Following the Yellow Brick Road: A Teacher’s Journey along the Proverbial Career Path

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan K. Lynn ◽  
Amelia Mays Woods

The Fessler and Christensen (1992) teacher career cycle model provides the theoretical framework for this case study incorporating a narrative design nested within a larger research project examining six teachers’ journey across the career cycle (Woods & Earls, 1995; Woods & Lynn, 2001). The current case study sought to gain a greater understanding of why one teacher, Patsy, was unable to negotiate environmental hurdles that are commonplace in physical education and how these factors were being negotiated as a classroom teacher. Data sources included: seven interviews with the participant, multiple interviews with her principals, spouse, and three former university teacher educators, field notes from live lesson observations, and related documents. An interpretative framework was used to understand the perceptions and meanings Patsy gave to her experiences and revealed that she reported being both positively and negatively affected by most of the personal and organizational environmental factors in the teacher career cycle model. Viewing Patsy’s teaching career through the lens of the career cycle provides insight into areas of change necessary to motivate and retain quality physical education teachers.

1993 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Graham ◽  
Mark Manross ◽  
Christine Hopple ◽  
Tom Sitzman

In recent years several studies have compared experienced and inexperienced teachers as they teach the same topics to similar groups of children or perform the same planning or observation tasks. This study compares the way 3 novice (NT) and 3 experienced (ET) teachers teach the same content (dribbling) to the same intact classes of children (Grades 3-5). Interviews, field notes, and document analyses were employed to determine how these 6 teachers varied in their planning and teaching. The NTs tended to be more subject-centered. They relied on textbooks and university courses to develop an extensive progression of tasks to present to classes. The lessons of the ETs, in contrast, were more child-centered and tailored to a particular class. The NTs, who tended to be unsure which tasks would succeed, presented more tasks. The ETs, who knew which tasks would be appropriate, devoted more time to fewer tasks and provided a higher percentage of learning cues. The results will be of particular interest to teacher educators; the implications are discussed in the concluding section.


Author(s):  
Alina Slapac ◽  
Sujin Kim

This chapter examined the development of a classroom community through a case study of a kindergarten teacher in a Spanish language immersion school. Case study data includes observational field notes, classroom artifacts, informal conversations, and interviews with an immersion kindergarten classroom teacher. Additionally, interviews with the two administrators from the Spanish and French immersion schools (networking schools) were collected and analyzed to learn about their perspectives regarding culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices and their commitment to encouraging the creation of classroom communities within their schools. The results revealed both the administrators and the case teacher in the kindergarten classroom supported practices of drawing from their own and students' cultural identities and resources to create a culturally responsive learning and social environment, in partnership with students and families. Recommendations for future studies on diverse early childhood settings are discussed in regards to teacher preparation and policy enactment.


Author(s):  
Míriam Rocher ◽  
Bruno Silva ◽  
Gonçalo Cruz ◽  
Renato Bentes ◽  
Josep Lloret ◽  
...  

Participating in outdoor sports in blue spaces is recognized to produce a range of significant social benefits. This case study empirically analyzes the social benefits associated with the School Nautical Activities project carried out in Viana do Castelo (Portugal) in school-age children and adolescents. It consisted of a 4 year program in which scholars took part in nautical activities (surfing, rowing, sailing, and canoeing) in blue spaces once a week during a semester as a part of their physical education course. The methods used for data collection were as follows: (1) a survey answered by 595 participants in the program and (2) five focus groups (FG): two FGs with participants (seven on each FG), two FGs with their parents (eight participants each), and one FG with the physical education teachers (five participants). Interviews were transcribed and qualitative analysis with NVivo software was developed. Results revealed clear evidence on the social benefits for school-age children and adolescents associated with participation in outdoor activities in blue spaces both in the overall health and in all the following analyzed categories: mental health and well-being, education, active citizenship, social behavior, and environmental awareness. More than 40% state that their overall health is much better now (13.4%) or somewhat better now (29.9%) due to their participation in the program. Thus, this article provides support for the anecdotal recognition of the benefits for school-age children and adolescents from participating in sports in the outdoors and especially in blue spaces.


