African American Teacher Candidates’ Experiences in Teaching Secondary Physical Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Sato ◽  
Samuel Russell Hodge

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the teaching experiences of African American physical education teacher candidates in secondary physical education programs at urban schools. The research design was explanatory multiple-case study situated in positioning theory (Harré & van Langenhove, 1999). The participants were seven African American physical education teacher candidates. The data sources were interviews, self-reflective journal logs, and e-portfolios. The data were analyzed using a constant comparative method (Boeije, 2010). The thematic findings were: (a) tacit positioning (unconscious and unintentional), (b) self–other discourse, and (c) reflective positioning. The study’s findings offer additional empirical evidence that physical education teacher education programs must do more to better prepare teacher candidates for working in urban schools with greater cultural competency and higher self-efficacy.

Author(s):  
Richard F. Jowers ◽  
Matthew D. Curtner-Smith

Purpose: To construct the life history of an exemplary veteran African American physical education teacher education faculty member. Method: The participant was Dr. Andrew Lewis, a retired professor from the College of Charleston. Data were collected through formal semistructured interviews, informal interviews, and documents and artifacts. They were analyzed using analytic induction and constant comparison. Findings: Key findings were that Lewis experienced a significant amount of marginalization throughout his life and career. In addition, he was subjected to different forms of microaggression and stereotype threat. Lewis dealt with these forms of racism by emulating several of his teachers and professors, working hard, and performing to a high level. In addition, he altered the pedagogy he employed. Conclusion: Lewis’s counter-story has the potential to influence other African American physical education teacher education faculty members, administrators, and those who perpetuate stereotypes of African Americans or deal in microaggressions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoping Fan ◽  
Kevin Patton ◽  
Luciana Zuest ◽  
Craig Buschner ◽  
Cathrine Himberg

The benefits of professional conference attendance include acquisition of knowledge and practical ideas, establishment of professional networks, exploration of job opportunities, and staying current). Yet, to date, no study has comprehensively examined physical education teacher candidates’ (TCs) conference attendance at the national level. Using occupational socialization theory, this study examined physical education TCs’ perceptions of their professional conference attendance. Participants included 12 university physical education TCs attending the 2017 Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) National Convention. Data sources included photo- elicitation interviews, participants’ diaries, photographs, and demographic questionnaires. Interview transcripts and diaries were analyzed utilizing open and axial coding. Photographs were analyzed using a reflexive approach combined with methods recognizing the contingency of visual meanings. Results indicated that the majority of formal conference sessions attended by TCs were activity/movement oriented and were selected based upon professor advice and learner interests. Prominent themes of their experience included future focused learning, relationship building, and breaking out of the comfort zone. Overall, conference attendance represents an impactful learning activity, one in which faculty play an important role in shaping TCs’ professional growth. Results indicate the importance of supporting TCs’ continual learning and development as they transition between phases of teacher socialization.


Author(s):  
Carlos E. Quiñones-Padovani ◽  
Clarena Larrotta

The qualitative research study explored in this chapter took place in a physical education teacher education program at a large public university in Puerto Rico. Study findings are relevant for similar programs in the United States. The research questions guiding the chapter are: (1) What can physical education teacher candidates do to help promote community health awareness? (2) What does transformational learning look like for physical education teacher candidates in a physical education teacher education program? (3) From the point of view of the university instructor, what are the challenges training physical education teacher candidates to promote health awareness? Data collection sources include: The researcher's journal, informal conversations with physical education teacher education university colleagues from different institutions, alumni questionnaire responses, electronic communications with 11 physical education teacher education program graduates, and documents (e.g., the National Association for Sports and Physical Education Standards, and the Physical Education Teacher Education Standards). The authors draw on transformational learning theory as a framework to inform the study, and narrative analysis plays a central role reporting study findings. The chapter includes the following sections: a theoretical framework section discussing how transformational learning theory informs the study; a relevant literature section that provides the definition, benefits, and connection with concepts such as physical activity, community health, and effective teaching in physical education; a qualitative methodology section that describes the study setting and participants; data collection sources and data analysis procedures; a study findings section that is organized by research questions; an implications for practice section; and conclusion.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talha Murathan ◽  
Kübra Özdemir

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of physical education teacher candidates toward the teaching profession and the perceptions of professional competence according to some variables. A total of 351 teacher candidates, studying in the last class of Physical Education and Sport Teaching Department in the Faculty of Sports Sciences and Physical Education and Sports Schools were enrolled as the research group. “Attitude Scale Related to Teacher Education”, “The Candidate Teacher’s Proficiency Perception Scale” and “Personal Information Form” developed by the researchers were applied on the study subjects to collect the data. It was found that according to the universities, there are differences in the perception of professional competence but there is no difference in attitude. It was also found that there is no meaningful difference between professional perceptions and teaching attitudes in terms of sport branches, the situation in which the education section is selected voluntarily or not.


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