This study was grounded in the belief systems and physical activity literature and investigated preservice teachers' belief systems toward curricular outcomes for physical education programs. Preservice teachers (N = 486; men = 62%, women = 38%) from 18 U.S. colleges/universities shared their beliefs about curricular outcomes. Preservice teachers…

By definition, conceptual knowledge is rich in relationships and understanding the kind of knowledge that may be transferred between situations. Despite the lack of importance that Conceptual Physical Education has been given in previous physical education reform efforts, research findings have shown that Conceptual Physical Education along with…

Student misbehaviors can threaten the effectiveness of a class learning environment. To understand misbehaviors and teachers reactions to it, one must examine teacher attributions, or beliefs about the causes of behavior. Participants in this study were 199 physical education teachers. Their attributions and strategy use were examined via survey…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine one urban school district's attempt to revise their elementary school physical education offerings to promote student gains in healthy living knowledge. Specifically, the authors sought to determine if children's physical activity/fitness knowledge increased when taught by teachers engaged in a…

The impact of a yearlong professional development intervention on physical education teachers' psychosocial perceptions was investigated. Experienced mentor teachers (n = 15) were paired with inexperienced protege teachers (n = 15) who helped them learn how to teach a health-related physical education curriculum (i.e., the Exemplary Physical…

This project examined 23 teachers' involvement in a curricular project to integrate physical activity into the school day. The teachers represented all grade levels and worked in schools that served Native American students in the United States. Interviews occurred twice during the year-long project. Data were analyzed via constant comparison.…

Adolescents are physically inactive and non-Caucasian adolescents achieve the least amount of physical activity. Hence, supporting teachers' efforts to increase their students' physical activity during physical education is important. We examined the influence of a social cognitive theory-based intervention on teachers' efficacy to teach…

Objective: To describe the availability, progression, and characteristics of conceptually based Fitness/Wellness ("CBFW") courses in American colleges and universities. Participants: Surveys were completed by 161 faculty members about the availability and characteristics of "CBFW" courses at their particular institutions. Methods: The "CBFW"…

Background: Effective classroom management is a critical teaching skill and a key concern of educators. As such it has been the focus of much research and as a result educators know a good deal about what happens in physical education class and the actions teachers take to deal with student behavior. Surprisingly, however, we do not know much at…

Classroom management, and, more specifically, the management of student behavior, is an essential skill for and central concern of physical education teachers. Surprisingly little information is known, however, about the specific nature of student behaviors that might negatively affect the class environment. The purpose of this study was to…

The purpose of this article is to review current models for curriculum and pedagogy used in elementary school physical education programs. Historically, physical educators have developed and used a multiactivity curriculum in order to educate students through physical movement. More recently, a variety of alternative curricular models have been…

The purpose of this study was to understand factors that make teacher professional development successful and what success might mean in terms of teachers' instructional practices and feelings about change. Specifically, this study focused on the impact of instructional resources on the large-scale curricular reform of 30 urban physical education…

The purpose of this study was to analyze how the challenges of urban schools influence physical education teachers' emotional understanding and connections with their students and the implications on their teaching. Sixty-one elementary physical educators from an urban school district in the midwestern U.S. were interviewed multiple times (N =…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine determinants of teachers' intentions to teach physically active physical education classes (i.e., spend at least 50% of class time with the students engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity). Based on the theory of planned behavior, a model was examined hypothesizing that teachers'…

The purpose of the current study was to examine student and teacher physical-activity-related behavior using the theory of planned behavior and self-efficacy theory. Although teachers reported an overwhelmingly positive attitude toward teaching physical activity lessons to promote fitness development, they only devoted 4% of their class time to…