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The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether weight-related attitudes mediate the effect of goal orientation on cultural pluralism and diversity attitudes among pre-service physical educators. Results from 235 (Mage = 20.91 years, SD = 7.75) participants confirm the positive relationship between task orientation and attitudes toward cultural pluralism and diversity attitudes (valuing, appreciating, and implementing), and that individuals who possess negative character stereotypes mediated this relationship. In addition, the positive relationship between ego orientation and being uncomfortable with diversity was confirmed, along with the mediation of negative character stereotypes within this relationship. The results provide initial evidence for factors associated with diversity attitudes that should be addressed in physical education teacher education programs. As research in this area moves forward, it is important to develop and test evidence-based educational interventions in order to improve diversity attitudes and ultimately teacher effectiveness.

Background: Establishing and maintaining a positive, inclusive social climate in school is essential, especially given the many potential social pressures that make school a toxic environment for vulnerable students. We explored middle school physical education (PE) teachers' perceptions of the factors that influence the implementation of social-oriented approaches to include overweight and obese students. Methods: We used a qualitative multicase study design guided by the Social Ecological Constraints model to study 9 PE teachers' perspectives and actions. We analyzed the transcripts of semistructured interviews, field notes, and artifacts related to teaching, PE programs, and school policies. Trust was established in conventional ways. Results: Social-ecological factors influenced teachers including program and school culture, policies, and norms of collaboration. Teachers acted beyond their instructional setting level strategies and used school-program level strategies to socially include overweight and obese in PE. Conclusions: Some environments challenge employment of more than simple accommodations and a caring attitude; in others, teachers can collaborate with other school personnel to teach social goals through negotiating constraints, creating ingenious modifications and interactive tasks, and incorporating personal and social skills as a primary curricular goal.

Whole-of-school approaches to physical activity and health promotion have the potential to promote physical literacy. However, for a variety of reasons there has not been widespread adoption of component whole-of-school frameworks to guide schools, such as the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program. We argue that component frameworks have shortcomings and do not necessarily assist or support schools to take an approach that is consistent with how successful whole-of-school models or programs are created and built over time. In this paper, we argue that we need to apply guidance that resonates with stakeholders and stimulates schools to design their own unique whole-of-school physical activity model to provide equitable programming opportunities. We also present an argument on the need to incorporate improvement science and the use of social–ecological models to investigate the efficacy of this guidance model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parental support can protect adolescents from various forms of bullying. There is a lack of in-depth information about what social support parents provide to overweight adolescents when they are teased at school. In this study, we took an initial step to address this gap in the literature by describing the types and nature of support that parents provided to their overweight child when they were teased. Methods: A conversational style semistructured interview/prompts and probes were conducted with 28 volunteering parents. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. Data trustworthiness was established through a variety of strategies.Results: Six themes emerged from the data: (1) having conversations, being encouraging, and "being supportive"; (2) using religion to teach self-acceptance and comfort their child; (3) offering advice on how to cope with the teasing; (4) fostering their child's self-esteem; (5) teaching reality and acceptance of criticism in early life; and (6) seeking support from other parents or professionals. Conclusions: Parents offered multiple supports for their child when they were teased. This information can facilitate the development of effective family-based interventions on coping with teasing among overweight students. Future research is also needed to examine the effectiveness of the recommended interventions.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate particular psychosocial predictors of obesity bias in prehealth professionals, which include the internalization of athletic and general body ideals, perceived media pressure and information, and achievement goal orientations. Exercise science undergraduate students (n = 242) filled out a survey containing questions of demographic characteristics, achievement goals, social-cultural attitudes toward appearance (using Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3), and obesity bias measurements (using the antifat attitudes test and fat phobia scale). The results indicated that students were explicitly biased toward overweight and obese individuals, held had high task and ego goals, and had high internalization of an athletic body type ideal, as determined by mean scores being above the median values for each scale. Internalization of the athletic body type predicted obesity bias for fat phobia, weight control blame, and physical/romantic attractiveness. In conclusion, exercise science students may enter programs socialized from society and sport, and, potentially, these psychosocial attitudes and beliefs may have implications to working with future clients, especially for those of the general population and those whose body shape and size are different than themselves.