2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 1019-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve Bernstein ◽  
Ulana Lysniak

Physical education teachers’ ( N = 9) beliefs and implementation of competitive activities for middle school multicultural student populations (Grades 6-8) in physical education class in the Greater New York area were examined. Data were collected by nonparticipant observation and field notes, two semistructured interviews, and postobservation informal interviews. The theory of reasoned action guided the study. Three themes emerged: competitive activities, an introduction to culture; using demonstration to teach competitive activity skills to diverse students; and creating community. Successful instruction of diverse students was observed; however, fully incorporating cultural relevance through competitive activities was not fully demonstrated.


1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josée Perron ◽  
Peggy J. Downey

The purpose of this study was to describe the management techniques used by high school physical education teachers immediately before (preactive) and after (reactive) student behavior. Eight experienced physical educators were videotaped as they each taught four lessons of their regular schedule. Formal and informal interviews with the teachers were audiotaped and/or recorded in field notes. Management techniques observed during lessons or described during interviews were analyzed by deduction using the 22 categories of Henkel’s (1991) Physical Education Pupil Control Inventory (PEPCI). New categories were developed by induction to accommodate observed or discussed techniques that could not be coded into Henkel’s categories. These secondary physical education teachers used 28 different management techniques, including 21 (75%) from Henkel’s PEPCI and 7 (25%) others observed by the researcher or described by the teachers. Findings contribute to a foundation for further research into the positive management of student behavior.


2008 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nate McCaughtry ◽  
Kimberly L. Oliver ◽  
Suzanna Rocco Dillon ◽  
Jeffrey J. Martin

We used cognitive developmental theory to examine teachers’ perspectives on the use of pedometers in physical education. Twenty-six elementary physical education teachers participating in long-term professional development were observed and interviewed twice over 6 months as they learned to incorporate pedometers into their teaching. Data were analyzed via constant comparison. The teachers reported four significant shifts in their thinking and values regarding pedometers. First, at the beginning, the teachers predicted they would encounter few implementation challenges that they would not be able to overcome, but, after prolonged use, they voiced several limitations to implementing pedometers in physical education. Second, they anticipated that pedometers would motivate primarily higher skilled students, but found that lesser skilled students connected with them more. Third, they moved from thinking they could use pedometers to teach almost any content to explaining four areas of content that pedometers are best suited to assist in teaching. Last, they shifted from seeing pedometers as potential accountability tools for student learning and their teaching to identifying key limitations to using pedometers for assessment. Our discussion centers on connecting these findings to teacher learning and professional development, and on the implications for teacher educators and professional development specialists advocating pedometers in physical education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Deise de Jesus Soares Nunes ◽  
Maria Amélia da Costa Lopes ◽  
Maria Amélia Pina Tomás Veiga

