Defines "conceptual framework" (an explanatory theory useful for structuring contextual elements within complex settings) and attempts to show its relationship to curriculum research. Discusses two important issues when considering conceptual frameworks in schools: selection of criteria and selection of data collection and analysis…

Existing physical education curricula in five schools were investigated for the presence of movement purpose concepts. Formal, perceived, experiential, and operational curricula were studied. Twenty-one of 22 purpose concepts were documented. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

This study examined contexts that influenced urban high school physical educators' conceptualizations of realistic student goals, noting how teachers changed curriculum content to handle student noncompliance. Field notes and interviews indicated that teachers substantially changed their programs over time, and many programs exhibited…

Reports a study that investigated the influence of teachers' value orientations on their knowledge organization for teaching. Elementary and secondary physical educators completed the Value Orientation Inventory and the Pathfinder software program (which measured knowledge organization). Teachers' knowledge structures were similar within value…

This study examined the subject-pedagogical content knowledge transformation process associated with middle school physical education teachers' curricular decision making. Findings indicated that teachers shared a common subject content knowledge base but demonstrated personalized pedagogical content knowledge repertoires. Classroom curriculum was…

Reviews the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) national standards and guidelines for physical activity and discusses effective approaches to physical education: time for practice, appropriate practice, content sequencing, cognitive engagement, and task-specific communication. (Contains 54 references.) (JOW)

Student achievement motivation has become a complex construct in physical education because of the competitive nature of sports and physiological discomfort associated with exercising. With updated national standards, physical education has been undergoing a long-deserved curriculum reform that is expected to enhance student motivation by…

Constructivist physical education emphasizes cognitive engagement. This study examined the impact of a constructivist curriculum on in-class physical activity. Caloric expenditure in metabolic equivalents (MET) and vector magnitude count (VM) data from a random sample of 41 constructivist lessons were compared with those from a random sample of 35…

Observations of and interviews with urban high school teachers and students examined situational and personal contextual factors that enhanced or minimized student engagement in physical education. Results indicated that, in contexts promoting engagement, teachers treated students humanely and equitably, expressed concern and interest in them, and…

Study examined the intended planning and teaching decisions of 11 secondary physical education teachers to determine their rationale and goals for a socially focused curriculum. Results suggested teachers' goals for student learning were consistent with an emphasis on social responsibility within the categories of understanding, respect, and…

Goodlad's domain concept was used to examine content in three physical education programs. Data were collected from documents (ideological and formal domains); interviews (perceived and experiential domains); and observation (operational domain). The ideological domain was found to be the most influential curriculum perspective in the programs.…

Examines the context of contemporary sport-based physical education (PE) that contributes to student disengagement, arguing that thematic interventions using a social constructivist perspective on curriculum development can enhance PE experiences for disengaged students and summarizing characteristics of a social constructivist approach to…

A discussion of the research examining the presence of purpose concepts in middle school physical education uses different curriculum domain perspectives to identify properties of these purpose concepts in the Purpose Process Curriculum Framework. (CB)

Ninety physical education teachers completed the Value Orientation Inventory to determine the extent to which they made consistent decisions regarding student learning goals within five educational value orientations. Results indicated that 97 percent made consistent curricular and instructional decisions within one or more value orientations. (SM)

Physical education teachers who exhibited one of two orientations (disciplinary mastery/learning process or ecological integration/social reconstruction) were interviewed to examine the extent to which their value orientations influenced their stated goals for student learning and their expectations for academic performance and behavior. Goals and…