Todd Layne

Perceived and actual motivational climate of a mastery-involving sport education season.

The purpose of the study was to implement a Sport Education season designed to be mastery-involving and examine the degree of congruence between the objective measure of the presented climate with the students’ perceptions of the saliency of this motivational climate. Twenty-one male high school students (mean age of 15.9 years) and one expert teacher participated in 12 lessons, each of 90 minutes’ duration, of team handball taught using Sport Education. During each phase of the Sport Education season the TARGET motivational climate variables were coded by analyzing the lesson videotapes. Following each phase, students completed the “perceptions of teacher’s emphasis on goals” questionnaire. Results showed a consistent student perception of a mastery climate across all phases of the season. The teacher was able to manipulate the predominantly performance-based task structure of practice style tasks and formal competition within the model to foster a mastery climate with an emphasis on mastery-based recognition and evaluation structures. The latter finding has important instructional implications for facilitating student motivation within the teaching of competitive sports in secondary physical education.

A task analysis of a sport education physical education season for fourth grade students

Background: Previous research on Sport Education in which the participants were in the primary grades has focused on perceptions of fun and enjoyment as well as other components of motivation. To date, no study in Sport Education has examined the accomplishment of the various instructional and managerial tasks by upper primary school children, with the specific purpose of assessing the extent to which they are capable of successfully completing those tasks. Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to determine if upper primary aged children are able to work independently of the teacher and manage the numerous organizational tasks associated with Sport Education. Participants and data collection: The participants in this study were 40, fourth grade students from a school in the southeastern USA. Within both managerial and instructional systems, an ecological framework was used to examine the type of task, task explicitness, task duration, and also the extent to which students were compliant with the task demands. Data analysis: One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the percentage of lesson time for each task across the three season phases to determine if there was difference in the distribution of time over the course of a season. Findings and conclusion: Results indicated that as the season progressed, both managerial and instructional tasks became increasingly implicit and irrespective of the explicitness of task, compliance was high. It was concluded that students in the upper primary grades are indeed capable of successfully working independently of the teacher to achieve the goals of Sport Education.

Competition within Physical Education: Using Sport Education and Other Recommendations to Create a Productive, Competitive Environment.

The use of Sport Education by physical education teachers to implement developmentally appropriate competitive activities is explored. The potential positive and negative consequences of competitive activities are discussed along with suggestions for teachers on how they can foster an appropriate competitive environment in physical education.

Predictors of Swimming Ability among Children and Adolescents in the United States

Swimming is an important source of physical activity and a life skill to prevent drowning. However, little research has been conducted to understand predictors of swimming ability. The purpose of this study was to understand factors that predict swimming ability among children and adolescents in the United States (US). This was a cross-sectional survey conducted between February and April of 2017 across five geographically diverse cities. Participants were accessed through the Young Christian Men’s Association (YMCA) and included parents of children aged 4–11 years old and adolescents aged 12–17 years old. Independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Several factors were significant (p ≤ 0.05) predictors of swimming ability and explained 53% of the variance in swimming ability. Variables that were positively associated with swimming ability included: ability of parent(s) to swim, child/adolescent age, a best friend who enjoys swimming, water-safety knowledge, pool open all year, and encouragement to swim from parent(s). Variables that were negatively associated with swimming ability included: fear of drowning, being African American, and being female. Interventions and programs to improve the swimming ability of children and adolescents could be developed with these predictors in mind.

Youth Swimming Ability and Associated Factors in the United States, 2010-17

Objective Learning to swim is recommended for children to prevent drowning and to promote lifelong physical activity. Dissimilar US youth swimming ability rates by demographics have been reported. Our research purpose was to examine youth swimming ability by selected variables, and to compare with similar research in 2010. Methods USA Swimming Foundation sponsored a cross-sectional study in 5 US cities during 2017. Trained YMCA personnel administered surveys measuring self-reported swimming ability among youth, ages 4-18 (N = 1373). We compared the 2017 results with findings from the 2010 study (N = 1741). Results In 2017, fewer respondents reported no/low swimming ability. However, groups were identified with a high percentage (greater than 50%) of no/low swimming ability including the following ones; girls, African-American boys and girls, and boys and girls who participate in free or reduced-cost lunch programs. Multivariate analysis showed that significant predictors for lower swimming ability were parent education (less than college education), qualifying for free or reduced-cost lunch programs, and being African-American. Conclusion No/low swimming ability groups were identified and continue to need support. Interventions should target children who are African-American, qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch, and have parents with lower levels of education.

Wiffle Ball: Turning a Backyard Favorite into an Appropriate Physical Education Unit.

Wiffle ball is a classic game that has been played by people of all ages. Although there is a potential for inactivity due to limited opportunities to be actively engaged, increased activity time and overall development can occur through appropriate teaching methods. This article explores teaching wiffle ball using the sport education model. The potential for maximizing student learning and enjoyment are discussed, along with suggestions for setting up an appropriate season of play in physical education.

Analysis of teaching physical education to second-grade students using sport education

The purpose of this article was to provide an account of second-grade students and teachers, as well as a non-participant observer, after they participated in a season of Sport Education. For a total of 12 lessons, students participated in a season of developing throwing and catching and kicking skills. Interviews were conducted at the conclusion of the season to collect data from students and teachers regarding their experience. Field notes from the non-participant observer were also recorded. Although Sport Education is commonly introduced to students no earlier than the fourth grade, results revealed that there is the potential for introducing Sport Education to students as early as the second grade, a year in which the children typically turn eight years old. It is suggested that future studies of Sport Education with second-grade students could potentially enhance the learning experience of physical education students at the beginning of their school career.