Background: Being skillful is a prerequisite for lifelong participation in physical activity (WHO 2022). Hence, investigating the quality of children's skill performance is important. If physical education wants to contribute to the development of a physically active lifestyle, demonstrating whether children apply skills learned in physical…

Purpose: The socialization literature has identified the importance of school administrator support in physical education teachers' work experiences. The purpose of this study was to understand how principals' own socialization influences their perspectives on and support for physical education. Methods: Data were collected through semistructured…

The SHAPE America National Physical Education Standards have long been the foundation for best practices in quality physical education. Following the 10-year cycle for revising the standards, a task force with diverse professional backgrounds convened to update the National Standards with special consideration for stakeholders who will be impacted…

The importance of access to quality physical education (PE) among children is well-documented. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, resulted in significant shifts in PE curriculum delivery alongside a rapid uptake by PE teachers of new technologies. Although some research about integrating technology into teaching does exist, there is very…

Physical educators are often asked to promote whole-school physical activity programming beyond their scheduled class times. Previous research has supported that training in expanded roles would be beneficial during university-based physical education teacher education (PETE) training. In this qualitative study, 13 graduates from a single PETE…

The purpose of this article is to share an advocacy framework that was developed with the hope that it can provide PETE programs, K-12 district coordinators, and other interested physical education professionals an effective way of delivering the concepts and skills related to becoming more effective advocates. The advocacy framework closely…

Golf develops physical skills, provides opportunities for recreation and socialization, and is a lifelong physical activity -- making it a worthwhile addition to any physical education curriculum. This article provides information on how a three-day golf unit can be implemented with students in grades 2 and 3.

The purpose of this research was to examine the pedagogical practices that encourage students with severe disabilities' participation in an elementary physical education program through the lens of ableism. Focus group interviews were conducted with elementary students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight educators in the…

The K-12 health and physical education professions are largely guided and supported by three entities. They include state departments of education, national and state professional associations, and teacher education programs (i.e., health education teacher education [HETE] and physical education teacher education [PETE]). From the outside looking…

Successful educator preparation programs rely on partnerships with K-12 schools. The literature emphasizes the importance of strong partnerships, but illustrates limitations in creating and maintaining partnerships that meet the needs of all parties--the partnering school and its students, the college/university and teacher candidates. The purpose…

In schools today, student trauma and toxic stress may impact students' ability to learn. Therefore, this inquiry explored the experiences and knowledge of 27 physical education (PE) teachers in the United States related to trauma and trauma-informed practices. Teachers' experiences were examined through semi-structured interviews informed by the…

Objectives: In the USA, 18% of school-aged young people are classified as obese, and rural populations appear to be particularly at risk. Achieving high levels of fitness reduces the risk of obesity and underlying health conditions. To better understand youth obesity trends and fitness levels, annual fitness testing ([FT], that is, surveillance)…

Central Tasks of Learning to Teach provided the theoretical framework for the first study involving one in-service elementary physical educator teaching integrated classes while reflecting on three major stages of the teacher's career, (1) the preservice, (2) the induction, and (3) the continuing professional development periods. Data revealed the…

Purpose: Developing physically literate individuals is a major goal of school physical education. To date, no research in the United States has examined physical literacy by simultaneously measuring multiple dimensions among young children. The purpose of this study was to examine students' current status of physical literacy in third grade.…

Using whole child approaches and promoting the development of social and emotional learning skills are educational priorities in today's K-12 schools. SHAPE America's heath.moves.minds. program helps school and community personnel address these priorities via movement-based lessons. PETE faculty can address several national standards and…