The present study aimed to identify the impact of social distancing measures on adolescents’ phys... more The present study aimed to identify the impact of social distancing measures on adolescents’ physical activity (PA) levels and well-being during the implementation of COVID-19 restrictive measures. There were 438 participants (207 boys and 231 girls), aged 12 to 15 years old (M = 13.5, SD = 0.55). They completed online questionnaires on well-being and PA in three waves (December 2020, February 2021, and June 2021). Correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between well-being and PA variables in the three measurements. Additionally, separate three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to capture possible differences in students’ moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels, life satisfaction, and subjective vitality among the three measurements due to gender, age, and interaction between gender and age. A significant relation emerged between the MVPA variables and well-being. In all measurements, adolescents’ PA levels did not meet the World Health...
IntroductionPhysical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the su... more IntroductionPhysical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the substantial efforts made by researchers and policymakers. Identifying and furthering our understanding of potential modifiable determinants of physical activity behaviour (PAB) and sedentary behaviour (SB) is crucial for the development of interventions that promote a shift from SB to PAB. The current protocol details the process through which a series of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (MAs) will be conducted to produce a best-evidence statement (BESt) and inform policymakers. The overall aim is to identify modifiable determinants that are associated with changes in PAB and SB in children and adolescents (aged 5–19 years) and to quantify their effect on, or association with, PAB/SB.Methods and analysisA search will be performed in MEDLINE, SportDiscus, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cont...
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between students’ perceived motivation... more The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between students’ perceived motivational climate (mastery and performance), satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and self-talk (positive and negative) in physical education (PE). Six hundred six students (282 males, 315 females, 9 did not provide their gender), aged 10 to 17 years old (Mage = 13.32 ± 2.12), from seven primary schools (n = 250), five secondary schools (n = 131), and eight high schools (n = 225) in Greece voluntarily participated in this study. During a PE class, students completed online a number of valid and reliable questionnaires measuring perceived motivational climate, basic psychological needs, and self-talk. Results showed that students’ positive self-talk was positively related to mastery motivational climate, autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In contrast, negative self-talk was positively related only to performance motivational climate and negativel...
Background/Purpose: Partnership is an important characteristic in ballroom dance competitions. A ... more Background/Purpose: Partnership is an important characteristic in ballroom dance competitions. A partnership scale was developed as a self-evaluation tool of ballroom dance sport participants’ togetherness (Kim, 2011). The purpose of this study was to calibrate a partnership scale for dance sport participants using the Rasch Rating Scale model, an advanced measurement model. Method: The 18-item scale was administered to 301 participants who were actively involved in dance sport in Seoul, Korea. The parameters of item difficulty and participants’ partnership level and differential item functioning (DIF) between men and women were examined. Model–data fit was determined by infit and outfit statistics (. .7 and # .3). Analysis/Results: Overall, the model fit the data well, except for one item (“Our couples receive judges’ smiles during the competition”). The most negative response items were, “Our couples receive judges’ attention during the competition” (logits 1⁄4 .58) and “Our couples become the center of judges’ interest” (.47). The most positive response items were, “Our couples respect each other” (21.19) and “Our couples behave courteously to each other” (21.01). The overall mean of partnership level was 0.00 (SD 1⁄4 0.57) in logits, which showed reasonable spread along the scale. Three items (“Our couples receive cheers from spectators”; “Our couples receive judges’ attention during the competition”; and “Our couples respect each other”) were identified as having significant DIF between male and female partners. Conclusions: Although the model fit the data well, additional efforts should be made to improve the measurement equivalence of a partnership scale between male and female partners.
This study is aimed at examining physical education student teachers' experiences with, belie... more This study is aimed at examining physical education student teachers' experiences with, beliefs about, and intention to use Spectrum teaching styles in the future (Mosston & Ashworth, 2002). Two hundred and eighty eight Physicak Education student teachers participated in the study whereas data were collected using a modified and translated version of the questionnaire developed by Cothran, Kulinna, and Ward's (2000). Participants in the study reported that as primary and secondary education students they had been more frequently exposed to reproduction teaching styles in their physical education classes whereas exposure to what can be described as productive styles had been substantially less frequent. In terms of beliefs, student teachers participating in the study perceive that the reproduction teaching styles provide students with more opportunities for fun, learning skills, and motivation for learning. In addition, as physical education instructors in the future student ...
