This study examined how one elementary school physical education teacher in Chicago (Illinois) influenced the status and perception of physical education and established an important niche for herself within the school community. The teacher's use of strict ritual and routine in structuring classes, as well as her formal, serious demeanor…

This study examined the effects of social competence, group formation, and group behavior on the marginalization of students in a 7th-grade physical education setting. Marginalized students are defined as those in the class, but not "of" the class. In addition, factors such as individual and team activity and teacher expectations help to…

Currently, the technical approach to curriculum and instruction in physical education is dominant. The key features of this approach are: the use of behavioral objectives in planning programs and instructional episodes; selection of subject matter and teaching strategies based on intended learning outcomes; and assessment of behavioral outcomes…

Public schooling was restructured and reoriented in fundamental ways during the decades immediately preceding the First World War. Schools were engaged in the process of preparing people for specialized work roles, but reformers were also concerned that the schools inculcate common social values. A wide range of extracurricular activities was…

The focus of this paper is not on the events that occur in the classroom but rather on the meaning of those events. An overview is presented of how affective assessment may be conducted in the elementary school physical education class so that teachers may more effectively observe responses of the pupils to their actions and interpret the meaning…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of sport sociology within American and Canadian Colleges and Universities. The study investigated: (1) the number of graduate and undergraduate courses offered in sport sociology; (2) current research area(s) of interest within sport sociology; (3) current text used as reference and…

Most, though not all, qualitative research is naturalistic in that the researcher enters the world of the participants as it exists and obtains data without any deliberate intervention to alter the setting. The resulting accounts of what people say and do form the basis for inductive rather than deductive analysis--theory is created to explain the…

In this paper the problems facing the physical education teacher are discussed. Declining enrollment in the public schools, the tendency of school administrations to cut back on physical education programs, and the difficulty of finding jobs are examined. The importance of a new and innovative curriculum in the school of education for the physical…

The author presents suggestions for publicizing physical education programs more effectively and for involving as many "publics" as possible in support of physical education. Methods discussed include: (1) the use of students as "salespeople" to other students, parents, and teachers; (2) publicizing through mass communications media, through…

This study was designed to determine selected psycho-social parameters associated with a group of teenage, female long distance runners. These young women, who train by running approximately 50-90 miles per week, had scores in certain physiological and anthropometric measurements which were among the most advantageous for running ever recorded in…

Twenty-seven universities were surveyed to determine types of programs, approaches, problems, and solutions in teaching the history of physical education and sport. All those that responded (23) indicated that they had at least one course in this field. Both elective and required undergraduate and graduate courses were offered at different…

In this paper, the author states that certain problems that have typically beset those concerned with professional preparation in physical education are caused by linguistic confusion. For this reason, he undertook a study in which he applied the Austinian technique of analyzing ordinary language to terms that are typically employed in the…

This paper describes a model for optimum professional preparation and development in the field of physical education. Five internal problems within the physical education profession are listed, and a disciplinary approach to physical education is discussed. The author's model for optimum professional development is then described. The model…

The Purpose-Process Curriculum Framework (PPCF) is a guide for making curricular decisions that takes into account the overall merit of the curriculum and the merit of specific objectives. One approach to implementing this framework is to utilize a grid with the purposes represented across the top and processes represented along the side. Assume…

This speech presents a review of research concerning the nature of play. Some of the formal characteristics of play are: (a) it is distinct from ordinary life in its "temporariness" and its limitless location; (b) there is an element of tension in play that leads to uncertainty concerning the outcome but at the same time provides the opportunity…