This study examined perceived journal quality by physical education pedagogy faculty members. Participants (N = 273) were identified in three ways and recruited through e-mail. Based on research in other fields investigating journal quality and on publication patterns in physical education, a web-based survey was used to examine (a) whether…

The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers structure class in elementary physical education and the impact their decisions have on the amount of appropriate practice students receive. Participants for this study were 10 third grade physical education teachers and their students. Each teacher taught two successive skill-related lessons…

Motivation is a dynamic process that accounts for the interaction and filtration of information by the student and the effect that it has on student behavior. Perception of competence, an embedded motivational theory, posits that the influence of prior experience and information received from outside sources affects student behavior (Harter,…

This study examined the attitudes of upper elementary school students toward physical education. Fourth and fifth grade students (N = 1344) from 13 school districts, 17 schools, and five states completed an attitude instrument with scores that had been previously validated for a two factor model (affect and cognition) and a four factor model…

Recommendations for using and implementing fitness tests have been extensively researched and teachers' attitudes toward fitness tests are beginning to be studied. Less understood is how high school teachers use fitness tests and the role their attitudes toward fitness tests affect students' attitudes toward physical activity. The purpose of this…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of high school students toward fitness testing. An instrument containing 18 items and four factors measuring student's attitudes toward fitness testing: cognitive, affect-enjoyment, affect-feelings, and affect-teacher was completed by 524 boys and 675 girls (N = 1199). MANOVA indicated…

The attitudes and perceptions of middle school students toward competitive activities in physical education were examined. Ten boys and 14 girls volunteered (11-high-skilled, 11 moderate-skilled, and 2 low skilled students) in 6th and 7th grade from a total of 6 schools, all offering competitive activities. Data collection was conducted over…

The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed analysis of the research literature in physical education for one decade, including data on the research focus (i.e., teaching, teacher education, and curriculum). A database of published research and research-based scholarship was created. Data were coded maintaining 97% or higher agreement…

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to develop an instrument that has scores that are valid and reliable for measuring students' attitudes toward fitness testing. Method: The method involved the following steps: (a) an elicitation study, (b) item development, (c) a pilot study, and (d) a validation study. The pilot study included 427…

The purpose of the authors in this study was to develop an instrument to assess fourth and fifth grade students' attitudes toward physical education. The methods for validation included (a) an elicitation study and instrument question development, (b) a pilot study, and (c) a series of analyses to assess, construct, and content validity and to…

Background: Millions of American children are participating in fitness testing in school-based physical education (PE) programs. However, practitioners and researchers in the field of PE have questioned the need for regular or mandatory youth fitness testing. This was partly because a significant improvement in youth fitness and physical activity…

The goal of teaching is learning, and learning in physical education requires more than activity for children to achieve. This article highlights and discusses research that focuses on teaching in physical education, with a particular emphasis on motor skill learning and on student attitudes toward physical education. It presents a brief…

This article addresses ways in which fitness tests can be used positively in physical education. We take the position throughout the article that fitness tests should be used as formative evaluation to further educational goals. We begin by discussing the different ways in which adults and children use fitness tests. The next section, the heart of…

Perception of Competence (POC) has been studied extensively in physical activity (PA) research with similar instruments adapted for physical education (PE) research. Such instruments do not account for the unique PE learning environment. Therefore, an instrument was developed and the scores validated to measure POC in middle school PE. A…

Why girls' participation in physical education (PE) dramatically changes once girls reach middle school has been of interest to many researchers. Studying how middle school girls perceive things at this age helps ensure a greater understanding of how to better meet girls' needs. The purpose of this study was to determine how middle school girls…