Australian youth (5-17) are exhibiting the most alarming statistics surrounding poor physical activity (PA) levels and increasing correlating chronic disease trends (i.e. obesity). With schools well positioned to address such concerns, this study aimed to determine the type, frequency and intensity levels of PA being undertaken by children during…

Gender in physical education (PE) traditionally enacts discourses of hegemonic masculinities where girls are frequently positioned as the 'problem' regarding their disengagement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of mostly ethnic minority and low-socioeconomic status elementary school girls enrolled in an urban…

One of the goals of physical education, according to The Society of Health and Physical Educators, is for children to establish "patterns of regular participation in meaningful physical activity." However, participation alone in physical education classes is not enough for students to reach daily recommended levels of physical activity.…

Purpose: Physical literacy (PL) has been proposed as a key construct for understanding participation in physical activity. However, the lack of an agreed-upon definition and measure has hindered research on the topic. The current study proposed and analyzed the construct validity of a PL model comprised of motor competence, perceived competence,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of TARGET- and feedback-manipulated climates in a short unit of study of a familiar task. Participants were fourth- and fifth-grade students (n = 170) from intact classes in two southeast United States elementary schools. Classes were assigned to learn a familiar skill during a one week unit…

The purpose of this article is to introduce a collaborative online international exchange unit for physical education called CULTURE (Cultural Unit of Learning To Understand, Respect, and Empathize). The cultural unit occurred in the Fall of 2019 between an elementary school in New Jersey, U.S., and two elementary schools near Tokyo, Japan.

This article describes a novel program for third through fifth grade called "What is the PE Password?" that teaches vocabulary words and concepts without sacrificing activity time in order to support Common Core learning.

As a society the growth in working with students with disabilities in schools has improved immensely, although there is a long way to go. Inclusion, integration and mainstreaming have continued to be hot topics in education in regard to students with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to discuss simple ways to ensure that your class is…

Background: Quality physical education (PE) lessons tap on the four focal areas: curriculum, instruction, policies and environment (National Association for Sport and Physical Education 2013. "Quality Physical Education NASPE Resource Brief." Reston, VA: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance). One of the…

The present study examined the efficacy of autonomy-supportive teaching during elementary school physical education (PE) in influencing pupils' enjoyment, fear of failure, boredom and effort. A sample of 54 pupils attending fifth and sixth grades comprised the control group (typical instruction; n = 27) and the experimental group…

Purpose: Based on the self-determination theory, this study explored the predictive strengths and relative importance of basic psychological needs (BPNs; i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in physical education in physical, cognitive, and psychological outcomes among Hispanic boys and girls. Methods: Fourth- and fifth-grade Hispanic…

Education utilizes group work to increase social development, engagement, and learning outcomes of students in a less traditional way (Baines, Blatchford, & Kutnik, 2016). However, classroom research claims social status can influence the participation and engagement of group members, creating issues of inclusiveness and equity (Cohen, 1994).…

Often students have a difficult time when asked to use critical thinking skills to solve a problem. Perhaps students have a difficult time adjusting because teachers frequently tell them exactly what to do and how to do it. When asked to use critical thinking skills, students may suddenly become confused and discouraged because the teacher no…

Physical exercise is acknowledged to play a highly significant role in human health and life quality. The concept "Quality of Life" (QoL) refers to many parameters, including the individual's physical condition, psychological status, level of independence, social relationships and interaction with the environment. Participating in dance…

Self-determination theory research in physical education has linked more autonomous forms of motivation to many teacher and student benefits. This area of inquiry has largely neglected the impact of motivation on learning. This study examined the efficacy of an intervention in increasing one preservice teacher's provision of need-supportive…