Preservice Teachers’ Experiences and Conceptions of Appropriate and Inappropriate Instructional Practices in Elementary Physical Education

Authors

  • Seidu Sofo Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition & Recreation, Southeast Missouri State University, USA
  • Adolfo Ramos Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition & Recreation, Southeast Missouri State University, USA
  • Emmanuel Thompson Department of Mathematics, Southeast Missouri State University, USA
  • Catherine E. Krebs Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition & Recreation, Southeast Missouri State University, USA
  • Sean M. Bard Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition & Recreation, Southeast Missouri State University, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v8i3p116

Keywords:

Instructional Practices, Physical Education, Preservice Teachers, Poisson Distribution

Abstract

 The purpose of the study was to examine preservice teachers’ (PTs) experiences and conceptions of appropriate and inappropriate elementary physical education instructional practices. Participants included a purposive sample of 92 PTs enrolled in an introductory elementary PE methods course. A 3-item open-ended questionnaire served as the data source. The questionnaire asked PTs to indicate what practices in the PE programs they participated in during their elementary school years were appropriate or inappropriate; and to describe the future PE programs they would like their future students to participate in. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education appropriate instructional practice categories were used for a deductive content analysis to code the open-ended questionnaire items. The categories were: Learning Environment, (LE) Instructional Strategies (INS), Curriculum (CRM), Assessment (AST), and Professionalism (PRG). Data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. Most of PTs’ comments for appropriate practices that they experienced were in CRM (41%), followed by INS (35%). The highest percentage of comments for CRM and INS were in the motor skill learning experiences and class design subcategories respectively. Alternatively, the least percentage of comments were in PRG (.00%), followed by AST (4.00%). The highest percentage of comments for inappropriate practices was in LE (43.71%), followed by INS (37.09%). Furthermore, the highest percentage of comments regarding PTs’ future PE programs for appropriate and inappropriate practices were in CRM (37.50%) and LE (21.65%) respectively. Conversely, the lowest percentages were both in PRG, .57% (appropriate) and 2.06% (inappropriate) respectively. PTs’ reflections showed they focused on curriculum, instructional strategies, and learning environments in identifying appropriate and inappropriate practices in elementary PE.

References

Barney, D., & Christenson, R. (2013). Do physical education majors know what instructional practices are appropriate in elementary physical education. The Global Journal of Health and Physical Education Pedagogy, 2, (l), 17-29.

Barney, D., & Christenson, R. (2014). Elementary-aged students’ perceptions regarding appropriate instructional practices in physical education. The Physical Educator, 71(1), 41-58.

Barney, D., Christenson, R., & Pleban, F. (2015). Physical education major’s knowledge of appropriate instructional practices in middle school physical education. Asian Journal of Physical Education & Recreation, 21(1), 33-39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24112/ajper.211805.

Barney, D., Pleban, F. T., Fullmer, M., Griffiths, R., Higginson, K., & Whaley, D. (2016). Appropriate or inappropriate practice: Exercise as punishment in physical education class. The Physical Educator, 73(1), 59-73. DOI: 10.18666/TPE-2016-V73-I1-5952.

Barney, D. C., & Prusak, K. A. (2021). Will dodgeball ever die? Former K-12 students’ experiences and perception of playing dodgeball in PE class. The Physical Educator, 78(3), 315-332. DOI:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I3-10402 DOI:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I3-10402.

Barney, D., & Strand, B. (2008). Do high school students know what practices are appropriate in physical education. The High School Journal, 92(1), 33-40. https://jstor.org/stable/40660785.

Doolittle, S. A., Dodds, P., & Placek, J. H. (1993). Persistence of beliefs about teaching during formal training of preservice teachers.

In S. Stroot (Ed.), Socialization into physical education [Monograph]. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 12, 355-365.

Graham, G., Holt/Hale, S.A., & Parker, M. (2013). Children Moving: A reflective approach to teaching physical education, 9th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Companies Inc.

Graham, G., Holt/Hale, S.A., & Parker, M., Hall, T., & Patton, K. (2020). Children moving: A reflective approach to teaching physical education, 10th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Companies Inc.

Hensley, L.D. (1990). Current measurement and evaluation practices in professional physical education. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 61(3), 32-33.

Hiebert, J., Morris, A. K., Berk, D., & Jansen, A. (2007). Preparing teachers to learn from teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 58(1), 47–61. DOI: 10.1177/0022487106295726.

James, A. R., Griffin, L. L., & France, T. (2005). Perceptions of assessment in elementary physical education: A case study. The Physical Educator, 62(2): 85–95.

Lund, J. L. (1993). The role of accountability and assessment in physical education: A pedagogical view. In J.E. Rink (Ed.), Critical crossroads: Middle and secondary school physical education (pp. 102-112). Reston: National Association for Sport and Physical Education.

Mathews, P. (2010. Sample size calculations: Practical methods for engineers and scientists. Mathews Malnar and Bailey. Fairport Harbor, OH.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2009). Appropriate instructional practice guidelines for elementary school physical education: A position statement from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (3rd Ed). Reston, VA: National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Retrieved from https://esc1.net/cms/lib/TX21000366/Centricity/Domain/89/appropriate%20practice%20for%20PE%20elementary.pdf.

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Rink, J. (2020). Teaching Physical Education for Learning, 8th ed. McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY. USA.

Society of Health and Physical Educators (2017). National standards for initial physical education teacher education (2017). https://shapeamerica.org/accreditation/upload/National-Standards-for-Initial-Physical-Education-Teacher-Education-2017.pdf.

Strand, B. & Bender, V. (2011). Knowledge and use of appropriate practices by physical education teachers. The Physical Educator, 68, 1-17.

Subramaniam, P. (2011). Appropriate instructional practices in elementary physical education. Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators, 24 (5), 16-18.

Thomas, K. & Thomas, J. (2008). Principles of motor development for elementary school physical education. The Elementary School Journal, 108 (3), 181-195.

Williams, N.F. (1992). The physical education hall of shame. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 63(6), 57-60. DOI: 10.1080/07303084.1992.10606620.

Williams, N.F. (1994). The physical education hall of shame, Part II. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 65(2), 17-20. DOI: 10.1080/07303084.1994.10606848.

Williams, N. F. (2015). The Physical Education Hall of Shame, Part IV: More inappropriate games, activities, and practices. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 86(1), 36-39. DOI: 10.1080/07303084.2014.978422.

Wuest, D. & Fisette, J. (2015). Foundations of physical education, exercise science, and sport, 18th ed. McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY. USA.

Downloads

Published

22.09.2021

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Sofo, S., Ramos, A., Thompson, E., Krebs, C. E., & Bard, S. M. (2021). Preservice Teachers’ Experiences and Conceptions of Appropriate and Inappropriate Instructional Practices in Elementary Physical Education. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 8(3), 166-128. https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v8i3p116

Similar Articles

1-10 of 472

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.