The purpose of this study was to examine Greek preservice physical education (PE) teachers’ presu... more The purpose of this study was to examine Greek preservice physical education (PE) teachers’ presuppositions, beliefs and mental models about the reproduction and production teaching styles. The participants were 16 preservice PE teachers (10 males, six females). A qualitative methodology was used with data collected using semi-structured interviews. A multi-level analysis process using open coding and axial coding was sequentially conducted. Findings revealed two generative mental models about teaching styles. For the first mental model ( n = 5), learning is considered as a transmissive and unidimensional (i.e. one goal pursued at a time) process. Presuppositions supported by this mental model urge the preservice teachers to believe that the reproduction teaching styles promote effective learning, class control, students’ safety and discipline. For the second mental model ( n = 11), learning is viewed as a constructivist and multidimensional (i.e. multiple goals pursued at a time) p...
Abstract The study aimed to identify participants' teaching preferences and the underlying re... more Abstract The study aimed to identify participants' teaching preferences and the underlying reasons that support the implementation of the reproduction and production teaching approaches. Ten physical education (PE) teachers (6 males and 4 females) participated in the research. The phenomenological analysis indicated that the majority of the sampled PE teachers implemented the reproduction rather than the production approach. The findings revealed a pattern between the class goals the PE teachers’ set as top priority and their teaching preferences. Furthermore, a variety of factors that influence their teaching preferences were identified including class management, time management, active time, discipline and students taking responsibility.
The main purpose of the present study was to examine Greek physical education (PE) teachers’ self... more The main purpose of the present study was to examine Greek physical education (PE) teachers’ self-reported use of the Spectrum of teaching styles and their perceptions of the benefits of adopting these styles for their students. An additional goal was to explore the teachers’ perceived ability to implement these teaching approaches. The participants of the study were 219 (132 males, 87 females) PE teachers. Using an adaptation of Kulinna and Cothran’s (2003) Spectrum of teaching styles questionnaire, the PE teachers reported greater implementation of the command, inclusion, and practice styles than the self-check, learner-initiated, and self-teaching styles in their teaching. The PE teachers also perceived that the reproduction and production clusters of teaching styles were equally effective in promoting fun, skill learning, and motivation for learning in their students. Results also revealed that the teachers’ self-perceived ability was highest for command style use and their perc...
ABSTRACT The implementation of a constructive curriculum can enhance students’ cognitive knowledg... more ABSTRACT The implementation of a constructive curriculum can enhance students’ cognitive knowledge and understanding of the sci- entific movement and fitness concepts in physical education (NASPE, 2004; Standard 2). The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students’ perceptions of blood circulation related to exercise. Interview data were collected midway through a 10 lesson health- related, science-based, physical education curriculum. One hundred and seven students were interviewed to ascertain their level of understanding about blood circulation concepts related to exercise. Interviews were analyzed using open- and axial- cod- ing to identify emerging categories and themes. Data revealed four levels of progressive understanding about blood circulation regardless of students’ grade level. For example, when students were asked, “What happens when your heart beats fast,” 1 third- grade student at a Level 4 understanding replied, “[Your heart is] pumping blood... [that is] going throughout body. [It is] going into your muscles, which helps us to do many things we need to do. The student continued to explain”...when it reaches your muscles, it gives [them] oxygen and goes back to your heart...so it will start overall again.” This study demonstrated that students’ scientific understanding developed as they progressed through the physical education fitness curriculum. Data were discussed in relation to the cumulative nature of students’ multipart explanations, their general to specific knowledge growth, and the metaphors of the cyclic nature of blood flow they used in describing blood circulation.