A educação equitativa e de qualidade para todos os cidadãos é uma das mais importantes formas de ultrapassagem das desigualdades que ainda se fazem sentir fortemente nas sociedades. A qualidade dos professores é uma dimensão central dos processos educativos, a qual depende em grande parte da qualidade da formação inicial. Este artigo apresenta uma pesquisa desenvolvida com o objetivo de explorar as características das identidades de professores formadores e dos climas de formação que formam professores focados na inclusão social e na humanização. Teoricamernte o estudo ancora-se no conceito de identidade profissional.  Metodologicamente, a pesquisa segue uma orientação qualitativa que se estrutura através de entrevista em grupo com professoras formadoras de um curso de ensino da educação física em uma universidade portuguesa e de análise documental sobre o ensino superior em Portugal a nível nacional e a nível da instituição das pessoas em estudo. A instituição foi escolhida devido à qualidade reconhecida de seu curso. Para dar conta da identidade dos formadores, a entrevista considerou o percurso profissional dos professores formadores e a sua perspectiva sobre a formação inicial; os documentos incluíram legislação, planos de estudos, ementas de documentos de auto e hétero avaliação do curso. A análise sugere que é possível a academia formar professores para a inclusão e a humanização, nomeadamente em certas condições: (i) existência de identidades duais (de registro acadêmico e profissional) e (ii) existência de verdadeiras comunidades de prática de professores formadores, professores cooperantes e estudantes estagiários.Palavras-chave: Formação de Professor. Percurso Profissional.  Ensino da Educação Física.Can the academy train teachers? An experience of training physical education teachers at the universityABSTRACTEquitable and quality education for all citizens is one of the most important ways to overcome the inequalities that are still strongly felt in societies. The quality of teachers is a central dimension of educational processes, which largely depends on the quality of initial training. This article presents a research developed with the objective of exploring the characteristics of the identities of teacher educators and the training climates that form teachers focused on social inclusion and humanization. Theoretically, the study is based on the concept of professional identity. Methodologically, the research follows a qualitative orientation that is structured through a group interview with teachers who teach a physical education teaching course at a Portuguese university and documentary analysis on higher education in Portugal on national level and on studied people institutional level. The institution was chosen due to the recognized quality of its course. To account for the identity of the trainers, the interview considered the professional path of the teacher educators and their perspective on initial training; the documents included legislation, study plans, menus for self and straight course evaluation documents. The analysis suggests that it is possible for the academy to train teachers for inclusion and humanization, namely under certain conditions: (i) existence of dual identities (of academic and professional record) and (ii) existence of true communities of practice for teacher educators, cooperating teachers and student trainees.Keywords: Teacher Training. Professional Path. Physical Education Teaching.¿Puede la academia formar profesores? Una experiencia de formación de profesores de educación física en la universidadRESUMENLa educación equitativa y de calidad para todos los ciudadanos es una de las formas más importantes de superar las desigualdades que aún se sienten con fuerza en las sociedades. La calidad de los docentes es una dimensión central de los procesos educativos, que depende en gran medida de la calidad de la formación inicial. Este artículo presenta una investigación desarrollada con el objetivo de explorar las características de las identidades de los formadores de docentes y los climas de formación que forman los docentes enfocados en la inclusión social y la humanización. Teóricamente, el estudio se basa en el concepto de identidad profesional. Metodológicamente, la investigación sigue una orientación cualitativa que se estructura a través de una entrevista grupal con profesores que imparten un curso de docencia de educación física en una universidad portuguesa y un análisis documental sobre la educación superior en Portugal a nivel nacional y a nivel institucional. La institución fue elegida por la reconocida calidad de su curso. Para dar cuenta de la identidad de los formadores, la entrevista consideró la trayectoria profesional de los formadores de docentes y su perspectiva sobre la formación inicial; los documentos incluían legislación, planes de estudio, menús para autoevaluación y documentos de evaluación del curso. El análisis sugiere que es posible que la academia capacite a los docentes para la inclusión y la humanización, es decir, bajo ciertas condiciones: (i) existencia de identidades duales (de expediente académico y profesional) y (ii) existencia de verdaderas comunidades de práctica para los formadores de docentes, profesores colaboradores y alumnos en formación.Palabras clave: Formación Docente. Carrera. Enseñanza de la Educación Física.


2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-62
Author(s):  
Raymond Yuk Kwong LIU

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.Given that, at present, assessment in the Teaching Games for Understanding approach is at a developmental stage, this paper is to articulate an effective and efficient assessment blueprint for Physical Education teachers to adopt this new games teaching approach in the teaching of ball games in schools. Through a case study involving PE teachers, this researcher has confirmed that the proposed assessment method is both effective and has practical value. Basing on the findings, it is recommended that, during implementation, students should not be solely assessed by the teacher, but as well by their peers; such mode of assessment is strongly recommended by the Curriculum Development Council of Hong Kong.目前「領會敎學法」評估的方法仍在發展探索階段中。本文的目的是建議一種評估方法,讓體育敎師能在採用「領會敎學法」敎授球類課時,也可以採用一套有效及可行的評估方法,衡量學生的真正球類活動的表現。作者透過個案研究,印證這種評估方法能有效的量度學生球類活動的整體表現能力,和這方法在學校施行上也很容易。作者並建議,在評估過程中,除了敎師評估學生外,也採納學生互評方法,這評估安排,也是課程發展議會在體育課程改革中所提倡的多元化的評估策略和模式之一。


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