Strategies for the Teaching of Content Courses in Physical Education Teacher Education

Abstract

A teacher cannot teach what they do not know. Previous studies have demonstrated that increasing teachers’ content knowledge (common content knowledge [CCK] and specialized content knowledge [SCK]) enhances teachers’ teaching effectiveness, which in turn results in better student learning. In the limited curricular space available in physical education teacher education (PETE) programs, maximizing the allocated time for developing content knowledge among preservice teachers is crucial. The purpose of this article is to propose strategies for teaching content courses to develop preservice teachers’ content knowledge using examples from volleyball. Various pedagogical strategies to develop content knowledge that can be used in classroom settings (e.g., repeated assessment, scaffolding, and modeling in different forms) are introduced. Increasing the amount of peer teaching and teaching of preK-12 students are also effective strategies to promote preservice teachers’ learning of content knowledge and its application.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emi Tsuda

Emi Tsuda ([email protected]) is an associate professor in the School of Sport Sciences at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Phillip Ward is a professor in the Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Peter Hastie is a Wayne T. Smith distinguished professor in the School of Kinesiology, Auburn University in Auburn, AL. Bomna Ko is an associate professor in the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. José A. Santiago is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. Insook Kim is a professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies at Kent State University in Kent, OH. Junyoung Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. James D. Ressler is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL.

Phillip Ward

Emi Tsuda ([email protected]) is an associate professor in the School of Sport Sciences at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Phillip Ward is a professor in the Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Peter Hastie is a Wayne T. Smith distinguished professor in the School of Kinesiology, Auburn University in Auburn, AL. Bomna Ko is an associate professor in the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. José A. Santiago is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. Insook Kim is a professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies at Kent State University in Kent, OH. Junyoung Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. James D. Ressler is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL.

Peter Hastie

Emi Tsuda ([email protected]) is an associate professor in the School of Sport Sciences at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Phillip Ward is a professor in the Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Peter Hastie is a Wayne T. Smith distinguished professor in the School of Kinesiology, Auburn University in Auburn, AL. Bomna Ko is an associate professor in the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. José A. Santiago is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. Insook Kim is a professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies at Kent State University in Kent, OH. Junyoung Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. James D. Ressler is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL.