Physical Education Teacher Educators’ Curricular Beliefs

ABSTRACT

Given the potential influence on preservice teachers’ future teaching practices, it is important to understand physical education teacher education faculty’s beliefs and intention in selecting physical education (PE) curriculum. However, it remains unclear what physical education teacher education faculty’s beliefs about and intention toward two curricular priorities (i.e., health promotion and skill development) are. This study aimed to examine the physical education teacher education faculty’s beliefs about and intention toward two curricular priorities of PE and to identify potential factors influencing their attitudes toward curriculum priorities. 141 faculty in the United States participated. Online and offline surveys were utilized to collect the faculty’s beliefs, intentions, and demographic information. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, MANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that faculty have more positive attitudes, receive more perceived social pressure, and have higher confidence toward a curriculum focusing on achieving skill development in PE rather than one focusing on health promotion, such as efforts to improve physical activity participation. Also, the results suggested that faculty have a higher intention to deliver a curriculum toward achieving skill development in PE over one delivering health promotion. The types of teaching resources might significantly influence faculty’s attitudes on the curriculum taught in PE. Providing faculty with professional development opportunities is essential to supporting the call for public schools to help youth meet physical activity recommendations.

KEYWORDS:

• Physical education teacher education
• faculty’s belief
• curriculum
• promotion of physical activity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).