Using the Social Ecological Constraints model, a qualitative multiple case study design was used to explore experienced and committed middle school physical education teachers' perspectives on overweight and obese students (OWS), and how and why they acted to include OWS in physical education and physical activity opportunities in their school environments. Three themes emerged. 1) OWS are "the same, but different." Teachers attempted to treat all students the same, but perceived variations among OWS' participation in PE and related individual constraints. 2) Teachers' concerns lead to individual goals and specific actions. Teachers identified specific goals and approaches to help individual OWS who needed extra attention. 3) OWS are a responsibility and challenge. Many of these teachers felt a responsibility to devote extra time and effort to help struggling OWS to succeed. These teachers avoided obesity bias, and exhibited beliefs and actions similar to a caring perspective.

Overweight and obese students are often socially and instructionally excluded from physical education and school physical activity opportunities. This article describes teaching strategies from a study of middle school physical education teachers who are committed to providing effective teaching and positive experiences for overweight and obese students in their physical education programs. Tables list simple and complex strategies that these teachers use in their physical education classes to prevent or address social difficulties for these students, and to help them experience success in skill development, game play and fitness activities. Starting with a mindset that all students can learn, and that physical educators have a responsibility to address students' various needs, teachers can apply strategies at multiple levels of the students' ecology to create more positive experiences for overweight students in their own unique situations.

As part of a larger study, this paper describes teachers' perspectives and strategies on including overweight and obese students (OWS) in instruction related to motor skill/game play and fitness development in physical education. Using the Social Ecological Constraints framework, a qualitative multicase study was conducted using multiple in-depth interviews, class observations, and artifacts from nine experienced and committed suburban middle school Physical Education teachers. Constant comparison was used to generate themes and trustworthiness procedures were used to confirm findings. Two types of strategies for including OWS in instruction were identified: First-order and Second-order. School resources, shared program goals, and beliefs about students and teaching were factors influencing teachers' decisions and actions for teaching motor skill/game play and fitness content to OWS.

In this study, we drew upon McCaughtry, Tischler, and Flory's (2008) reconceptualized ecological framework to examine middle school students' perceptions (N = 391) of competition in physical education, specifically after participating in noncompetitive and competitive active gaming (AG) sessions. Chi-square tests of independence were computed on students' open-ended questionnaire responses. In terms of the AG sessions, students enjoyed AG and felt happy regardless of the task structure; however, what they liked and disliked about the AG tasks varied according to skill. Lower skilled students in the noncompetitive situation focused on success more frequently and in the competitive situations reported liking task elements and competition less frequently than did other skill groups. Discussion was focused on improvements in equipment features and task design to enhance students' experience. [This study is the second of two papers. The first published paper is different in an analysis of gender and grade-level differences for the same sample.]

This single case study (Yin, 2009) compares an established urban physical education/ sport/physical activity program with two models: Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program/CSPAP (AAHPERD, 2013; CDC, 2013); and Lawson's propositions (2005) for sport, exercise and physical education for empowerment and community development to determine their applicability in urban schools. Data include semistructured interviews, multiple observations, and artifacts collected over two academic years. Triangulation, peer debriefing, and interpretative and member checks were used for trustworthiness. Findings indicate that most aspects of both theories were evident in the program, though goals exceeded those of CSPAP as stated, and Lawson's concept of "community" was limited. Major themes related to establishing this CSPAP are described, including practical strategies for budget, scheduling and staffing, and qualities of leadership. Stakeholders reported that they valued the program not for student wellness, but for personal, social and academic well being, as well as for contributions to the school culture.

In this review, we propose a social ecological constraint model to study inclusion of overweight or obese students in physical education by integrating key concepts and assumptions from ecological constraint theory in motor development and social ecological models in health promotion and behavior. The social ecological constraint model proposes that constraints exist on five different levels and interact within and across levels to affect overweight students' engagement, learning, and physical activity in physical education. This model can provide a theoretical framework to guide and organize research on the inclusion of overweight students. It can also guide teachers in manipulating these constraints to create a culture for inclusion and provide instruction to meet the needs of overweight or obese students. (Contains 1 figure.)

