The physical education context is fun yet challenging. There is the potential for teachers to offer a multitude of games and activities for students. Thus, PE teachers should put the students in the best position to learn the content. One method involves PE teachers putting students in small-sided groups during games and activities. The purpose of…

A physical education lesson usually consists of four parts (introductory activity, fitness component, lesson focus, and closing game). The first part of the lesson, the introductory/warm-up activities, has the potential to set the tone for the rest of the lesson. It also provides an opportunity for students to get into instant activity upon…

Objectives: To provide further information regarding physical education (PE) teachers' perceptions of incorporating music in PE lessons and to evaluate the influence of music on the classroom environment using a qualitative approach. Method: Electronic survey interviews were conducted with 26 veteran PE instructors (10 male, 16 female), from 7…

This study examined how a physical educator's physical appearance affected student physical activity. Students (N = 142) from fourth- to sixth-grade physical education classes wore pedometers. Classes were assigned to a female teacher either wearing a fat suit or not wearing a fat suit. A 3 × 2 × 2 ANCOVA data analysis revealed a statistically…

The purpose of this study was to explore grade-level differences (7th, 8th, and 9th) among junior high school students' perceptions of the effects of participation in physical education (PE) class on individual environmental stress. The role of physical activity as a stress reduction tool has been well documented. However, physical activity as a…

The rate of childhood obesity in the United States is approximately 17%. Because physical education can be a key intervention strategy against this epidemic, this study was conducted to determine physical educators' perceptions on their use of recommended national standards specifically focused on physical fitness and activity in their classroom.…

Physical educators have long proclaimed that physical education class is an important academic discipline to a students' education. With learning objectives taking place in the affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains. Yet, physical education has been marginalized in today's society. One way to gain support of physical education is getting…

Reports a study that examined secondary students' preferences on grading procedures, activity offerings, academic physical education, hygiene, dress, extracurricular sports participation, and objectives in physical education. Surveys of 958 students indicated that, in many instances, student preferences were directly opposite to what physical…

A program of the Salt Lake City School District and the University of Utah, Operation C.H.A.M.P. (Children's Health and Movement Program), was designed to motivate elementary school children to do their best in physical education and fitness testing. The program is described. (MT)

Examined the effect of specialized teaching strategies to increase amounts of time spent in the training zone on middle school physical education students. Students' heart monitor data were compared with data from an earlier study without the teaching strategies. More students from the second study were within the training zone. (SM)