Health-related fitness: Preservice physical educators attempt the model
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to explore and describe the perceptions held by eleven preservice teachers regarding Health-Related Fitness as they learn to teach within the model to middle school students during an early field experience. It was hypothesised that issues brought up by the PTs at the beginning of the early field experience will be more self-centred (i.e., class management, preparation, curriculum and pedagogical content knowledge) and more student-centred toward the end of the early field experience (i.e., joy of student achievement, developing relationships). Method: Each PT was formally observed teaching two times for 40-60 min per session, as well as informally interviewed once for a period of approximately two hours at the conclusion of the semester. Additionally, the researcher also had dozens of conversations with each PT over the course of the semester to mentor and guide the PT through their field experience. Written data were analysed through open coding then selective coding to identify a “core category” and relate it to other categories and themes common to occupational socialization theory literature. Analytic induction was employed while documenting negative cases. Results: Most preservice teachers and middle school pupils ultimately “bought in” to Health-Related Fitness by the culmination of the early field experience and, in fact, most PT’s focus did become ore student-centred. Discussion: This exploratory study suggests that preservice teachers learn their conceptions of teaching Health-Related Fitness from a variety of different environments, contexts, and leadership figures. These personal experiences teaching Health-Related Fitness manifest themselves in preservice teachers understanding of how Health-Related Fitness content should be practiced in physical education. Physical education teacher education faculty can facilitate preservice teachers’ self-exploration through introspective and reflective practices.
References
Richards KAR, Templin TJ, Graber K. The Socialization of Teachers in Physical Education: Review and Recommendations for Future Works. Kinesiology Review. 2014; 3(2): 113–134. doi: 10.1123/kr.2013-0006
Haerens L, Kirk D, Cardon G, et al. Toward the Development of a Pedagogical Model for Health-Based Physical Education. Quest. 2011; 63(3): 321–338. doi: 10.1080/00336297.2011.10483684
Aquilina K. Health-related fitness instructional practices among Maltese physical educators [Master’s thesis]. University of Malta; 2024.
Teutemacher B, Sudeck G, Hapke J. Pedagogical approaches to health-related physical education (PE) in the context of digitalisation – a scoping review. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. 2024: 1–17. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2024.2352826
Nelson L, Guess W, Olson T, et al. Heart Rates of Elementary Physical Education Students During the Dancing Classrooms Program. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2011; 82(2): 256–263. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2011.10599753
Pennington CG, McEntrye K, Shiver VN, et al. Physical Education Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives on Teaching Health-Related Fitness. The Physical Educator. 2022; 79(2): 142–156. doi: 10.18666/tpe-2022-v79-i2-10214
Sallis JF, McKenzie TL, Beets MW, et al. Physical Education’s Role in Public Health. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2012; 83(2): 125–135. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2012.10599842
Webster CA, Buchan H, Perreault M, et al. An Exploratory Study of Elementary Classroom Teachers’ Physical Activity Promotion From a Social Learning Perspective. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 2015; 34(3): 474–495. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2014-0075
Webster CA, Stodden DF, Carson RL, et al. Integrative Public Health-Aligned Physical Education and Implications for the Professional Preparation of Future Teachers and Teacher Educators/Researchers in the Field. Quest. 2016; 68(4): 457–474. doi: 10.1080/00336297.2016.1229628
Arenas D, Vidal-Conti J, Muntaner-Mas A. Gender Differences in Students’ Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity Levels During Primary School Physical Education Lessons: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. Published online 2024: 1–10. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2024-0027
Dwyer T, Coonan WE, Leitch DR, et al. An Investigation of the Effects of Daily Physical Activity on the Health of Primary School Students in South Australia. International Journal of Epidemiology. 1983; 12(3): 308–313. doi: 10.1093/ije/12.3.308
Li Q, Li L, He X, et al. Exploring Adolescent Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity in China: Mediating Roles of School Climate, Perceived Barriers, and Physical Education Satisfaction. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy. 2024; 17: 3125–3136. doi: 10.2147/rmhp.s497472
Ha T, Dauenhauer B, Krause J, et al. Comprehensive school physical activity program technology practice questionnaire (CSPAP-TPQ). Educational technology research and development. 2024: 1–18. doi: 10.1007/s11423-024-10399-1
Pennington CG. Applying the Health-Related Fitness Model and CSPAP to Address Physical Activity Concerns in Physical Education. Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine and Treatment in Sports. 2020a; 68(1): 6–8. doi: 10.19080/JPFMTS.2020.08.555730.