This study examined the nature, occurring contexts, and psychological implications of weight-related teasing in urban physical education programs. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 47 participants from a large urban school district. Data were analyzed using inductive analysis and constant comparisons. Most overweight adolescents experienced many different types of teasing in physical education. Victims of teasing felt hurt and experienced uncomfortable feelings due to social comparisons. Overweight students who were not teased reported a variety of reasons. Teachers lacked awareness of and strategies to handle teasing of overweight students. There is a need to implement preventive policies and rules to eliminate weight-related teasing and create inclusive physical education environments. (Contains 1 table.)

The purpose of this study was to examine coping against weight-related teasing among adolescents perceived to be overweight or obese in urban physical education. Forty-seven students perceived to be overweight or obese from a large urban school district were interviewed. Trustworthiness of data analysis was established by using a member-checking procedure, focus group interview, and peer debriefing throughout the research process. The results indicated that adolescents perceived to be overweight or obese used self-protection, compensation, confrontation, seeking social support, avoidance/psychological disengagement, losing weight and stress reduction strategies to cope against weight-related teasing. Adolescents used multiple strategies under different mechanisms to cope, and the strategies they chose were dependent on the situation.

Background: The purpose of the study was to assess adolescents' perceptions of controllability and its relation to weight stereotypes as a function of gender. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-one seventh and eighth graders from physical education classes completed a perception of controllability questionnaire and weight stereotype explicit scale ratings. Results: Analysis of variance and chi-square analyses indicated that adolescents had high perceptions of controllability, namely the perception that one can control one's weight with diet and exercise. Perceptions of controllability were weakly associated with the endorsement of stereotypes toward the overweight. Results from chi-square analysis on individual statements related to causality of obesity indicated that participants may not have a complete understanding or be receiving appropriate messages about the etiology of obesity. Also, 2-way chi-square analyses indicated that boys more frequently believed in personal control than girls, and girls indicated more frequently that they were unsure whether obesity was children's fault. Conclusion: Teachers need to be cognizant of the messages that are relayed to students about the etiology of obesity if they are looking to positively impact students' healthy lifestyle behaviors and personal and social responsibility. Also, populations (eg, gender) may need to be considered when delivering these messages. (Contains 3 tables.)

Amotivation refers to a state in which individuals cannot perceive a relationship between their behavior and that behavior's subsequent outcome. With the belief that considering amotivation as a multidimensional construct could reflect the complexity of motivational deficits in physical education, we developed this study to validate an amotivation model. In study 1 (N = 156), an exploratory factor analysis provided preliminary support with the model comprising four dimensions: ability beliefs, effort beliefs, values placed on the task, and characteristics of the task. In study 2 (N = 499), the four-dimensional model was further corroborated through a confirmatory factor analysis. Its construct validity and predictive validity were also confirmed. Overall, the findings lend evidence to the conceptual validation of the four-dimensional structure of amotivation. Lack of motivation in physical education may result from different reasons. The multifaceted nature of amotivation in physical education must be considered and instructionally addressed during teaching and learning. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Choosing which teaching approach to use and when to use it is a complex decision, especially for preservice teachers learning to teach individuals with a variety of skill levels and abilities. One source of information that teachers can use to help select an approach is motor-learning theory. This article describes an early field experience in which beginning teachers experimented with two different teaching approaches: (1) task/environmental design and (2) direct instruction. The goal was to discover how each approach affected student learning. The preservice teachers taught the standing long jump with each approach separately, and then combined them in a final lesson. They realized that both approaches worked, though differently, and that the combination helped them to be more effective in their teaching. Examples of the organizational preparatory work and an outline of the lesson plan that guided their experimentation are included. (Contains 4 tables.)

