The purpose of this study was to determine students' health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK) and physical activity levels after the implementation of a series of fitness lessons segments called Knowledge in Action (KIA). KIA aims to teach health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK) during short episodes of the physical education lesson. Teacher…

This paper represents the views of two scholars in the USA with respect to the scholar lecture presented by David Kirk at the 2012 BERA -- Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy (PESP) Special Interest Group meeting. We discuss how two unique features of the American universities have an impact on both the corporate nature of our work and our…

This study addressed teachers' fidelity to one Physical Education curricular model. The theoretical framework guiding this study included professional development and fidelity to curricular models. In this study, teachers' fidelity to the Dynamic Physical Education (DPE) curricular model was measured for high and nonsupport district groups.…

Games-based instructional approaches such as teaching games for understanding and the tactical games approach emphasize the practice of the tactical dimensions of game play that are so important for becoming a more effective player. By using game play as the primary form of practice, teachers can help students to develop a better understanding of…

Numerous methods are available to assess physical activity (PA) but systematic observation (SO) excels in being able to provide contextually rich data on the setting in which the activity occurs. As SO is particularly useful for determining how activity is influenced by the immediate physical and social environments, its use is becoming more…

One of the central functions of teaching is formal assessment. However, formal assessment in school physical education often consists of attributing final grades to students at the conclusion of a unit (i.e., summative assessment). Moreover, grades have often been based on effort, attendance, and dress. Practical and authentic assessment…

Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the April 2013 of JOPERD, presented the theoretical foundation and evidence-based needs for a main-theme curriculum model called Health Optimizing Physical Education (HOPE) for schools. It also described eight strands that could be used to plan, implement, and assess this version of a comprehensive school…

Background: Recently in education, the idea of promoting student ownership has emerged as a means of authentically engaging students in their own learning. Providing them with ownership over their experiences can lead to students making a greater connection with what they are learning. In teacher education, student ownership takes the form of…

This study examined the effectiveness of three conditions in which 48 fourth-grade students were prompted to be physically active out of school. Using an alternating treatments design (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007) the three intervention conditions included: (a) Baseline: No prompting of students, (b) Teacher Prompts: Verbal prompt to…

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP) are designed to provide expanded opportunities for physical activity beyond regularly scheduled physical education time-including before, during, and after school, as well as at home and in the community. While CSPAPs are gaining support, currently there are no models for designing,…

The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of physical education teacher education (PETE) majors enrolled in an internship course that provided them with authentic experiences promoting and facilitating a before-school physical activity (PA) program and to examine the associated implications for PETE programs within the Comprehensive…

This theme issue of "Journal of Teaching in Physical Education" constitutes the first concentrated effort to reflect on critical dimensions and issues related to the quality of doctoral programs in Sport Pedagogy/Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) in the United States (hereafter referred to as D-PETE programs). For a number of years now,…

Background: Preservice teachers' beliefs and values develop during their K-12 "apprenticeship of observation" and filter both compatible and incompatible ideas about teaching and learning. Preservice teacher education has been suggested as a critical period for examining beliefs about teaching and learning. Case methods may be one curricular tool…

Background: It has been observed that physical activity patterns of health-related behavior are established in childhood and may continue into adulthood. Recent findings showing a relationship between the onset of chronic diseases and sedentary lifestyles support the importance of examining Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA). One…

This study investigated the effects of an intervention--audio-cuing--on teaching behaviors of a male elementary school physical education teacher with five years of teaching experience. The audio-cuing intervention was applied by way of a micro-cassette recorder that was concealed in the teacher's clothing. Cues were prerecorded and could be heard…