Michael A. Hemphill

Pre-service teacher perspectives of case-based learning in physical education teacher education

Case-based learning (CBL) is a constructivist pedagogy in which students read hypothetical accounts of real world situations and consider how they would respond if facing similar challenges. In physical education teacher education, research has shown that CBL has the potential to promote critical thinking, contribute to students’ cognitive growth and affect students’ value orientations. The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) impressions of and experiences with CBL. Occupational socialization theory and the shared inquiry cycle guided the use of case studies. Nineteen PSTs (6 female, 13 male) enrolled in a third-year seminar course at a large American university took part in this investigation. The PSTs read and responded to 10 unique case studies and engaged in reflection and group discussions. Data were collected from interviews, course documents and non-participant observations. Qualitative analysis revealed that the PSTs demonstrated cognitive growth as evidenced by their consideration of multiple sources of knowledge, engagement with the CBL and focusing on future teaching situations. The findings of this research suggest that CBL may provide a method for instructors to introduce new ideas and allow PSTs to consider them along with their own pre-conceived notions.

Farm to School Program Participation: An Emerging Market for Small or Limited-Resource Farmers?

We sought to examine the benefits and barriers of farm to school participation among small or limited-resource farmers in the Charleston tricounty area within South Carolina and to discuss food policy factors that contribute to both the scalability and sustainability of farm to school programs in South Carolina and nationwide. To achieve these objectives, we administered a modified version of the Farmer Survey developed by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and conducted qualitative research with area farmers. Study findings suggest that, before small or limited-resource farmers will be able to truly consider entering “school” markets, appropriate state- and local-level agriculture infrastructure supports (eg, food safety and good agriculture practice training, market-ready workshops, accessible value-add processing centers, and contract-grow procurement options) should be put in place. Moreover, farm to school trainings and networking events that include school foodservice directors, food distributers, and the farmers themselves should be sponsored by state and local organizations and conducted on a routine basis. Future research should be conducted at the state level (in South Carolina as well as in other states) to better understand farm to school participation benefits and barriers from the perspective of both the farmer and the school foodservice director.

Making PALS Through Partnerships

JOPERD • Volume 83 No. 9 • November/December 2012 I ncreasing physical activity among youths is increasingly becoming a priority for public schools. Gordon-Larson, Nelson, and Popkin (2004) indicated that most adolescents are not physically active and that physical activity levels decline from childhood into adolescence. According to 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, youths “can achieve substantial health benefits by doing moderateand vigorous-intensity physical activity for periods of time that add up to 60 minutes or more each day” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008, p. 15). Since children spend a significant portion of their waking lives in schools, scholars and government agencies have identified instructional physical education and in-school physical activity programs as sites for addressing issues related to inactivity and sedentary behavior (Pate et al., 2006). Similarly, Shephard and Trudeau (2005) noted that, without physical education, the likelihood of achieving even a fraction of the recommended amount of physical activity is significantly reduced for close to half of the nation’s youths. One way to promote physical activity in schools is to improve the quality of physical education being offered. A viable option for working toward this mission is through school-university partnerships aimed at providing continuing professional development (CPD) to physical education teachers (Anderson & Olsen, 2006). In such a relationship, schools partner with local university teacher education programs to develop an ongoing project in which university faculty assist with CPD and inservice teachers assist with the training of preservice teachers (Johnston, Wetherill, & Greenebaum, 2002). Such arrangements have the potential to provide teachers with ongoing support for CPD over a protracted period of time, which has proved vital to teacher learning (Armour & Yelling, 2004). In theory, as teachers engage in CPD their pedagogical practices are more likely to improve, which translates to student learning (Darling-Hammond, 2008). In physical education, this should lead to increases in physical activity levels that, when combined with proper dietary habits and decreased sedentary behavior, should lead to decreases in childhood and adolescent obesity. With this in mind, the purpose of this article is to describe a school-university partnership aimed at increasing children’s physical activity levels through in-school physical education programs.

Positive Youth Development through Physical Activity: Opportunities for Physical Educators

As physical educators continue to advocate for school-based PE, they should also consider ways to extend their work into community settings in an effort to ensure that all kids have an opportunity to develop physical literacy. This article describes how positive youth development programs can provide an opportunity for physical educators to engage with youth outside of the school day.

Exploring the influence of perceived mattering, role stress, and emotional exhaustion on physical education teacher/coach job satisfaction

Job dissatisfaction has been linked to decreased performance and increased workplace turnover. It is, therefore, important to understand the experiences that are associated with physical education teacher job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This study examined relationships among perceived mattering, role stress, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction in teacher/coaches and non-coaching physical education teachers. The participants included 500 physical educators (251 females, 249 males) from the United States. Most participants (91.20%) were Caucasian, and over half (53.60%) coached. Data were collected using an online survey, and analyzed using latent variable modeling procedures. Results supported the conceptual framework, χ2(214) = 511.49, p < .001, RMSEA = .052 (90% CI = [.046, .058], p = .216), SRMR = .06, NNFI = .95, CFI = .96, and commonly experienced pathways were invariant across coaching and non-coaching groups. A key goal for schools should be to increase teacher perceived mattering and reduce role stress and emotional exhaustion.

A Community of Practice that Supported the Transition from Doctoral Student to Faculty Member

Professional collaboration is an important aspect of any field. It allows for individuals to share ideas and be part of a team. The TPSR Alliance has been a space for such professional collaborations where members have been able to both benefit from and contribute to it by sharing research and practices revolving around developing responsible behaviors in youth using the teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) model. We have had the opportunity to be a part of this community over the course of our doctoral education process and during our transition from graduate school to our current academic careers in higher education. The TPSR Alliance was established to foster and sustain work of individuals who had the common goal of developing unique youth-development programs. Programs are designed with the long-term plan of preparing young people for responsible citizenship. The TPSR Alliance became a professional-development forum for us as graduate students, and sustains us through our current practice. The aim of this article is to discuss the assimilation of three distinct group members into this particular community of practice that has offered a sense of belonging, unconditional professional and personal relationships, and empowerment through interactions and collaborations in both graduate school and subsequent careers in academia.