K-12 students enter physical education with many naive conceptions or misconceptions of how motor skills are acquired. One goal of physical education is to teach concepts that will help students learn and perform motor skills, but many practitioners don't know how to provide experiences that will teach students to apply their knowledge independently outside of the classroom when learning new skills. This article focuses on how teachers can address NASPE national standard two by teaching motor-learning concepts using guided discovery. A conceptual framework for shifting the focus from the teacher to the student is provided, as well as two examples of lesson plans that have been modified to teach developmentally appropriate motor-learning concepts. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)

The purpose of the current study was to test the validity and reliability of a two-factor model of the Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire (PSRQ) and examine the relationships between perceptions of personal and social responsibility and intrinsic motivation in physical education. Participants were 253 middle school students who completed the questionnaires. The results from a confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency suggest the two-factor PSRQ is valid and reliable for assessing students' perceptions of personal and social responsibility in physical education. The correlational analysis suggests that participants with higher levels of personal and social responsibility were likely to enjoy physical education more. An important implication for teaching practice is that, to encourage all individuals to be intrinsically motivated to participate in physical education, physical education teachers need to empower students with choices and voices, focus them on effort and self-direction in physical education, and create a respectful and caring learning environment. (Contains 3 tables.)

The purpose of the study was to explore overweight or obese students 'perceptions of caring in urban physical education (PE) programs. Forty-seven overweight or obese students were recruited and participated [...]

The purpose of this study was to explore the voices of overweight or obese adolescents' parents on the role of physical education and issues and concerns regarding physical education. Forty-four parents of overweight or obese adolescents were interviewed. A hierarchical tree was developed resulting in two higher order themes and six lower level themes. The two higher order themes were: 1) The importance of health-related physical education and 2) frustrations with PE. The six lower level themes included: 1) Limited time or no physical education at all, 2) lack of accountability for physical education teachers, and 3) lack of differentiated instructions and positive, inclusive learning environments, 4) Developmentally inappropriate instruction, 5) no fun and no choices, and 6) learning environment: not safe, non-supportive, and too much on competition. The findings suggest that parents' voices should be heard by physical educators, policymakers, and legislators. Also, there is a need for teaching accountability and education of pre-service and in-service teachers on how to successfully include overweight or obese students., The national public health documents including Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHSS), 2000) and Physical Activity and Health: A Report of [...]

The present study examined whether perceived sport competence mediates or moderates the effects of ego goal orientations on intentions to exercise among urban adolescents. Participants were 248 middle school students who completed relevant questionnaires. The regression analyses indicated that perceived sport competence completely mediated the effect of ego goal orientations and partially mediated the effect of task goal orientations on intentions to exercise. No moderating effects were found for perceived sport competence. The results suggest that high levels of perceived competence can protect individuals with high ego orientations or low task orientations from suffering such negative effects on their intentions to exercise. High task orientations may be inductive to foster intentions to exercise outside school. An important implication for teaching practice is that physical education teachers should create task-involved and competence-enhanced motivational climates., ********** The prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity has increased to an epidemic scale over the past 20 years in the United States. School physical education (PE) has been identified [...]

