External developments and intra-professional needs, challenges, and opportunities recommend a workforce research and development agenda. In particular: (a) new models for schools necessitate customized, evidence-based curricula and school/community programs; (b) the effectiveness of every curriculum and program depends on workforce readiness,…

There is a growing trend toward specialization in American youth sport, evident in the number of elite youth competitions and position statements from major medical organizations. Despite growing interest on this topic for kinesiology professionals within higher education, there is a dearth in research regarding the relationship between…

The purpose of this article was to examine Kinesiology Doctoral Students' (DS) perspectives on their pedagogical training received during doctoral study. Using the Kinesiology Doctoral Student (KDS) survey, 121 current and past DS provided information on nine different items related to teacher training. Specifically, these items consisted of…

This article provides an introduction to the literature on interdisciplinary research. It then draws lessons from that literature for the field of adapted physical activity. It is argued that adapted physical activity should be a self-consciously interdisciplinary field. It should insist that research be performed according to recognized…

Kinesiology emerged from its preventative medicine and education roots to establish itself as a recognized field of inquiry with numerous sub-disciplines. This article presents four trends in modern science that will likely influence the future of kinesiology sciences. Will recent increases in greater scientific specialization be overcome by the…

To meet the ever-increasing demand for expertise in human movement as applied to civil and criminal litigation, both private and public organizations have begun to seek the help of highly trained kinesiology specialists with advanced graduate-level university education and training. This paper will begin by identifying the key elements of the…

Physical educators have been over-attentive to the technical and professional prerequisites perceived as necessary for a first job or graduate school. Yet, all students need a sound liberal education if they are going to be contributing members of a society and live rich, productive, and rewarding lives. (MT)

This article discusses issues related to the fragmentation and specialization debate in physical education by identifying factors that have contributed to the knowledge structure. Considered in depth are (1) lack of a clearly defined knowledge structure; and (2) vertical development of subdisciplines dominated by parent disciplines. A solution is…

The current trend in colleges and universities has been to reduce or eliminate physical education programs. Possible reasons for this trend may be due to the identity crisis of the basic instructor program and failure to reorganize from wide-ranging fields of study to narrow disciplinary specialization. (DF)

Integration is suggested to handle faculty specialization and fragmentation in higher education. First, however, the roots and processes of specialization and fragmentation must be analyzed beginning with relationships among professionalization, problem setting, and paradigmatic communities. An analytical frame of reference emphasizes…

This Amy Morris Homans Lecture illustrates and interprets the philosophical meanings behind changing movement patterns in the field of physical education, examining the foreign gymnastic or formal era (1820s to the early 20th century), the natural movement era (1900 through the 1930s), and the present period of change, also called the discipline…