Grace Goc Karp

Preparing Teachers for Inclusion: The Role of Higher Education

Abstract If educators are to mainstream children effectively, they must mainstream the curriculum that prepares teachers (Stein. 1977).

Positions in Kinesiology and Physical Education at the College or University Level.

Many graduates of doctoral programs in kinesiology and physical education (KPE) pursue positions in higher education. To determine how student interests in KPE are aligned with academic positions and the qualifications for and responsibilities of those positions, we conducted two analyses: (a) of student interest based on a survey of 26 doctoral degree programs from 1997-2000, and (b) of position announcements from 1998-2002 in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Overall, 1,483 positions were found. Results showed that competitive candidates need a doctorate degree or ABD (n = 1,108), college/university (n = 695) or K-12 (n = 316) teaching experience, and a record of or potential for scholarly activity (n = 483). Teaching responsibilities were usually in the position subdiscipline, yet candidates need to be prepared to teach a variety of courses. Nonteaching responsibilities included scholarship (n = 723), service (n = 644), and student advisement (n = 543). Doctoral programs in KPE need to determine the future aspirations of degree candidates and offer them a variety of learning experiences and assessments to prepare qualified candidates for these positions.

Developing a Statewide Childhood Body Mass Index Surveillance Program.

BACKGROUND Several states have implemented childhood obesity surveillance programs supported by legislation. Representatives from Idaho wished to develop a model for childhood obesity surveillance without the support of state legislation, and subsequently report predictors of overweight and obesity in the state. METHODS A coalition comprised of the Idaho State Department of Education and 4 universities identified a randomized cluster sample of schools. After obtaining school administrator consent, measurement teams traveled to each school to measure height and weight of students. Sex and race/ethnicity data were also collected. RESULTS The collaboration between the universities resulted in a sample of 6735 students from 48 schools and 36 communities. Overall, 29.2% of the youth in the sample were classified as overweight or obese, ranging from 24.0% for grade 1 to 33.8% for grade 5. The prevalence of overweight and obesity across schools was highly variable (31.2 ± 7.58%). Hierarchical logistic regression indicated that sex, age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and region were all significant predictors of overweight and obesity, whereas school was not. CONCLUSIONS This coalition enabled the state of Idaho to successfully estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity on a representative sample of children from all regions of the state, and subsequently identify populations at greatest risk.

Cultivating Leadership, Pedagogy and Programming for CSPAP and Healthy, Active Lifestyles at the University of Idaho.

This article highlights processes for infusing comprehensive school physical activity programming (CSPAP) into the physical education teacher education (PETE) program at the University of Idaho (UI). The PETE program uses a modified leadership framework to target learning outcomes and activities pertinent to CSPAP. Student CSPAP knowledge and practice is strengthened and put into practice by taking three Department of Movement Science core courses focused on individual and community healthy active lifestyles (HAL). The two community service-learning HAL courses focus on assessment, programming pedagogy and marketing of HAL interventions. Knowledge, skills, dispositions, roles and opportunities are progressively sequenced for preservice students to develop effective Physical Activity Leader (PAL) role knowledge and experience, while meeting state physical education teacher standards. Through PAL training, workshops and teaching opportunities, faculty integrate public health prevention models, behavioral change theories, and motivational strategies in school, after-school and community-based settings. Research activities include leadership skill growth, the link between CSPAP assessment and advocacy, Idaho physical education teacher demand and CSPAP understanding, and the relationship between administrator support and technology use to support CSPAP.

Using critical action research to enhance outdoor adventure education instructional practice

Few research studies have been conducted concerning instructional practices in outdoor adventure education (Crosby, 2000; Phipps & Claxton, 1997). The application of critical action research strategies to enhance instructional practice within an outdoor adventure education preparation program is explored as a possible methodology to add to this knowledge base. The study took place within a program consisting of a collection of college courses called the Outdoor Adventure Leadership Immersion Semester Program (OAL ISP). Nine participants, two apprentice instructors, and the instructor of record were immersed within the experience for four months while conducting the study. Data from evolutive mini group sessions, collaborative discussions, instructional observations, and participant journals revealed three themes regarding the modification of instructional practice. These themes included assessing experience through journal construction, leadership melioration through leader of the day experiences, and enhancing reflection through journal topic development. The methodology used in this study provides a platform from which to examine how to improve outdoor adventure education instructional practice.

Got Ice? Teaching Ice-Skating as a Lifelong Activity

JOPERD • Volume 81 No. 9 • November/December 2010 W ith today’s focus on the importance of lifelong physical activity, “School physical education has been challenged to produce programs that will develop positive activity patterns that youths will carry into adulthood and to foster dispositions that value physical activity” (Lee, 2004). Educators are increasingly offering a variety of lifetime physical activities in their classes, as well as in beforeand after-school activity programs. One such activity that physical educators might want to consider is ice skating. Ice skating is a challenging and rewarding lifetime activity that can improve students’ cardiovascular and muscular strength and endurance, balance and coordination, gross and fine motor skills, and social skills, thereby addressing national standards one, three, four, five, and six (National Association for Sport and Physical Education [NASPE], 2004). As a result of exposure to basic ice-skating skills, students may choose to continue with related activities such as figure skating, hockey, or speed skating outside of school. In the United States, approximately 644,338 youths and adults participate in figure skating, ice hockey, and speed skating, according to recent statistics (Martin, 2008). Most ice-skating rinks have a variety of programs for skill development, competition, and recreation that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. This article explains how to get started with offering an ice-skating program, either as a beforeor after-school activity, or in physical education class if time permits (such as in a block schedule). It discusses rink logistics, safety and equipment, program planning, lesson content, and assessment, and it also offers suggestions for gaining support from schools and parents.

Facilitating collaborative interdisciplinary research: exploring process and implications for leisure scholars

ABSTRACT Many institutions encourage interdisciplinary research (IDR) to maximize organizational resources and to develop more practical approaches to address transdisciplinary ‘real world’ issues such as obesity. Leisure researchers have joined fields such as public health and kinesiology to address increased rates of obesity and physical inactivity with the perspective that these issues require integrated cross-disciplinary knowledge. This case study examined the collaborative process throughout an IDR project involving leisure, health education, physical education and STEM education faculty (five members). The major research questions addressed are as follows: (1) What are the synergies, opportunities and/or obstacles identified by faculty throughout the development, implementation and evaluation of the IDR program? (2) What are the implications of these findings for leisure researchers working in IDR? Faculty responded to email questions and surveys and were interviewed individually before and during the planning phase, during the implementation phase and at the end of the study. All data were transcribed and analyzed inductively, relying on the constant comparative method, with triangulation within and across different data types and member checks. Themes relating to synergies, constraints, understanding of collaborative processes and interdisciplinary knowledge were identified.