ERIC Number: EJ1244060
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0270-1367
EISSN: N/A
Health-Related Fitness Content Knowledge, Physical Activity, and Instructional Practices among U.S. Physical Educators
Kern, Ben D.; Imagbe, Stacy; Bellar, David; Clemons, James
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, v91 n1 p92-101 2020
To promote student "physical literacy," physical educators must teach and assess health-related fitness content knowledge (HRFK) and model healthy lifestyles. Individual HRFK is associated with lifetime physical activity (PA) and each may precede/predict both teaching and assessing of student HRFK. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to physical educators' teaching and assessment of student HRFK. Method: Physical educators (N = 796) representing each SHAPE America regional district completed a 33-item survey to determine their individual HRFK, weekly PA, and extent to which they teach (tHRFK) and assess (aHRFK) student HRFK. Results: Multiple regression was conducted to determine if tHRFK and aHRFK are predicted by teachers' individual HRFK, min/week of light, moderate, or vigorous PA, or any demographic variables. Overall, the tHRFK model was significant (F = 10.919, R[superscript 2] = 0.100, p < 0.001) with all predictors significant, except weekly minutes of moderate PA and participant HRFK (p < 0.05). The aHRFK model was also significant (F = 45.736, R[superscript 2] = 0.108, p < 0.022) with all predictors significant except weekly minutes of moderate PA, education level, and participant HRFK (p < 0.05). Conclusion: U.S. physical educators possess high levels of HRFK, however HRFK is not a significant predictor of their teaching and assessing HRFK. Weekly vigorous PA, was the strongest predictor, suggesting that teachers' commitment to their own personal PA is critical to teaching and assessing HRFK among their students. Further research should consider vigorous PA along with other potentially related variables to more fully describe and predict physical educators' teaching and assessment of HRFK.
Descriptors: Physical Education, Physical Fitness, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Physical Education Teachers, Health, Life Style, Predictor Variables, Geographic Regions, Teacher Characteristics, Knowledge Level, Elementary Secondary Education
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Delaware; Illinois; Minnesota; Utah; Virginia; Washington
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A