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Research has shown that interest in knowledge facilitates students' academic achievement in learning. Because individual interest is often based on how much one knows, in other words existing or prior knowledge, studying adolescents' interest in health-enhancing physical activity and its benefits should address the relation between the interest and their existing or prior physical activity knowledge. Understanding this relationship may help us facilitate students to not only develop interest in knowing more about but also actual adopt a healthy, active lifestyle. This study used a large-sample structural equation design to identify the relationship between middle school students' interest in physical activity knowledge and their prior physical activity knowledge, and to assess the change of this relationship over time. Guided by the declarative-procedural knowledge framework, latent growth models were developed and tested on data collected from a random sample of 3882 students from ten middle schools. The latent growth curve model indicated that, 1) on average, students experienced a significant interest decline in both procedural and declarative knowledge; 2) prior knowledge helped slow the decline and facilitated interest growth in knowledgeable students. The results suggest that existing knowledge determined the interest change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Physical education and health education are relevant avenues for adolescents to learn knowledge and behavior related to energy-balanced living. Grounded in the framework theory of conceptual change, this study examined ninth graders' energy balance knowledge (i.e., concepts, principles, and strategies underlying the scientific mechanism and the outcome of energy balanced/imbalanced living) and physical activity in a healthful-living curriculum (i.e. combination of physical education and health). The students (N =195) were measured using concept mapping, accelerometers, and three-day physical activity recall. It was found that the students differed in energy balance knowledge where most (83%) lacked a higher-order relational understanding. Physical activity in physical education class or after school did not significantly differ by students' mental model levels concerning energy balance knowledge. The findings suggest that an ecological learning context with moderate physical activity should be provided to help students make sense of energy balance knowledge through lived experiences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study reports adolescent expectancy-value motivation, and its relation to fitness knowledge and psychomotor skill learning in physical education. Students (N =854) from 12 middle schools provided data on expectancy-value motivation, fitness knowledge and psychomotor skill learning. Results from dependent t-test and MANOVA indicated that 8th grade students rated task values significantly lower than 6th grade while their expectancy beliefs did not significantly differ. Students gained sizable fitness knowledge (d =0.58, p <0.05) and badminton skill (d =1.40, p <0.05). Multiple regression analyses revealed that expectancy-value motivation did not significantly predict learning in fitness knowledge or psychomotor skills. These findings suggest that expectancy-value motivation might predict engagement and performance, but not necessarily learning achievement in physical education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Achievement goals and interests are recognized as primary motivators for learning in physical education. The study examined the dynamics of the motivators as associated with organized outside-school physical activity experiences and learning outcomes. Data of achievement goals, personal interest, learning outcomes, and outside-school experiences were gathered from students (N=104) randomly selected from two middle schools. The correlation analysis revealed a complex relationship among the motivators and learning outcomes. The MANOVA showed that the students participating in organized outside-school physical activities had a stronger ego-goal orientation and were more physically active in learning. Their knowledge and skill assessment outcomes did not differ from other students. The findings suggest that participation in outside-school programs may result in an active engagement, but may not lead to a paralleled learning achievement. These findings depicted a complex and dynamic web of relationships between the motivators and learning outcomes that needs to be addressed in future research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Students'' different perceptions of task values influence their learning experience and achievement in physical education. Framed using the subjective task value construct, this study was conducted to determine the extent to which male and female Chinese middle schoolers with different body sizes differed in their perception of the task values. A second goal of the study was to identify the extent to which the task values along with gender and body size predicted students'' performance on knowledge and physical skill tests. Data from a random sample of students (N =860) from eight Chinese middle schools revealed that the boys appreciated intrinsic (p =.001) and utility values (p =02); both boys and girls, however, equally appreciated the attainment value (p =.73). The boys performed better in physical skill tests than the girls (p =.001), whereas the girls scored higher in knowledge tests than the boys (p =.04). Regression analyses revealed that gender is the only predictor for performance on both knowledge and skill tests. Utility value and body size were predictors for skill, not for knowledge. These findings indicate that Chinese middle school boys and girls differed in valuing and achieving in physical education. The findings imply that Chinese boys need to strengthen cognitive learning and girls need to strengthen psychomotor skill development in physical education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conceptual knowledge development in physical education is critical to helping learners become physically literate. Understanding physical education learners' long-term knowledge development is one of the first steps in designing effective curriculum. Guided by the constructivist learning theory, this study aimed to determining the extent to which the cardiorespiratory fitness knowledge learned in the first year contributed to further knowledge development in the second year. A two-year longitudinal design was adopted to track 716 students' learning documented in their physical education workbook from sixth grade to seventh grade. Canonical correlation and multivariate multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship of learning during the two years. The results showed that student knowledge development in the first year did facilitate their knowledge development in the second year (R c = 0.54; Wilks' λ = 0.69, F (9, 1728.1) = 30.99, p <.01, η 2 =.31). Specifically, students' three types of knowledge development (descriptive, relational, and reasoning) were all significant contributors (descriptive: Wilks' λ = 0.96, F (3, 710) = 9.34, p <.01, η 2 =.04; relational: Wilks' λ = 0.98, F (3, 710) = 4.44, p <.01, η 2 =.02; reasoning: Wilks' λ = 0.90, F (3, 710) = 26.13, p <.01, η 2 =.10) to their further learning with the knowledge development from the reasoning assignments to be the strongest facilitator. Students' overall learning in the first year significantly contributed to their descriptive (R 2 = 0.12), relational (R 2 = 0.26), and reasoning (R 2 = 0.21) knowledge learning in the second year. • The nature of the learning task influences students' further learning • Knowledge learning from the high-level cognitive tasks was a stronger facilitator for further knowledge learning • Cognitive learning tasks can be integrated in physical education to further knowledge learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]