Preschool children need instruction in movement in order to become skillful movers. A child-centered approach emphasizes activities that are child-initiated and teacher-facilitated, enabling each child to achieve specific goals and objectives. Many teacher strategies and classroom routines support the child-centered approach. As an alternative to…

This paper highlights four World Wide Web-based courses that were developed by faculty members at Winona State University (Minnesota). The courses were in the fields of physical education and recreation, administrative information systems, economics, and chemistry. The faculty members' experiences and student reactions are described. (MES)

Sources of job satisfaction and job related stress among public school physical educators are examined. Recommended techniques are offered for physical education administrators to reduce their employees' job-related stress and to improve the quality of worklife. (JN)

Presents the results of a study that assessed the influence of individual and contextual factors on adolescent girls' interest in school physical education. Suggests that classroom environment is more important than individual goals in influencing pupil interest. Results are discussed in the context of theoretical propositions of goal perspectives…

Describes Developing Capable People, an elementary physical education discipline plan that facilitates positive change in how physical educators manage their gyms and students manage themselves. The premise is that decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, and acceptance of personal responsibility for one's actions are better learned when…

Describes "Flight," the nontraditional physical education teacher preparation program at Brigham Young University (Utah). The program helps prepare students to meet the needs of school systems in transition and gain their wings to soar as competent, confident teachers. Nontraditional aspects include rites of passage events, student…

Argues that a male perspective, valuing individual achievement through aggressive competition, has dominated physical education. This agenda has marginalized other pedagogies and sports such as gymnastics and dance. Supports this interpretation with an analysis of policy documents, archival material, interviews, and journal articles. (MJP)

Introduces a case written by two physical education teacher education instructors. Shows how case method directly impacts the teaching/learning process, explains how to facilitate discussions surrounding the case, offers sample student responses and instructor facilitation, and describes use of case teaching to promote reflection. (SM)

Addresses effects of the (UK) Education Reform Act of 1988 on three linked components of outdoor education: outdoor pursuits, outdoor studies, and residential experience. Argues that curriculum changes completely fragment the cross-curricular value of outdoor education and fundamentally undermine the role of perhaps the most significant process of…

Describes California's Moving Children Project which provides elementary teachers a structure to incorporate positive physical, mental, and social concepts about wellness into a physical education program. The project focuses on body movement, object control, implement control, and game structure, and children learn to apply its concepts to…

Describes a collaborative effort between an urban high school and a university that focused on creating and supporting substantive and institutionalized changes in physical and health education at the school, which could then be used as a professional-development school site for preparing prospective physical-education teachers. Stories from the…

Distance learning (DL) provides equal access to higher education for individuals who might not otherwise be able to pursue college degrees. This paper defines DL and distance learners, discusses the quality and status of DL programs, examines emerging teacher and student roles in DL, and presents two DL success stories in higher physical…

One alternative teacher preparation method is the University of Arkansas' five-year Master of Arts in Teaching program, which involves graduate level coursework and a fifth-year public school internship following receipt of a Bachelor's degree in education. Benefits include university/school collaboration, increased field experience, and improved…

Besides challenges in health and physical well-being, today's children face challenges based in behavior and lifestyle choices, which do not offer well-defined solutions. The paper describes coordinated school health programs; explains the importance of school, community, and family involvement in health; presents the U.S. Department of…

Teacher preparation programs are continually seeking ways to document teacher candidate performance. With the inception of the new physical education NCATE standards, documenting P-12 student performance is of utmost importance. The purpose of this article is to identify one way of achieving both of these goals--digital portfolios. With digital…