Education Commons^™

Favoritism In The Physical Education Classroom: Selected Reflective Experiences, David C. Barney, Francis Pleban Dr., Amelia Dodd

Faculty Publications

Having a teacher show interest or concern may greatly influence, and encourage student learning; as well as fostering life-long positive behaviors, attitudes, and self-esteem. However, it is noted teachers have a tendency to select ‘favorites’ among their students (Cooper & Good, 1983; Tal & Babad, 1990; Aydogen, 2008); with physical education not immune to this practice. Thus, the purpose of this study was to better understand individual’s (i.e., former students in k-12 physical education) perspectives regarding their reflective experiences of teacher favoritism in physical education during their time in school physical education. Participants were 318 college-aged students from a private …

Group Size In Physical Education: A Teachers' Perspective, David C. Barney, Robert Christenson Dr.

Faculty Publications

The physical education context is fun, yet challenging. There is the potential to offer a multitude of activities and games for students. Thus, PE teachers should put the students in the best position to learn the content. One method PE teachers can use is putting students in small-sided groups during game and activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate K-12 physical education teachers’ perceptions of small-sided games/activities in their PE lessons. For this study 31 K-12 physical educators from five states participated in the study. The PE teachers were emailed a survey for them to fill out. The …

Parent Perception Of Systemic Success In Physical Education: A Study Of Advocacy In Action, Rachel Valletta Griffiths

Theses and Dissertations

In a search to discover effective means of reversing the marginalization in the field of physical education (PE), researchers have been studying exceptional PE programs that have not only broken down the growth-impeding barriers formed by changes in education, but have also successfully and consistently prevented new program barriers from developing. One such PE program, located in the southwestern United States, has been identified in former studies as having achieved and sustained Systemic Success in Physical Education (SSPE) for over four decades. Embedded in the SSPE model that this district uses to maintain dynamic growth and program sustainability are advocacy …

Distraction, Enjoyment, And Motivation During An Indoor Cycling Unit Of High School Physical Education, Kelsey Higginson

Theses and Dissertations

With the increased rate of overweight and obese youth in the United States many people began looking for ways to increase youth exercise quality and habits; one such way was by using an external distraction during exercise to increase personal motives toward exercise. This study involved 81 high school aged students enrolled in a required physical education class. Students rode an indoor cycling bike for 20 minutes while wearing a heart rate monitor. They were told to maintain a heart rate between their 70 and 79% maximum heart rate. Every 5 minutes students were asked to rate how hard they …

Do School Administrators Know What Practices Are Appropriate In Physical Education?, David C. Barney, Keven A. Prusak

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate school administrators' knowledge of appropriate instructional practices in physical education. For this study 130 k–12 school administrators from two states in the United States were surveyed regarding their knowledge of appropriate instructional practices in physical education. university Institutional Review Board granted approval to conduct this study. Surveys were sent electronically to the school administrators to take. At the completion of the survey the school administrators were able to click a submit button and have the surveys returned to the researchers. It was found that school administrators identified dodge ball, relay races and …

Physical Education Major's Knowledge Of Appropriate Instructional Practices In Middle School Physical Education, David C. Barney, Robert Christenson, Frank Pleban

Faculty Publications

For many years students have been exposed to inappropriate instructional practices in physical education, resulting in bad experiences and inadequate learning. Introducing pre service physical education (PE) majors to Appropriate Instructional Practices (AIP) is a recommended method of preparation. Unfortunately, many PE majors have been exposed to inappropriate instructional practice; thus they perceive those practices as appropriate to use in their teaching. To determine PE majors' understanding of AIP, 313 PE majors (161 males & 152 females) from 7 different institutions participated in this study. Based on incorrect responses it was found that PE majors believed that organizing students in …

Pe Central: A Possible Online Professional Development Tool, Amber M. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Bringing about positive teacher change in physical education is often a slow process not supported by traditional professional development practices. The purpose of this study was (a) to assess the usage and satisfaction with the online site PE Central and (b) to ascertain whether PE Central constitutes a valid source of professional development leading to changes in teaching practices and student learning outcomes. Participants (45 pre-service and 288 in-service teachers) completed an online survey assessing the effects of using PE Central on their perceptions of usage, satisfaction, professional development, teacher change, and student engagement. Results indicated no significant differences between …

The Effects Of Music On Physical Activity Rates Of Junior High Physical Education Students, Lindsey Kaye Benham

Theses and Dissertations

Music is used and can be found in everyday life and throughout society. With many studies pointing towards music being a motivating stimulus for exercise, it is plausible that music would positively affect the physical activity rates of junior high school students in physical education classes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of popular music on physical activity rates, via pedometry, and enjoyment levels of junior high physical education students. There were 305 junior high physical education students that participated in the study with 151 being male and 154 being female. This was a quasi-experimental …

Why Teach Pe? Factors That Affect Students' Decisions To Teach Physical Education Revisited, Patrick Mcgaha, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

Many times a child will be asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The answers are varied, yet their responses usually reflect what their parents' employment may be. For this study, factors were investigated that have an effect on college students' decisions to become physical educators. For this study it was found that former physical education and coaches were the most influential people affecting college students' decision to become physical education teachers, not parents. It was also found that many of these college students were actively involved in high school athletics, thus also affecting their decision …