The purpose of this study was to examine coping against weight-related teasing among adolescents perceived to be overweight or obese in urban physical education. Forty-seven students perceived to be overweight or obese from a large urban school district were interviewed. Trustworthiness of data analysis was established by using a member-checking procedure, focus group interview, and peer debriefing throughout the research process. The results indicated that adolescents perceived to be overweight or obese used self-protection, compensation, confrontation, seeking social support, avoidance/psychological disengagement, losing weight and stress reduction strategies to cope against weight-related teasing. Adolescents used multiple strategies under different mechanisms to cope, and the strategies they chose were dependent on the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by Green-Demers, Leagult, Pelletier, and Pelletier's (2008) assumption that amotivation (absence of motivation) is a multidimensional construct, we designed this study to investigate the influence of inadequate teacher-to-student social support on amotivation of high-school physical education students. Five hundred and sixty-six ninth graders completed questionnaires assessing psychological constructs and intentions for future physical education participation while physical education teachers rated their students' in-class effort. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that perceived teachers' inadequate supports in autonomy, competence, and relatedness were associated with different subtypes of amotivation. In turn, amotivation impeded in-class effort and intention for future physical education participation. The findings indicate that diminished social support from teachers may act as a significant factor resulting in students' amotivation. The multidimensional nature of amotivation should be identified and instructionally addressed during teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amotivation refers to a state in which individuals cannot perceive a relationship between their behavior and that behavior's subsequent outcome. With the belief that considering amotivation as a multidimensional construct could reflect the complexity of motivational deficits in physical education, we developed this study to validate an amotivation model. In study 1 (N = 156), an exploratory factor analysis provided preliminary support with the model comprising four dimensions: ability beliefs, effort beliefs, values placed on the task, and characteristics of the task. In study 2 (N = 499), the four-dimensional model was further corroborated through a confirmatory factor analysis. Its construct validity and predictive validity were also confirmed. Overall, the findings lend evidence to the conceptual validation of the four-dimensional structure of amotivation. Lack of motivation in physical education may result from different reasons. The multifaceted nature of amotivation in physical education must be considered and instructionally addressed during teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to test the validity and reliability of a two-factor model of the Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire (PSRQ) and examine the relationships between perceptions of personal and social responsibility and intrinsic motivation in physical education. Participants were 253 middle school students who completed the questionnaires. The results from a confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency suggest the two-factor PSRQ is valid and reliable for assessing students' perceptions of personal and social responsibility in physical education. The correlational analysis suggests that participants with higher levels of personal and social responsibility were likely to enjoy physical education more. An important implication for teaching practice is that, to encourage all individuals to be intrinsically motivated to participate in physical education, physical education teachers need to empower students with choices and voices, focus them on effort and self-direction in physical education, and create a respectful and caring learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to explore overweight or obese students 'perceptions of caring in urban physical education (PE) programs. Forty-seven overweight or obese students were recruited and participated in a semi-structured interview. Inductive analysis and constant comparison were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that overweight students perceived being cared-for when their peers were supportive, and when teachers made instructional adaptations, built interpersonal rapport, and created a positive, motivational climate in PE. It is suggested that to create a caring climate, teachers need to allow overweight or obese students to work at their ability level, provide quality instruction and feedback and make developmentally appropriate instructional adaptations, foster a positive, motivational learning climate, create a connection between teacher and student (interpersonal rapport), and create a learning community with positive peer interactions. Creating an inclusive environment that enhances their sense of caring and belonging, has a great potential to increase overweight or obese students' engagement in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the voices of overweight or obese adolescents' parents on the role of physical education and issues and concerns regarding physical education. Forty-four parents of overweight or obese adolescents were interviewed. A hierarchical tree was developed resulting in two higher order themes and six lower level themes. The two higher order themes were: 1) The importance of health-related physical education and 2) frustrations with PE. The six lower level themes included." l) Limited time or no physical education at all, 2) lack of accountability for physical education teachers, and 3) lack of differentiated instructions and positive, inclusive learning environments, 4) Developmentally inappropriate instruction, 5) no fun and no choices, and 6) learning environment: not safe, non-supportive, and too much on competition. The findings suggest that parents' voices should be heard by physical educators, policymakers, and legislators. Also, there is a need for teaching accountability and education of pre-service and in-service teachers on how to successfully include overweight or obese students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the implementation of TaskStream, a new technology tool being chosen by universities to help meet the challenge of managing program-wide data for teacher education in the U.S. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education is developing TaskStream to help facilitate the collection, organization, storage and analysis of data from teacher education programs like lesson and unit plan designers.

The present study examined whether perceived sport competence mediates or moderates the effects of ego goal orientations on intentions to exercise among urban adolescents. Participants were 248 middle school students who completed relevant questionnaires. The regression analyses indicated that perceived sport competence completely mediated the effect of ego goal orientations and partially mediated the effect of task goal orientations on intentions to exercise. No moderating effects were found for perceived sport competence. The results suggest that high levels of perceived competence can protect individuals with high ego orientations or low task orientations from suffering such negative effects on their intentions to exercise. High task orientations may be inductive to foster intentions to exercise outside school. An important implication for teaching practice is that physical education teachers should create task-involved and competence-enhanced motivational climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]