European Physical Education Review current issue

Explaining differences in sport participation rates among young adults: Evidence from the South Caucasus

Birchwood, D., Roberts, K., Pollock, G. — 2009-01-09

This paper presents and discusses evidence about the sport careers of representative samples of 31—37 year olds from the capital city and a comparator region in each of the three South Caucasus countries —Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. This is one of the few surveys to measure sport participation that allows change over time at the aggregate and individual levels to be distinguished. The evidence suggests that many differences in sport participation rates that are commonly attributed to circumstances and experiences after age 16 (higher education, for example) already exist at age 16, and that family cultures are the source of crucial predispositions to participate which have lasting effects. The evidence, from countries that up to 1991 shared the Soviet education and sport systems, also suggests that ethnic/national cultures that predate communism have outlived communism and are now a major explanation of inter-country differences in rates of sport participation in the South Caucasus. Finally, the evidence indicates that sport facilities do indeed make a difference, but only by enabling those who are predisposed to take part in sport.

Competencies in physical education teaching: Slovenian teachers' views and future perspectives

Kovac, M., Sloan, S., Starc, G. — 2009-01-09

This paper examines Slovenian physical education (PE) teachers' (n = 85) estimations of their own actual and desired professional competencies with the aim of diagnosing the main needs of practising PE teachers and resolving them within a revised Slovenian Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) curricula and through continued professional development programmes. Results show that PE teachers realistically acknowledge their own deficiencies within certain areas of practice, that during their training they are required to develop knowledge that is not directly applicable in PE classes, thus further detracting from the development of more relevant practically orientated knowledge, and that the reorganization of the Slovenian educational system during the last 15 years presented widespread demands that were not accompanied by appropriate professional institutional support. Their relative disinterest in the competencies developed through the subdisciplinary studies indicates that the mode and contents of the subdisciplinary subjects in the present PETE curriculum should be reviewed and refocused on the contents of the revised primary and secondary school curricula.

Pleasure and pain: Experiences of fitness testing

Wrench, A., Garrett, R. — 2009-01-09

The obesity crisis is a hegemonic discourse that has established common-sense understandings that young people are less active and fit than previous generations. Unquestioning acceptance of links between fitness and obesity in turn leads to unproblematic fitness testing of young people. Argument is made that fitness tests motivate and encourage participation in physical activity. Poststructural perspectives as informed by the work of Michel Foucault invite consideration of alternative possibilities around complex social phenomena such as the obesity crisis and pedagogical practices such as fitness testing. This research was informed by concerns about the unproblematic fitness testing of young people and calls for pedagogies of physical education that work to unsettle dominant discourses. The research investigates the experience of fitness testing from the perspective of university students pursuing health and physical education pathways through their degree programmes. Experiences of fitness testing were explored and the meanings made around participation, performances and results were interrogated.

A qualitative investigation into the characteristics and effects of music accompanying exercise

Priest, D.-L., Karageorghis, C. I. — 2009-01-09

The purpose of the present study was to identify the characteristics of music used to accompany physical exercise and investigate the effects of such music using a qualitative approach. This work underpins the further development of a theoretical structure that is still relatively new. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of exercise participants (N = 13), seven males and six females, all with at least two years' experience of exercising to music. An inductive content analysis of the interview data was undertaken and results contrasted with the conceptual model developed by Karageorghis et al. (1999) which describes the effects of musical and cultural factors with reference to psychophysical outcomes. The findings demonstrated the importance of musical (e.g. rhythm, lyrics, bass), contextual (e.g. time of day) and individual factors (e.g. background, personality) in determining both short-term (e.g. mood, imagery) and long-term (e.g. heightened work-rate, endurance) outcomes. The findings point towards a more expansive conceptual framework. In particular, facets of the response to music such as flow state, cognitive responses, rhythm response and anticipation are discussed. Music perceived to be motivating could lead to increases in exercise intensity and endurance during performance of self-regulated tasks. These findings have implications for the use of music in physical education settings.

Manipulation of motivational climate in physical education: Effects of a seven-month intervention

Barkoukis, V., Tsorbatzoudis, H., Grouios, G. — 2009-01-09

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of an intervention programme that manipulated task, authority, recognition, grouping, evaluation and time (TARGET) structures on the cognitive and affective response of students to their physical education (PE) lesson. The sample consisted of 374 high school students (M age = 13.8, S.D. = .73) assigned to either an intervention or a control group. The students completed measures of perceptions of motivational (task- and ego-involving) climate, dispositional achievement goals (task and ego orientation), intrinsic motivation and trait anxiety (cognitive processes, somatic anxiety and worry). The questionnaires were administered at the beginning and at the end of the academic year, that is, within a period of seven months. In between the two measurements, PE teachers taught the intervention group using the TARGET structures. The results of a Multilevel Random Coefficient Modelling indicated that students in the intervention group reported higher levels of teachers' emphasis on learning orientation, students' learning orientation, students' task orientation, enjoyment and perceived competence, and lower levels of worry after the intervention. These findings support the positive influence of TARGET structures on cognitive and affective responses of the students to PE lessons.

`Does knowing stuff like PSHE and citizenship make me a better teacher?': Student teachers in the teacher training figuration

Velija, P., Capel, S., Katene, W., Hayes, S. — 2009-01-09

One of the key elements of figurational sociology is the emphasis on understanding complex networks of interdependencies in which people are involved. The focal point of this paper is the process of initial teacher training (ITT) and the relationships of which student teachers are part during their ITT course. The paper does not look at what student teachers ought to think; rather, it is an exploration of why student teachers may think the way they do. The paper uses data which were collected as part of a larger project funded by a Teacher Training Agency small research grant. Results suggest that student teachers value aspects of their course differently. In particular, student teachers value university practical sessions and school-based experiences over university-based theory sessions, which are considered irrelevant to the actual practice of teaching. Despite attempts by university tutors to engage student teachers in academic discourses about the nature of physical education (PE), student teachers' perceptions of PE did not change during their course. Further, student teachers perceived conflict between the university-based theoretical elements and the school-based elements of the course.

Children's motivational experiences following autonomy-supportive games lessons

Mandigo, J., Holt, N., Anderson, A., Sheppard, J. — 2009-01-09

The objectives of this study were (a) to examine students' motivational experiences arising from their participation in games lessons based on autonomy-supportive strategies; and (b) to examine the interaction between boys' and girls' motivational experiences across different categories of games. A total of 759 students (380 F, 379 M) from 37 classes (grades four to seven) were taught a lesson from one of four game categories (i.e. target, net/wall, batting/fielding, invasion) using autonomy-supportive techniques. Following the lessons children completed various measures to assess their motivational experiences. Significant between-subject differences did emerge for both gender and games category. Girls reported higher levels of optimal challenge, perceived autonomy-support, and enjoyment whereas boys reported higher levels of perceived competence. For the games category, participants reported higher levels of self-determined motivation in net/wall games whereas invasion games received the lowest motivational ratings of the four games categories.

Acknowledgement of reviewers and translators 2008

2009-01-09