Fairclough S, Stratton G, Baldwin G. The Contribution of Secondary School Physical Education to Lifetime Physical Activity. European Physical Education Review. 2002; 8(1): 69–84. doi: 10.1177/1356336x020081005
Hassandra M, Goudas M, Chroni S. Examining factors associated with intrinsic motivation in physical education: a qualitative approach. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2003; 4(3): 211–223.
Merica CB, Egan CA, Webster CA, et al. Measuring Physical Education Teacher Socialization With Respect to Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 2023; 42(4): 744–756. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2022-0165
Templin TJ. Occupational Socialization and the Physical Education Student Teacher. Research Quarterly American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 1979; 50(3): 482–493. doi: 10.1080/00345377.1979.10615635
Lawson HA. Toward a Model of Teacher Socialization in Physical Education: Entry into Schools, Teachers’ Role Orientations, and Longevity in Teaching (Part 2). Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 1983a; 3(1): 3–15. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.3.1.3
Lawson HA. Toward a Model of Teacher Socialization in Physical Education: The Subjective Warrant, Recruitment, and Teacher Education1. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 1983b; 2(3): 3–16. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2.3.3
Lawson HA. Occupational Socialization and the Design of Teacher Education Programs. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 1986; 5(2): 107–116. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.5.2.107
Lawson HA. Occupational Socialization, Cultural Studies, and the Physical Education Curriculum. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 1988; 7(4): 265–288. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.7.4.265
Schempp PG, Graber KC. Teacher Socialization from a Dialectical Perspective: Pretraining through Induction. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 1992; 11(4): 329–348. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.11.4.329
Templin TJ, Richards KAR. C. H. McCloy Lecture: Reflections on Socialization Into Physical Education: An Intergenerational Perspective. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2014; 85(4): 431–445. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2014.964635
Grotjahn R. The Research Programme Subjective Theories. Studies in Second Language Acquisition. 1991; 13(2): 187–214. doi: 10.1017/s0272263100009943
Richards KAR, Templin TJ, Gaudreault KL. Understanding the Realities of School Life: Recommendations for the Preparation of Physical Education Teachers. Quest. 2013; 65(4): 442–457. doi: 10.1080/00336297.2013.804850
Pennington CG. Concepts in Occupational Socialization Theory. Curriculum and Teaching Methodology. 2020b; 4(1): 1–3. doi: 10.23977/curtm.2021.040101.
Pennington CG. The Transition into Professorship: Beyond the Three-Phase Approach to Socialization. The Physical Educator. 2020c; 78(1): 43–60. doi: 10.18666/tpe-2021-v78-i1-10190
Pennington CG. Models based instruction: The Sport Education curriculum model and accruing physical activity. Curriculum and Teaching Methodology. 2020d; 3(1): 1–10.
Pennington CG, Werber-Zion G, Prewitt-White T. “Learn to Function in the System”: The Organizational Socialization of Urban Physical Educators. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 2023; 43(2): 321–332. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2023-0073
Mosston M, Ashworth S. Teaching physical education, 5th ed. New York: Macmillan; 1994.
Pill S, SueSee B, Davies M. The Spectrum of Teaching Styles and models-based practice for physical education. European Physical Education Review. 2024; 30(1): 142–155. doi: 10.1177/1356336x231189146
Simonton KL, Haneishi K, Gray A, et al. Physical education pre-service teachers’ perceptions of learning about the spectrum of teaching styles and its role in their pedagogical awareness and practice. European Physical Education Review; 2024.
Côté J, Salmela JH, Baria A, et al. Organizing and Interpreting Unstructured Qualitative Data. The Sport Psychologist. 1993; 7(2): 127–137. doi: 10.1123/tsp.7.2.127
Daly J, Kellehear A, Gliksman M. The public health researcher: A methodological guide. Oxford University Press; 1997.
Rice PL, Ezzy D. Qualitative research methods: A health focus. Melbourne, Australia; 1999. p. 275.
Boyatzis RE. Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Sage; 1998.
Crabtree BF, Miller WL. Doing qualitative research. Sage publications; 2023.