A 5-Year Review Of Aahperd Poster Presentations In The Area Of Sport Education, David C. Barney, Brad Strand

Faculty Publications

One desired outcome of k-12 physical education is that all students will have positive experiences during their classes. If students have positive experiences in physical education, they will physically likely be physically active throughout their lives (Barney & Strand, 2008). Unfortunately, for some students the physical education experience has been boring, unnecessary, a waste of time, or just not cool (Rice, 1988). One tool physical educators can manipulate to ensure that student's have positive experiences in physical education, is the curriculum. Barney and Deutsch (2009) found that the curriculum used in a middle school program played a major role in …

A Comparison Of Middle School Students Steps Per Minute (Spm) In Five Physical Education Curriculum Units Utilizing Pedometers: An Overall Contribution To Attaining The Recommended Step Counts Per Day In Children, David C. Barney, Francis T. Pleban, Jenny Pleban, Justin Dekupier

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare pedometer steps per minute from five different curriculum units (basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, pickle ball, and fitness activities) in middle school physical education classes as they relate to contributing to the recommended 12,000 to 16,000 steps per day for healthy children. Two hundred and thirty-two male and female middle school students participated in this study, 115 males and 117 females, respectively. Steps per minute were measured with pedometers in five curriculum units in middle school physical education classes; over 36 minutes of activity time. Overall, physical education classroom activities such as basketball, …

Creating And Maintaining A Positive Environment For Students In Middle School Physical Education, David C. Barney, Robert S. Christenson

Faculty Publications

The aim of this scholarly work was to identify the components that have a direct impact on the positive atmosphere surrounding the teaching-learning process in middle school physical education. As students are the main focus for instruction, the physical education teacher has the primary responsibility for crafting and preserving the best environment to encourage successful participation for middle school learners. The findings of this work indicate that there are jive major teacher-controlled factors that have been identified, with ten sub-sets of those areas that play a key role in the teaching and learning of physical education in Oklahoma.

General Attitudes Of Middle School Students Towards Physical Education, David C. Barney, Robert Christenson

Faculty Publications

Attitudes are formed by beliefs and experiences a person has had in their life (Silverman & Subramanian, 1999). This principle applies to middle school students' attitudes in physical education. The purpose of this study was to determine middle school students' attitudes towards physical education. For this study 227 middle school students in the Midwest of the United States were surveyed, then 28 students were interviewed regarding the attitudes towards physical education. It was found that middle school students tend to have positive attitudes towards physical education more specifically, the student felt that physical education is important their education and that …

Cooperating Teacher's Expectations For Student Teachers During The Student Teaching Experience In Physical Education, Robert Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

The student teaching experience is important. The student teacher wants to be successful during their student teaching experience. Part of working successfully with the cooperating teacher can greatly impact a student teacher's success. The purpose of this study was to investigate school based cooperative teachers' experiences with student teachers for the purpose of better preparing physical education teacher education majors for their student teaching. For this study 100 experienced physical educators were surveyed to find out what student teachers should expect to do to be successful when student teaching. One of the main findings from this study was for student …

Using Pedometers In Physical Education Teacher Education (Pete) Programs, Robert Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

Pedometers have been found to be a valuable teaching tool in physical education class at almost every level of education (Scruggs, Beveridge, Eisenman, Watson, Shultz & Ransdell, 2003). While there are a variety of different pedometer styles, shapes and sizes, the information that can be compiled from each can be just as different. The basic pedometer can measure steps taken, distance, time a person is in activity, calories burned and a few other fundamental measures. In addition, some pedometers record heart rate, have time-of-day displays, are weather resistant, have alternate metric capabilities and provide easy-to-read displays. There has been a …

Our Top 12 "Key Instructional Elements" That Help To Build An Excellent Lesson And High Quality Physical Education Program, Robert S. Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

One of the most fundamental issues in teaching, arguably the biggest, is discovering the most effective lesson elements for each group of learners. This includes a solid curriculum, performance objectives, age-appropriate pedagogical ingredients, ability-level activities and assessments focused on measuring learning to create a great lesson. When these elements are blended artistically with a variety of classroom management skills, necessary equipment, instructional support resources, behavior management rules and high expectations in a nurturing environment, the teacher has created the best possible learning atmosphere for each individual student.

Below, the authors have identified twelve important instructional elements for teachers to incorporate …

The Effect Of Middle School Physical Education Curriculum On Student Attitudes, David C. Barney, Joe Deutsch

Faculty Publications

Middle school physical education can serve as an important tool in shaping students opinions and behaviors regarding lifelong physical activity. The curriculum in middle school physical education is one component that can positively or negatively affect a student's attitude toward physical activity throughout their life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the middle school physical education curriculum and its effect on middle school students' attitudes and perceptions towards their physical education class. It was found that middle school students do like the curriculum they participate in, mainly consisting of team sports.

