Physical Activity, Lesson Context and Teacher Behavior in Large Physical Education Classes

With the advent of national and international concern about children’s decreasing activity levels, a number of interventions have been put in place that aim to promote cardiovascular health. These include national trials such as CATCH (Perry, Sellers, & Johnson, 1997) and SPARK (Sallis, McKenzie, Alcaraz, Kolody, Faucette, & Hovell, 1997). At a more programmatic level, there has been increasing attention towards the expansion of school physical education, dissuading children from pursuing sedentary activities, providing suitable role models for physical activity, and making activity-promoting changes in the environment (Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, 2006).

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Activity Levels during Physical Education and Recess in Two Special Schools for Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly ◽

10.1123/apaq.25.3.247 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 247-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Cindy H.P. Sit ◽

Thomas L. McKenzie ◽

John M.G. Lian ◽

Alison McManus

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Total Activity ◽

Teacher Behavior ◽

The Other ◽

Observation System ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Special Schools ◽

Lesson Context

This study compared physical education (PE) and recess in two markedly different special schools for children with mild intellectual disabilities; one school had a reputation for focusing on sports (High Sport Focus-HSF) and the other did not (Low Sport Focus-LSF). Data were collected in 24 PE classes and 48 recess periods using a validated observation system. During both PE and recess, HSF students engaged in physical activity (PA) at greater intensity levels, but LSF students accrued more total activity min. Differences in PA during PE between the schools were associated with both lesson context and teacher behavior. The results suggest written (e.g., scheduling) and unwritten policies within schools affect children’s activity levels.

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Class context, teacher behavior, and physical activity levels during physical education classes

Journal of Physical Education ◽

10.4025/jphyseduc.v32i1.3243 ◽

1989 ◽

Author(s):

Josieli Regina Brey ◽

◽

Alessandra Cardozo Machado Suga ◽

Alexandre Augusto De Paula Da Silva ◽

Ciro Romelio Rodriguez-AñezRogriguez-A ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Teacher Behavior ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Classroom Context ◽

Systematic Observation ◽

School Students ◽

Class Time

The aim of this study was to test the association between classroom context, teacher’s behavior and the physical activity (PA) level of elementary school students during physical education (PE) classes. Eighteen PE classes from six schools were evaluated. Classrrom context and teacher’s behavior were assessed by systematic observation (SOFIT) while students' PA level was measured by accelerometry. Data were treated by descriptive statistics and presented as a proportion of class time in sedentary behavior and at different PA levels. Association between classroom context and teacher behavior with different PA levels was tested by binary logistic regression. The student spent more time during PE class in light (40.8%) and vigorous (40.9%) PAs. The largest proportion of class time was allocated to the context of: structured games (35.8%), skill practice (23.2%) and management (21.7%) context represented 80.7% total time of PE class. The most frequent behavior of the teacher were: general instruction (45.5%), management (28.7%) and observing (18.3%). It was found that the proportion of student’s time in sedentary behavior and at different levels of PA during the PE class varied according to the context of the class and the teachers' behavior.

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Maintenance of Effects of the Catch Physical Education Program: Results from the Catch-on Study

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198103253535 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 447-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Thomas L. McKenzie ◽

Donglin Li ◽

Carol A. Derby ◽

Larry S. Webber ◽

Russell V. Luepker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Staff Development ◽

Program Implementation ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Development Programs ◽

Direct Observations ◽

And Control

Long-term maintenance effects of physical education (PE) curriculum and staff development programs have not been studied. The authors assessed the sustainability of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) PE intervention using direct observations of 1,904 PE lessons in former intervention and control schools in four U.S. states 5-years postintervention. Student physical activity levels, lesson contexts, and level of CATCH PE training of teachers were analyzed. Student energy expenditure levels and proportion of PE time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in intervention schools were maintained 5 years later, but vigorous activity declined sharply. Meanwhile, postintervention gains in former control schools, influenced by delayed program implementation and secular trends, resulted in a convergence of activity levels in intervention and control schools. Use of CATCH PE curricula was associated with increased levels of teacher training and school support for PE in both former intervention and control schools.

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Girls?? Physical Activity Levels and Lesson Context during Middle School Physical Education

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1097/00005768-200405001-00480 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 36 (Supplement) ◽

pp. S101

Author(s):

Thomas McKenzie ◽

Diane Catellier ◽

Terry Conway ◽

Larry Webber ◽

Leslie Lytle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Middle School ◽

Physical Education ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Lesson Context

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Student Activity Levels, Lesson Context, and Teacher Behavior during Middle School Physical Education

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport ◽

10.1080/02701367.2000.10608905 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 71 (3) ◽

pp. 249-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 132

Author(s):

Thomas L. McKenzie ◽

Simon J. Marshall ◽

James F. Sallis ◽

Terry L. Conway

Keyword(s):

Middle School ◽

Physical Education ◽

Teacher Behavior ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Student Activity ◽

Lesson Context

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Preschooler's physical activity levels and associations with lesson context, teacher's behavior, and environment during preschool physical education

Early Childhood Research Quarterly ◽

10.1016/j.ecresq.2011.09.007 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 221-230 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Van Cauwenberghe Eveline ◽

Labarque Valery ◽

Gubbels Jessica ◽

De Bourdeaudhuij Ilse ◽

Cardon Greet

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Lesson Context

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Changes in physical activity levels, lesson context, and teacher interaction during physical education in Australian schools

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport ◽

10.1016/j.jsams.2012.11.214 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. S89

Author(s):

D. Dudley ◽

T. Okely ◽

P. Pearson ◽

W. Cotton

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Teacher Interaction ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Lesson Context

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Physical Activity Levels, Lesson Context, and Teacher Behaviours in Elementary Physical Education Classes Taught by Paraeducators

International Journal of Elementary Education ◽

10.11648/j.ijeedu.20130203.11 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 23 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

James C. Hannon

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Elementary Physical Education ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Lesson Context

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SOFIT: System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time

Journal of Teaching in Physical Education ◽

10.1123/jtpe.11.2.195 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 195-205 ◽

Cited By ~ 220

Author(s):

Thomas L. McKenzie ◽

James F. Sallis ◽

Philip R. Nader

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Education ◽

Direct Observation ◽

Fourth Grade ◽

Teacher Behavior ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Observation Instrument ◽

Instruction Time ◽

Context Variables ◽

Physical Activity Levels

This paper describes SOFIT (System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time), an observation instrument designed to assess variables associated with students’ activity levels and opportunities to become physically fit in physical education. SOFIT involves the direct observation of classes while simultaneously recording student physical activity levels, curriculum context variables, and teacher behavior. The paper reports the reliability, validity, and feasibility of using the instrument, as well as data from using SOFIT to assess 88 third- and fourth-grade classes.

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