Exercise physiology seems to be a course that students love or hate. Many physical education students and others involved in the related areas of health, teaching, recreation, dance, athletic training, fitness, and motor learning and development find this course a requirement at some point in their curriculum. Inquiry-based learning is an…

Students who are identified as underachieving receive additional academic support through a mechanism called response to intervention (RtI). This model takes a systematic and proactive approach to addressing learning disparities among children. If screening indicates that a child is not meeting grade level expectations, more intensive support is…

A college professor who trains preservice physical education teachers was asked to design, develop, and implement a pilot physical education program at a nonpublic school primarily serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). The teacher/researcher conducted an action research study to maximize the effectiveness of teaching and…

Understanding the developmental stages of children is crucial for coaches. Equally important is the way adults communicate with children. In his seminal work describing the influence of society and social interactions on the psychosocial development of children, Erikson (1950, 1963) described the developmental crises faced by children at each…

Obesity among children and teens continues to be a major public health concern in the United States. Approximately 16.9% of children and adolescents age 2-19 years are obese. To address this epidemic, schools have been encouraged to develop a coordinated school health program, which includes an interdisciplinary approach to nutrition education.…

This article examines the bicycle as not simply a means of transportation or as an exercise device, but rather as a vehicle for teambuilding and problem solving activities within a physical education curriculum. The activities described in this article focus on bike-centered initiatives that foster creative problem solving. They have universal…

Active gaming is growing in popularity and the idea of increasing children's physical activity by using technology is largely accepted by physical educators. Teachers nationwide have been providing active gaming equipment such as virtual bikes, rhythmic dance machines, virtual sporting games, martial arts simulators, balance boards, and other…

Studies using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to observe the adolescent brain have shown that during adolescence multiple changes are occurring. This can provide a potential explanation for the sporadic and seemingly unpredictable behaviors that appear. It is believed that the brain of an adolescent goes through a profound neurological…

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…

Transitioning into a new role can be difficult in any walk of life, and this is no different for physical educators entering a new teaching environment. In a new setting, a physical educator may go through a socialization process where beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and teaching philosophies are influenced. Teacher socialization research suggests…

By the year 2030, it is predicted that culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners will comprise approximately half of the public school population in the United States. Unfortunately, many pre-service educators enter the teaching field each year lacking knowledge of the experiences and needs of these students. This trend has particular…

Academic Service Learning (ASL) is a non-traditional experiential learning model where students gain experience through community involvement and reflection, and ultimately are able to link community service to academic study. Students understand related course content and civic responsibility via a period of highly structured reflection. This…

With the focus placed on accountability as a result of No Child Left Behind (2001), assessment has come to the forefront of education. However the situation has arisen where teachers teach to the test instead of the test measuring what the students have learned. Learning is a permanent change in a person's skill, knowledge, or behavior due to…

Physical inactivity is of concern for the majority of age groups within the United States. Limited engagement in physical activity (PA) has been linked with an increased risk for a host of health problems, including but not limited to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Benefits of PA are widely documented and accepted yet many people, especially…

By definition, conceptual knowledge is rich in relationships and understanding the kind of knowledge that may be transferred between situations. Despite the lack of importance that Conceptual Physical Education has been given in previous physical education reform efforts, research findings have shown that Conceptual Physical Education along with…