The Spectrum Of Teaching Styles: Style F – Guided-Discovery, Robert S. Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

The Guided Discovery Style (F) of teaching is a highly developed trial-and-error process that is organized by the teacher to lead, by questions or challenging tasks, the student-learner to discover a predetermined correct answer (performance response, concept application, strategy resolution or the impact of a rule on play). The teacher serves as an instructional guide by presenting a series of questions, problems and challenges that channel the student-learner to a desired performance solution. Each instructional episode is based on the prior response and readiness to move to the next challenge.

Physical Education Majors Team Teaching In An Early Field Experience In A Junior High School Setting, David C. Barney, Robert Christenson

Faculty Publications

The early field experience (EFE) has been considered a valuable and important component of a physical education major's education (Curtner-Smith, 1993). For this study 26 pre-service teachers (PST) (physical education majors) team taught (13 teams) in an EFE in a local junior high school. During their EFE each team taught 2 lessons in the school. From this study it was found that during the PST lessons the junior high students were active in the class activities, that the PST should have used louder voices when teaching, that the PST should have had a back-up plan for their lessons, that music …

The Spectrum Of Teaching Styles: Style D – The Self-Check Style, Robert S. Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

Muska Mosston (1964) created, and Mosston and Ashworth (1994) revised the Spectrum of Teaching Styles in an effort to identify several of the more profound instructional episodes in the teaching-learning process. While developed with physical education as a focal point, the eleven teaching styles included in the teaching spectrum are based upon the countless instructional decisions that are made prior to (PRE-IMPACT), during (IMPACT) and following an instructional episode (POST IMPACT). Based upon who is making the decisions, styles A to E are grouped into a first cluster representing reproduction styles. Styles F to K represent a discovery style of …

The Teaching/Learning Process Through Mosston's "Spectrum Of Teaching Styles: The Reciprocal Style", David C. Barney, Robert S. Christenson

Faculty Publications

Mosston (1994) created the Spectrum of Teaching Styles to identify the various alternatives that exist to design as well as present instructional episodes. As there are most likely as many ways to define the styles of teaching as there are learners, Mosston's original seven teaching styles have evolved into eleven. As identified by Mosston, each of the styles is differentiated by the decisions that are made by teacher or learner. The sequence of decisions that are made by either the teacher of learner during each of the three specified phases of instruction, before (pre-impact), during (impact) or after (post-impact) helps …

The Teaching-Learning Process: A Set Of Instructional Strategies And Tactics Through Analysis Of Mosston's "Spectrum Of Teaching Styles", Robert S. Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

This analysis of teaching is comprised of a series of articles that are intended to introduce the reader or provide for a refocusing for those familiar to Mosston's eleven styles along the spectrum of teaching styles. Mosston developed them as a result of his work at Pennsylvania's Temple University and East Stroudsburg University and then at Rutgers University and the Center on Teaching. Since the first publication of Teaching Physical Education, which introduced The Spectrum of Teaching Styles, Mosston demonstrated his love for the teaching-learning process in physical education by challenging other professionals to expand their instructional repertoires in an …

The Spectrum Of Teaching Styles: Style E – The Inclusion Style, Robert S. Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

One of the greatest challenges physical educators face in the classroom is getting all students to be actively participating in an activity. In this continued series of Mosston's "Spectrum of Teaching Styles," the "Inclusion Style" (Style E) helps the teacher with the idea of getting and keeping all students actively involved (See Figure 2) as it offers the opportunity for each individual to choose their own challenge. Mosston's "Inclusion Style" has at its very core the intent to give all students equal opportunity to participate while allowing decisions to be made that adjust the challenge by modifying the conditions.

Student Teachers' Interactions With Students During Middle School Physical Education Game Play, David C. Barney, Gary Liguori

Faculty Publications

Teacher/student interactions are a daily occurrence during a class period. What the teachers say, and how they say it, can affect student learning (Ring, 2002). The purpose of this study was to investigate the types of interactions student teachers had with the students during their middle school physical education game play. The subjects were two male senior physical education majors who were concluding their course work with their student teaching experience. For this study students wore a wireless microphone in order for the researcher to hear the types of interactions they had with their students during class time. It was …

Do High School Students Know What Practices Are Appropriate In Physical Education, David C. Barney, Brad Strand

Faculty Publications

The NASPE Appropriate Practices for High School Physical Education document was published for the purpose of "addressing key aspects of instructional strategies and practices that are essential to delivery of quality physical education to adolescents and young adults" [pg. 3]. The purpose of this study was to investigate high school student's knowledge of appropriate practices in high school physical education. Three hundred and sixty-nine high school students were surveyed regarding appropriate practices in high school physical education. It was found that picking teams in class was appropriate, that dressing out for class and attendance is a part of their grade …

Eating Disorder Risk In Subgroups Of College Freshman Women, Karen E. Gochnour

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to identify subgroups within the college population having a heightened risk for eating disorders. The information for this analysis was retrieved from an existing data set. The two variables that were compared were self selection of college major at the initial collection during freshman year. The sample size of 1,924 was used to see if subgroups of college majors had a heightened risk. Twenty groups composed of similar majors were studied. The majors of Dance, Dietetics, Physical Education, and Communications had heightened risk according to analysis percentage of each group in the clinical range …