Jean Lemoyne

Career Changes among Physical Educators: Searching for New Goals or Escaping a Heavy Task Load?.

Physical educators experience several occupational constraints and a high risk of physical injury associated with a high attrition rate. Our investigation aimed at identifying the principal career reorientation factors among physical educators and reasons for their career changes. This research used semistructured interviews (n = 53) that were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. While younger teachers frequently invoked job precariousness, the more experienced teachers and those who made a transition toward other teaching functions put more emphasis on teaching problems, work conditions, and physical context. Those who transferred toward administrative duties insisted on their desire for a new challenge. Our study indicates that career reorientation is most often associated with job precariousness and the pursuit of new challenges, respectively, for younger and older physical educators.

Physical self-concept and participation in physical activity in college students.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to test for reciprocal relations between physical self-concept (PSC) and participation in physical activity (PA). We hypothesized specific bidirectional relations between PSC dimensions (i.e., perceived endurance, sport competence, and strength and body attractiveness) and participation in corresponding types of PA (i.e., aerobic exercise, team or individual sports, and strength training). METHODS Data were gathered from a questionnaire administered to 386 college students on two occasions (3-month interval) to assess PSC and participation in PA. RESULTS Structural equation modeling revealed significant paths between each PSC dimension and a corresponding type of PA. Students reported more frequent participation in a specific PA when their PSC concerning the activity was high. However, participation in a given PA did not predict subsequent PSC in the corresponding PA, suggesting unidirectional effects of previous PSC on subsequent participation in PA. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that strategies that contribute to reinforce PSC are primordial and should be targeted as key components for designing effective PA behavior change interventions among college students.

Energy expenditure by elite midget male ice hockey players in small-sided games:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the energy expenditure and heart rate responses elicited in elite male midget ice hockey players during small-sided games. Nine players (aged 15.89 ± 0.33 years) participated in the study. Maximal progressive treadmill testing in the laboratory measured the relationship of oxygen consumption ( V · O 2 ) to heart rate before on-ice assessments of heart rate during six different small-sided games: 1v1, 2v2, 2v2 with support player, 3v3 with support player, 3v3 with transitions, and 4v4 with two support players. Heart rate was recorded continuously in each game. 3v3 T small-sided game was the most intense for all four intensity markers. All six small-sided games reached 89% HRmax or more with heart rate peaks in active effort repetition. These findings demonstrate that such small-sided games are considered as high intensity games and are an effective training method for ice hockey players.

Analyzing Exercise Behaviors during the College Years: Results from Latent Growth Curve Analysis.

The objective of this study is to analyze changes in the predictors of physical activity behavior among college students. The Theory of Planned Behavior served as its theoretical framework. Methods: Among an initial sample of 417 college students, 195 participants completed a validated questionnaire measuring attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, intentions and self-reported physical activity, at the beginning and end of each of 3 college semesters. Latent growth curve modeling analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between the trajectories of changes in PA, intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control. Results: Good fit indices supported the validity of the proposed longitudinal model (CFI > .97, RMSEA < .05). Changes in perceived control (γ = 0.57) were significantly linked with changes in intentions (p < .05). Perceived control (γ = 0.28) and intention growth (γ = 0.36) predicted behavior changes (p < .05). No gender differences were observed on attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control (p > .10). However, girls tend to have higher growth parameters on intentions and physical activity (p < .05). In summary, intentions and physical activity has significantly increased over 3 college semesters (growth parameters significant at p < .05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that attitudes and perceived control are key determinants regarding the intentions of being active. On a longer term perspective, future physical activity interventions should focus on the enhancement of students’ perceived control. Such educational context should help in promoting the adoption of an active lifestyle during college.