effective and efficient use of practice time. An…

In order to meet the federal mandate specified by the No Child Left Behind Act to demonstrate content competency for teaching certification, students must pass a written examination. Missouri and 37 other states chose the Praxis II to satisfy requirements. Presently, schools of education advertise the passing rate of the Praxis II as 100%, since…

In the Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers program, trained assessors observe teacher candidates in their assigned teaching environments and determine their instructional effectiveness. The article highlights the program's improvements over its predecessor, noting the need to explore teaching performance as a new…

A job analysis was conducted of the knowledge important for newly licensed or certified physical education teachers. The results of the analysis were to be used to develop specifications for The Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers and to support the content validity of the assessment. An initial draft domain of knowledge…

The validity and effectiveness of a test preparation program designed to prepare students for the Praxis II Content Examination for teacher certification in physical education were studied. In response to student requests for help, a faculty member at Southern Connecticut State University developed a study program consisting of a set of five…

A test preparation program was implemented at Southern Connecticut State University to assist students in passing the Praxis II content examination in physical education. The study program had not been evaluated for effectiveness. A review of the literature provided background information on teacher certification, test-taking skills, test…

Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs across the nation wish to comply with the 10 beginning teacher standards established by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, 2003). To help further this compliance, this article gives examples of best practices for supervising student teachers using the standards as…

A job analysis helped develop specifications for physical education (PE) assessment of the Praxis Series for beginning teacher evaluation. A national sample of PE teachers, administrators, and college faculty judged knowledge domains for importance and created 128 crucial knowledge statements for beginning PE teachers. An appendix provides the…