A Journey into Narrative Analysis: A Methodology for Discovering Meanings

1998 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly L. Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Human Experience ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Physical Education Students ◽  
Different Types

Narrative analysis uses stories to describe human experience and action Because people give meaning to their lives through the stories they tell, it seems appropriate for those who study human experience to use a research methodology that connects with how people construct the meanings of life experiences. Thus, if the interest is in telling the stories of physical education students, teachers, and classrooms, a methodology is needed that captures how people interpret the meanings of life experiences. Narrative analysis is such a methodology. This article begins with three fictionalized adolescents’ stories. With the stories as an entry point, the power of narrative is examined, followed by an explanation of the different types of narrative inquiry. Next, the mechanics of configuring a narrative are discussed, and the article concludes with illustrations of the need for narrative analysis in physical education research.

Using Cluster Analysis to Examine the Combinations of Motivation Regulations of Physical Education Students

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Ullrich-French ◽  
Anne Cox
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Physical Education Students ◽  
Adaptive Physical Education ◽  
Different Types ◽  
8Th Grade

According to self-determination theory, motivation is multidimensional, with motivation regulations lying along a continuum of self-determination (Ryan & Deci, 2007). Accounting for the different types of motivation in physical activity research presents a challenge. This study used cluster analysis to identify motivation regulation profiles and examined their utility by testing profile differences in relative levels of self-determination (i.e., self-determination index), and theoretical antecedents (i.e., competence, autonomy, relatedness) and consequences (i.e., enjoyment, worry, effort, value, physical activity) of physical education motivation. Students (N = 386) in 6th- through 8th-grade physical education classes completed questionnaires of the variables listed above. Five profiles emerged, including average (n = 81), motivated (n = 82), self-determined (n = 91), low motivation (n = 73), and external (n = 59). Group difference analyses showed that students with greater levels of self-determined forms of motivation, regardless of non-self-determined motivation levels, reported the most adaptive physical education experiences.

The Effect of Different Teaching Strategies on the Moral Development of Physical Education Students

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra L. Gibbons ◽  
Vicki Ebbeck
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Moral Development ◽  
Moral Judgment ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Moral Reason ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Physical Education Students ◽  
And Behavior

This study examined the effectiveness of social learning (SL) or structural developmental (SD) teaching strategies on the moral development of elementary-age students. Participants were 204 physical education students in Grades 4,5, and 6; three classrooms in each grade were randomly assigned to control, SL, or SD groups. Self-report measures assessed moral judgment, reason, and intention; teachers rated prosocial behavior. By mid- and postintervention class-level analyses, the SL and SD groups scored significantly higher than the control on moral judgment and/or intention; by postintervention, the SD group was significantly higher on moral reason. Mid- and postintervention student-level analyses showed that the SL and SD groups scored significantly higher on moral judgment, intention, and behavior; the SD group was significantly higher on moral reason. These results provide support for the effectiveness of both social learning and structural-developmental teaching strategies on the moral development of children in physical education.

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