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Reviews of the literature have confirmed the influence of autonomy-supportive teaching on student self-determined motivation and enhancement of skill in various educational contexts influencing students to be more engaged in their learning in addition to having higher levels of perceived skill improvement. Unfortunately, not much of the literature directly examines the autonomy-supportive language that teachers naturally use in physical education. Therefore, this study determined how and when teachers use autonomy-supportive behaviors within the context of a regular physical education (PE) class. Four high school PE teachers (2 male, 2 female, all Caucasian, Mage = 41.25, SD = 11.84) and 140 high school students (Mage = 14.90, SD = 1.01) in compulsory co-educational classes participated in the study. Teachers' verbal behaviors were audio recorded during four 90-min classes for three of the teachers and eight 45-min classes for the remaining teacher. Audio data were transcribed verbatim. Class observations and field notes also contributed to the analysis and helped the researchers to contextualize data collected via recordings. Findings indicate that teachers used a variety of autonomy-supportive behaviors, some more often than others. Some behaviors were underrepresented and, in some cases, were observed in an interconnected nature. The low use of some behaviors suggests room for improvement, with the benefits of such behaviors more directly influencing student motivation and enhancing skill learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous studies, researchers have identified a general low level of health-related fitness (HRF) knowledge among secondary students that can effect levels of physical activity (PA). An instructional strategy that may increase HRF knowledge without decreasing PA is the personalized system of instruction (PSI). Two classes from a private urban high school in a major city within the Mountain West region of the United States participated in the 6-week study. Group 1 (n = 24) completed a unit on personal fitness using the PSI model, and Group 2 (n = 29) used a traditional DI approach. Knowledge was assessed 3 times (pre, post, 3-week follow-up) using a 45-question standardized HRF knowledge test. Class time PA was reported using a modification of the SOFIT observation system. A 2x3 ANOVA was used to compare HRF knowledge scores, showing a significant increase in Group 1 scores from pre-topost-test (p = 0.003) as well as significant increases in scores between Group 1 and Group 2 (p = 0.03). Physical activity results were compared using a pair-samples t test with outcomes revealing differences in class time PA levels (t = -0.27, p = 0.79). These results indicate PSI is a successful model for increasing HRF knowledge while maintaining physical activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of female high school students toward PE in selected North Carolina schools. The high schools were conveniently selected to include the Northeast Piedmont urban region of North Carolina. Participants consisted of 102 female students aged 14 to 18 years old who were enrolled in ninth to 12th grade PE classes. The instrument used in the study (High School Students' Attitudes Towards Physical Education) was a 19-item questionnaire developed by Bibik, Goodwin, and Omega-Smith (2007). Data were analyzed with the independent samples t test (p < .05) level of significance. The results of this study show the attitudes toward PE, the grade averages in PE, the importance of PE in their lives, and the preference for single-gender versus coeducational among female students were significantly different (p < .05). Additionally, within the coeducational PE class, 14.5% of the female students preferred being taught in a single-gender PE class, and approximately 24.4% of the female students enrolled in the single-gender PE class preferred a coeducational PE class. This study indicates the importance of creating positive learning environments at the high school level for female students, developing informed teacher strategies, and understanding female students' attitudes toward PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transferring from elementary to secondary school can be difficult for many children, and students making this transition often suffer from anxiety and stress. One source of stress can be found in the scary stories transitioning pupils hear about their new schools, particularly those about physical education and sport. The purpose of this study was to examine the scary stories young African American adults living in the Deep South recalled hearing about physical education as they made the transition from elementary to secondary school. Folklore and the concept of role reversal were the theoretical perspectives that guided data collection and analysis. Participants were 51 African American students. They wrote down scary stories they recalled hearing prior to transferring to secondary school within a two-item open-ended story record. Stories were coded and categorized and reduced to key themes using analytic induction and constant comparison. The key finding was the scary stories the African Americans in this study recalled were similar to the stories American Caucasians recalled in previous research. The stories collected in this study were also reminiscent of those described in the studies carried out with young adults in Britain during the 1970s and 1980s. Results of this study also indicate physical education plays only a peripheral role in the African American folklore surrounding school transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levels of physical activity and health-related fitness (HRF) are decreasing among adolescents in the United States. Several interventions have been implemented to reverse this downtrend. Traditionally, physical educators incorporate a direct instruction (DI) strategy, with teaching potentially leading students to disengage during class. An instructional strategy that has been shown to be effective in increasing content knowledge and skill