David Barney

Effects of Music on Physical Activity Rates of Junior High School Physical Education Students.

Music is an everyday occurrence in a person’s life. Music is heard in the workplace, in homes, and in the mall. Music can also be heard as a person exercises. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music on junior high students (n = 305) step counts and time in activity in junior high school physical education classes. In this study, students wore pedometers, and a 2 (conditions: with and without music) × 2 (activities: basketball and volleyball) crossover design was used. It was found that across all grades (7th, 8th, and 9th) and gender, more steps were taken with music in both activities versus without music. No significant differences were noted in time in activity between activities with music (2,839 steps taken in basketball) than without music (2,494 steps taken in basketball). Music is a tool that can assist junior high school physical educators in meeting the objectives of having students in physical activity for a majority of class time. It made students’ physical activity experience enjoyable.

Land Paddling: Making Fitness Fun

Research has shown that secondary physical education (6-12) is full of team sport activities (football, basketball, volleyball, etc.). These activities are not bad, yet secondary-age students want a greater variety of activities to participate in. One activity that secondary physical educators can implement is Land paddling. Land paddling is similar to stand-up paddle boarding, which is commonly seen in beach areas. Its revolutionary design allows for better balance and control on the long board, while giving riders an upper body and core workout. This new fitness activity is becoming popular not only in physical education programs, but also with many sport teams due to its core training benefits. The purpose of this article is to introduce this activity and inform secondary physical educators how to incorporate it in their curriculum.

Are Your Students Active Enough? A Self-Check.

November/December 2009 In many states, physical education classes must compete and rotate with music, art, computer lab, library and/ or counseling. To meet statemandated minimum weekly time requirements, some districts choose to have all students of a particular grade in physical education at the same time (often to accommodate the classroom teachers’ requests for a common planning period). This practice, however, sometimes results in huge classes of 100+ students. Meanwhile, other districts opt for “quality” over “quantity,” resulting in single or doublesized classes, in which students receive physical education every other day, every third day, or even every fourth day. Regardless of how often or how rarely the physical educator sees his/her students, the amount of time children participate in vigorous physical activity is critical, and teachers have much control over vigorous physical activity during physical education class. Good teaching means many things: activities are developmentally appropriate and aligned with state and NASPE standards, students learn to be lifetime movers, and a high proportion of total class time is spent with students moving, or ALT—PE (Academic Learning Time—PE). Logic suggests that the more experienced the teacher, the more time students spend in vigorous physical activity. Researchers suggest the opposite actually may be true: a study of novice and experienced teachers found that the students of novice teachers spent more time “practicing tasks at appropriate levels of difficulty” than students of the more experienced teachers (Al-Mulla, 2002). Another researcher added that experienced teachers engaged their students in more cognitive time than new teachers (Momodu, 1998). In terms of the research, it appears that new teachers have students practice more; experienced teachers have students listen more. Conversely, van der Mars, Darst, Vogler, & Cusimano (1991) found that the experience level of the teacher did not matter regarding transition time between activities or ALT—PE. Most probably, ALT—PE varies across programs. There is still disagreement about whether ALT—PE varies by sex, ability level, or unit of instruction (Placek, 1982; Woerfel, 1993). In any event, the amount of ALT-PE is critical, particularly given that physical education may be the only active time for students all day or all week. The quality of the movement experiences is critical as well, but the focus of this article is solely Are your Students Active Enough? A Self-Check

Alternatives to Traditional Cardio-Labs: The Interactive Fitness Experience.

July/August 2007 In the last four years Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grants have been made available to physical educators with the purpose of combating the obesity crisis that plagues the country. Obesity among the country’s youths has increased tremendously over the last 30 years (Ogden et al., 2006), therefore creating a need to combat this national epidemic. Through an application process, and based on the needs of the school district, funds are awarded to help and assist physical education programs throughout the country.

9 Square in the Air: Not Your Parents' Traditional Four Square Game

Physical educators are constantly looking for new ideas and activities that will quickly grab the interest of their students. 9 Square in the Air is a game that does just this. The game was developed as a way to integrate students who enjoy volleyball and those who like Four Square. 9 Square in the Air provides the opportunity for students to use many common game skills (i.e., hand-eye coordination, passing, strategizing, defense), while simultaneously learning to cooperate and resolve conflict. This article examines the game, the rules, and implementation and benefits of 9 Square in the Air in physical education. Teachers will also find tips for implementing this game at all levels and drills that will help their students find increasing success. Readers will find that this game embraces many concepts of the comprehensive school physical activity program as well as the National Standards for physical education. Finally, a simple case study depicts exactly how one elementary school implemented 9 Square in the Air and the result of the game in the attitudes and activity of students.

Effects of Teacher-to-Student Relatedness on Adolescent Male Motivation in a Weight Training Class

The purpose of this study was to determine if the motivational profiles of male junior high weight training students differ across levels of teacher-to-student relatedness. One hundred and sixty six students participated in one of two units of instruction. Contextual motivation was measured using the Sport Motivation Scale II–Physical Education (SMS II–PE). Situational motivation and relatedness measurements were assessed using the Situational Motivation Scale-Physical Education (SIMS–PE), Amotivation Inventory–Physical Education Scale (AI–PE), and the Interpersonal Behavior Scale (IBS). Results revealed that situational motivation was not affected by the intervention in either group. Significant differences were observed in students’ contextual motivation. That is, both within-groups’ contextual motivation increased. Though the intervention did not reveal significant differences in students’ situational motivation, it may confirm the complimentary nature of relatedness and autonomy constructs in fostering student self-determination in a physical education setting.

A Review of Swimming Cues and Tips for Physical Education.

Swimming is a low-impact activity that causes little stress on joints so it can be done for a lifetime. Many teachers may wish to teach swimming but do not have cues or ideas for doing so. This article reviews swimming cues, relays and equipment that can help a physical education teacher include a swimming unit in their curriculum. Certification and adaptation for some disabilities are also mentioned.

Bumball: Highly Engaging, Highly Inclusive, and Highly Entertaining.

Physical educators are always looking for new and exciting games and activities in which students can participate. This article describes Bumball, a high-intensity game that provides the opportunity for students to use many common game skills, such as hand-eye coordination, passing to a target, running, playing defense, and getting to an open space. The game was developed in Denmark and is regularly played in several European countries. It is an affordable, adaptable, and amusing game that is appropriate for physical education classes and recreational settings.

A Coach’s Example Is Important: Coaching Education Can Play a Part

Coaching is a very visible profession, to the point that a coach’s every move is scrutinized. This was clearly evident in the tragic events that transpired in 2011, involving legendary American football coach Joe Paterno at Penn State University. With this high visibility, coaches need more than ever to set good examples for those they represent. In school or college settings they represent athletes, parents, the student body, administrators, and the community. The purpose of this commentary is to reinforce a coach’s responsibility to set a good example and the responsibility of coaching educators in preparing future coaches to be good examples.

Zumba: From Secondary Physical Education Classes to Adulthood Workouts: Staying Up to Date with the Growing Trends of Physical Activity In and Out of the Schools

The bell rings signaling the end of class and 27 sweaty high school students begin to grumble. “Why does class have to be over?” complains one student. “I wish I could have this class every day,” s...