Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers' Knowledge of Appropriate Instructional Practices in Secondary School Physical Education

Secondary school can serve as a time for youth to prepare themselves for the ‘real world’, and physical education can play an important role in this preparation. Yet in the past, secondary school physical education has not been very effective in preparing youth for life after secondary school. One area to help improve secondary school physical education is in the preparation of pre-service physical education teachers. It is during the preparation of pre-service physical education teachers that they will be taught and trained regarding appropriate instructional practices in secondary school physical education. The National Association of Sport and Physical Education created a document regarding appropriate educational practices in secondary school physical education. For this study, a survey was adapted from the National Association of Sport and Physical Education appropriate instructional practice document. Three hundred and thirteen pre-service physical education teachers from seven institutions of higher education throughout the United States were surveyed regarding their knowledge of appropriate instructional practices in secondary school physical education. It was found that pre-service physical education teachers inappropriately answered six of the 18 survey statements (33%) regarding appropriate instructional practices in secondary school physical education. When pre-service physical education teachers graduate and expose secondary school pupils to appropriate practices, there is a better chance the pupils will be prepared for the ‘real world’.