This study of appropriate practices focused on the knowledge and usage of instructional strategies in K-12 physical education programs. Three hundred and eight physical education teachers from two Midwestern states participated by completing a questionnaire that consisted of 36 statements. Participants were asked to identify whether they believed…

Recent changes in the demographics of urban public schools have presented an opportunity to assess the instructional strategies of teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners. Given that ethnic minorities represent more than 75% of the student population in 50 of America's largest public school systems, research on teachers of…

This study compared youth development outcomes of participants in a physical activity-based extended day program to the same outcomes during their school day. The extended day program, called "The Coaching Club," was offered to ten inner city fourth and fifth graders who attend an elementary school in a large metropolitan city. The program was…

This study evaluated the effects of Skill Teaching and Tactical approaches on skill development, game play, knowledge, and self-efficacy for 169 high- and low-skilled players of 182 beginning university Volleyball students. Three instructors each taught one Tactical and one Skill Teaching class two days a week for 16 weeks. A random coefficients…

With the advent of the Internet, and more specifically the use of email discussion groups or listservs, physical educators have a new resource to assist them in overcoming the challenges to their professional development. One such resource is the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) listserv. NASPE-L is a physical…

This article identifies homework as an underutilized strategy in physical education. It reviews the benefits associated with the use of homework in the physical education setting, and provides guidelines for the effective implementation of this strategy. The guidelines include practical application examples and define structured active homework…

Low motivation to participate in traditional or team sports, apathy toward competitive environments, and a low rate of transfer of skills to lifetime activities and wellness can be barriers for student pursuits of lifelong fitness. Adding an outdoor component can be a solution for some of these problems, while still accomplishing the National…

Leadership is a quality that aspiring and current coaches strive to develop. Sadly, there are too few programs that assist in the preparation of coaches. One avenue for learning is to seek advice and guidance from coaches of the past. The purpose of this article is to provide leadership tips from some of the elite coaches in history, such as…

During the past decade, physical education has gone through some tough times. Between increased pressures to succeed on standardized testing, which has resulted in increased classroom time and decreased time in the gym, and tight budgets, children are not getting the quality physical education they deserve. The "2012 Shape of the Nation…

Schools have been identified as a promising setting for increasing youth physical activity levels because of their broad reach and the amount of time youth spend in attendance. Specifically, physical education is one key time during the school day where youth can accumulate health-enhancing levels of physical activity. Indicators of quality…

The purpose of this article is to highlight the need for physical activity-integrated lessons for classroom teachers, provide strategies for effective integration, and encourage physical education teachers to be an additional resource and an advocate for physical activity in their schools. (Contains 5 online resources.)

The physical activity patterns of students with disabilities have been studied in order to understand how much moderate and vigorous daily physical exercise is obtained. Literature suggests that students with disabilities are less physically active as compared to children without disabilities. As a result of being less physically active, these…

Although July and August tend to be the warmest months of the year, the months leading up to summer as well as the months just following summer can also be quite warm or even very hot. In this article, the authors share some important information to help prepare physical educators for overseeing activities in the heat and, just as importantly, to…

Whether an administrator, faculty member, classroom teacher, or specials teacher (Art, Music, and Physical Education), everyone wants students test scores to improve and know that they contributed to it. These improved scores validate the roles and influence of educators and administrators. The purpose of this article is two-fold: (1) to assist…

The idea that participation in sport builds character is a long-standing one. Advocates of sport participation believe that sport provides an appropriate context for the learning of social skills such as cooperation and the development of prosocial behavior (Weiss, Smith, & Stuntz, 2008). Research in sport regarding character development has…