Preservice Physical Education Teacher Preparation for Health-Related Fitness Testing: A Faculty Perspective

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to examine how physical education teacher education (PETE) programs prepare preservice physical education teachers (PPETs) for implementing health-related fitness testing (HRFT) in K–12 schools from a faculty perspective. Methods: The study applied a phenomenological approach. Seven PETE faculty participated in this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, online surveys, and course documents. Constant content analysis was performed to generate themes. Results: The study discovered four themes: (a) required courses are the primary means for preparing PPETs to use HRFT, (b) cooperating teachers can negatively influence the faculty’s role in HRFT preparation, (c) PPETs explored the use of HRFT in PETE programs through peer teaching and testing activities, and (d) there was a lack of field-based experiences in local schools for HRFT preparation. Conclusion: PETE programs provided some courses to prepare PPETs for the HRFT implementation with the lack of time and field experience.

Competences of Physical Education Teachers in Education Supported by Digital Technology

“…The findings of the research conducted by Liang et al (2006), as well as the review of numerous studies provided by Liu et al, 2018, show that physical education teachers lack the appropriate knowledge to apply technology in physical education effectively. Other authors present similar results.…”

“…Teachers most often learn about traditional methods of ICT integration in education, while innovative models of ICT integration such as cooperative learning or synchronous and asynchronous online-based learning are not represented (Gibonne, Rukavina and Silverman, 2010). The way physical education teachers are prepared and educated directly affects the way in which they will organize physical education classes (Liu et al, 2018). Therefore, there is a need to pay more attention to the preparation and development of digital competences of future physical education teachers during formal higher education, which would be continued through various teacher training programs.…”

“…The need to reorient educational strategies and introduce new educational models for teaching through the integration of technology into physical education includes the development of the teacher's TPACK model, which has already been described. Since physical education is usually taught in a gym or outdoors, it is important that teachers develop their skills in a context as similar as possible to that expected in their work (Liu et al, 2018).…”