Fereday J, Muir-Cochrane E. Demonstrating Rigor Using Thematic Analysis: A Hybrid Approach of Inductive and Deductive Coding and Theme Development. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 2006; 5(1): 80–92. doi: 10.1177/160940690600500107
Goetz JP, LeCompte MD. Ethnographic Research and the Problem of Data Reduction1. Anthropology & Education Quarterly. 1981; 12(1): 51–70. doi: 10.1525/aeq.1981.12.1.05x1283i
Lentillon-Kaestner V, Cece V, Guillet-Descas E. Perceived expertise among physical education teachers: the role of personal and contextual factors. Teacher Development. 2024; 28(1): 44–62. doi: 10.1080/13664530.2023.2291052
Woods PJ, Copur-Gencturk Y. Examining the role of student-centered versus teacher-centered pedagogical approaches to self-directed learning through teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education. 2024; 138: 104415. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104415
Murtonen M, Aldahdouh TZ, Vilppu H, et al. Importance of regulation and the quality of teacher learning in student-centred teaching. Teacher Development. 2024; 28(4): 534–552. doi: 10.1080/13664530.2024.2318329
Amorim C, Ribeiro-Silva E. Cooperating Teachers’ Perceptions and Contributions to Preservice Teachers’ Professional Identities. Education Sciences. 2024; 14(2): 167. doi: 10.3390/educsci14020167
Robey HM, Krause JM. Cooperating Teachers’ Participation and Beliefs Regarding Teacher-Educator Functions. The Physical Educator. 2024; 81(5): 495–519. doi: 10.18666/tpe-2024-v81-i5-11272
Palmer DJ, Stough LM, Burdenski, TK Jr, Gonzales M. Identifying teacher expertise: An examination of researchers’ decision making. Educational Psychologist. 2005; 40(1): 13–25.
Eaude T. What makes primary classteachers special? Exploring the features of expertise in the primary classroom. Teachers and Teaching. 2013; 20(1): 4–18. doi: 10.1080/13540602.2013.848513
Malinowski PR, Kern BD, Wallhead T. Adopting Instructional Models in Physical Education: The Influence of Occupational Socialization. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 2024; 43(1): 93–101. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2022-0142
Richards KAR, Pennington CG, Sinelnikov OA. Teacher Socialization in Physical Education: A Scoping Review of Literature. Kinesiology Review. 2019; 8(2): 86–99. doi: 10.1123/kr.2018-0003
Baker K. Examining the influence of occupational socialisation on pre-service teachers’ perceptions of Models-Based Practice. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education. 2023; 14(2): 174–189. doi: 10.1080/25742981.2022.2082879
Parkes C, Holden SL. To PETE, or Not to PETE, That Is the Question: The Influence of Occupational Socialization on Physical Education Teacher Education Recruitment and Retention. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 2024; 1: 1–9. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2024-0047
Latinjak AT. PsychMapping in Sport, Exercise, and Performance: An Applied Approach. Taylor and Francis; 2024.
Bryk AS, Gomez LM, Grunow A, LeMahieu P. Learning to improve: How America’s schools can get better at getting better. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Press; 2015.
Cunningham KM, Osworth D. Improvement science and the every student succeeds act: An analysis of the consolidated state plans. Leadership and Policy in Schools. 2024; 23(4): 955–972.
Lawson HA, Kretchmar RS. A Generative Synthesis for Kinesiology: Lessons from History and Visions for the Future. Kinesiology Review. 2017; 6(2): 195–210. doi: 10.1123/kr.2017-0002
Mulhearn SC, Kulinna PH, Lorenz KA. Classroom Teachers’ Perceived Barriers to Implementing Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (TPB- CSPAP): Instrument Development. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2023; 95(2): 342–352. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2023.2206449
McKown HB, Merica CB, Egan CA. Preparing Teachers for Physical Activity Leadership: Status of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program in Physical Education Teacher Education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 2025; 44(1): 154–162. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2023-0271
Bulger SM, Housner LD. Relocating From Easy Street: Strategies for Moving Physical Education Forward. Quest. 2009; 61(4): 442–469. doi: 10.1080/00336297.2009.10483625
Solmon MA, Graber KC, Woods AM, et al. Physical Education Teacher Education in Kinesiology: Past, Present, and Future. Kinesiology Review. 2020; 9(4): 305–312. doi: 10.1123/kr.2020-0047
Richards KAR, Kern BD, Ayers SF, et al. A Theoretically Informed Conceptual Framework for Recruitment and Retention in PETE. Quest. 2021; 73(1): 63–81. doi: 10.1080/00336297.2020.1869568
Pennington CG. Creating and Confirming a Positive Sporting Climate. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 2019; 90(4): 15–20. doi: 10.1080/07303084.2019.1568936
Pennington CG, Curtner-Smith MD, Wind SA. Influence of a physical education teacher’s perceived age on high school pupils’ perceptions of effectiveness and learning. European Physical Education Review. 2020; 26(1): 22–35. doi: 10.1177/1356336x18816342
Copyright (c) 2025 Colin G. Pennington
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