competency in physical education is the personalized system of instruction (PSI). Students (N = 24) from a private, urban high school in a major city within the Mountain West region of the United States participated in the 6-week study. Video and audiotaping, along with interviews and journals, were used to determine if criteria standards associated with PSI were met. Three of the 4 components of PSI were met as well as 10 of 12 design features, indicating that implementing the personal fitness unit using PSI was successful. The results indicate PSI was successfully implemented. With its characteristics of self-pacing and mastery learning, PSI has the potential to be an effective teaching model within physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purpose of this study was to analyze the link between students' expectancy beliefs, subjective task values, out-of-school activity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) participation across secondary school physical education (PE) classes. The sample comprised 96 students (58 girls, 38 boys; Mage = 15.03, SD = .94) from schools located in Northeast Finland. The self-report questionnaire was modified to address the domain-specific questions for Finnish PE. Accelerometers were used for the objective assessment of students' MVPA across the PE classes and during out-of-school activities. The findings show that perceived importance indicates MVPA involvement for girls and attainment value and out-of-school MVPA for boys. Boys were more physically active than girls across PE classes. In contrast, girls received more out-of-school activity across the 7 days. The major cause of concern arising from the current findings was that girls engaged in up to 26.2% and boys 33.6% of their weekly MVPA during only two 45-min PE classes. A higher priority needs to be placed in schools on encouraging young people to engage in daily physical activity and providing guidance that makes it easy to find activities in which girls and boys have opportunities to be successful and feel competent. Schools should also use PE as a mean to promote greater physical activity outside of school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Token economies have been shown useful in a variety of settings to improve physical activity--related behaviors. However, few researchers in empirical research have examined the effects of token reinforcement targeting motor skill performance implemented specifically in physical education with typically developing children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a token economy on the overhand throw performance of second grade physical education students. An alternating treatments design was used with students participating in overhand throwing sessions that alternated between baseline and token economy phases. Performance scores for each session were inspected for response differentiation between the two phases. In analysis, it was revealed the token economy was effective in all seven participants. Additionally, participants increased the number of overhand components performed correctly during token phases by 10% to 27% per session. A functional relation between token reinforcement and overhand throw performance was evident in most participants. Therefore, it was concluded that token reinforcement can be an effective tool for physical educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weight training classes are offered in many secondary level physical education classes. The type of instruction used during weight training is crucial, ensuring students understand the content knowledge and the enjoyment weight training has to offer as a lifetime activity. By using the sport education model (SEM) in weight training classes, teachers can encourage physical activity and physical fitness and students will have a positive experience. The purpose of this paper was to provide teachers who implement weight training the steps necessary to incorporate the SEM within a weight training program [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban physical education curriculum articles are sparsely published in major educational journals (Chepyator-Thomson et al., 2008; Culp, 2005). This leaves urban physical educators the daunting task to modify and prepare curriculum based on formal class training and educational workshops and to interpret journal articles to be applied to the urban setting (Constantinou, 2011; Schmidlein, 2008). Moreover, as of fall 2012, only one textbook has been published regarding urban physical education. The purpose of this article was to examine high school physical educators' issues with curriculum. Furthermore, the primary end result was to offer suggestions to practicing educators to help modify curriculum to meet the needs of large class sizes, lack of equipment, and working with diverse populations (Chase et al., 2011). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary physical education (PE) has become a popular area of inquiry because students are not meeting overarching goals of PE programs, are less motivated, and demonstrate negative affect while in class. As such, teachers and researchers are starting to examine pedagogical approaches that support student motivation as a means to alleviate some of the aforementioned issues. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of two different learning contexts based within self-determination theory on the motivation and affect of secondary PE students. Seventy-nine secondary PE students were randomly assigned to a unit of basketball taught in either a highly autonomy-supportive or highly controlling learning environment. Data were collected using a pre–post test design measuring psychosocial needs, motivation, and enjoyment. Analysis of data used repeated measures ANOVAs on all dependent variables with follow-up pairwise comparisons on all significant ANOVAs. Analysis of data indicated that engagement in a highly autonomy supportive learning context significantly changes secondary PE students overall motivation, need for competence, and enjoyment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]