(An item from the ISHN Member information service) One of the trends we have noted in recent articles about physical activity & schools is a focus on improving quality through a number of incremental changes, much like a total quality approach. Several articles in Issue #1, 2014 of Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport are part of this trend, as they discuss teacher effectiveness in physical education. The set of articles are published in response to previous articles in the December 2013 issue of the same journal. The first article examines how student behaviours and expectations affect teaching, noting that "The most vocal students in physical education classes appear to thrive in the current multiactivity, recreation-oriented sport culture that dominates many U.S. physical education programs. They expect lessons with minimal skill and tactical instruction and with maximum opportunities to play ball". The article concludes by contesting an earlier claim that the goals of PE are "muddled". The second article suggests that PE is changing dramatically from the previous three decades of curriculum control led by PE teachers and researchers to one led by education ministries and education faculties. The third article suggests that high quality, daily PE is threatened by current increased demands on schools to be accountable for student performance. The fourth article examines how PE teachers can be accountable for student outcomes as one measure that also includes class observation, student activity levels and student engagement. The final article examines constraints imposed on PE teachers such as administrator support, limited curriculum time, student ability levels and other factors. Read more>>
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