ABSTRACT According to constructivists, new content learning is based on learners’ prior knowledge... more ABSTRACT According to constructivists, new content learning is based on learners’ prior knowledge. Because this principle holds true in physical education, it is critical for physical educators to map students’ understandings, described by cognitive scientists as naïve concepts or theories, embedded in their prior knowledge. At times, teachers assume students’ prior knowledge is accurate and scientific. However, a mismatch between students’ actual cognitive structure and teachers’ assumed prior knowledge can lead to unsatisfactory results. The study’s purpose was to examine elementary school students’ understanding of the concept of “energy” in relation to health, fitness, and physical activity. Researchers interviewed 107 students in grades 3 to 5 to examine their current understandings of this concept. The students’ conceptions were gathered through semistructured interviews using scenarios and open-ended questions. Open and axial coding identified emerging themes. Results indicated that students’ conceptualizations were informed by naïve theo- ries based primarily on their subjective feelings. Naïve theories were characterized by: (a) legitimating their subjective feeling through science, (b) drawing mechanistic analogies across dif- ferent scientific concepts, and (c) incorporating social discourse, such as that found in medical and commercial contexts, into their scientific conceptual schemes. Students’ information originates from different sources and competes for legitimacy in their conceptual world. To form a consistent epistemology, elementary students appear to strategically accommodate these competing ideas and concepts within their evolving conceptual structure of science, still dominated and heavily influenced by subjective feelings.
Self-efficacy expectations in teacher trainees and the perceived role of schools and their physic... more Self-efficacy expectations in teacher trainees and the perceived role of schools and their physical education department in the educational treatment of overweight students
International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2021
The International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES) is a peer-reviewed scholar... more The International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES) is a peer-reviewed scholarly online journal. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Authors alone are responsible for the contents of their articles. The journal owns the copyright of the articles. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of the research material. All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations regarding the submitted work.
The present study aimed to identify the impact of social distancing measures on adolescents’ phys... more The present study aimed to identify the impact of social distancing measures on adolescents’ physical activity (PA) levels and well-being during the implementation of COVID-19 restrictive measures. There were 438 participants (207 boys and 231 girls), aged 12 to 15 years old (M = 13.5, SD = 0.55). They completed online questionnaires on well-being and PA in three waves (December 2020, February 2021, and June 2021). Correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between well-being and PA variables in the three measurements. Additionally, separate three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to capture possible differences in students’ moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels, life satisfaction, and subjective vitality among the three measurements due to gender, age, and interaction between gender and age. A significant relation emerged between the MVPA variables and well-being. In all measurements, adolescents’ PA levels did not meet the World Health...
IntroductionPhysical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the su... more IntroductionPhysical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the substantial efforts made by researchers and policymakers. Identifying and furthering our understanding of potential modifiable determinants of physical activity behaviour (PAB) and sedentary behaviour (SB) is crucial for the development of interventions that promote a shift from SB to PAB. The current protocol details the process through which a series of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (MAs) will be conducted to produce a best-evidence statement (BESt) and inform policymakers. The overall aim is to identify modifiable determinants that are associated with changes in PAB and SB in children and adolescents (aged 5–19 years) and to quantify their effect on, or association with, PAB/SB.Methods and analysisA search will be performed in MEDLINE, SportDiscus, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cont...
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between students’ perceived motivation... more The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between students’ perceived motivational climate (mastery and performance), satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and self-talk (positive and negative) in physical education (PE). Six hundred six students (282 males, 315 females, 9 did not provide their gender), aged 10 to 17 years old (Mage = 13.32 ± 2.12), from seven primary schools (n = 250), five secondary schools (n = 131), and eight high schools (n = 225) in Greece voluntarily participated in this study. During a PE class, students completed online a number of valid and reliable questionnaires measuring perceived motivational climate, basic psychological needs, and self-talk. Results showed that students’ positive self-talk was positively related to mastery motivational climate, autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In contrast, negative self-talk was positively related only to performance motivational climate and negativel...
Background/Purpose: Partnership is an important characteristic in ballroom dance competitions. A ... more Background/Purpose: Partnership is an important characteristic in ballroom dance competitions. A partnership scale was developed as a self-evaluation tool of ballroom dance sport participants’ togetherness (Kim, 2011). The purpose of this study was to calibrate a partnership scale for dance sport participants using the Rasch Rating Scale model, an advanced measurement model. Method: The 18-item scale was administered to 301 participants who were actively involved in dance sport in Seoul, Korea. The parameters of item difficulty and participants’ partnership level and differential item functioning (DIF) between men and women were examined. Model–data fit was determined by infit and outfit statistics (. .7 and # .3). Analysis/Results: Overall, the model fit the data well, except for one item (“Our couples receive judges’ smiles during the competition”). The most negative response items were, “Our couples receive judges’ attention during the competition” (logits 1⁄4 .58) and “Our couples become the center of judges’ interest” (.47). The most positive response items were, “Our couples respect each other” (21.19) and “Our couples behave courteously to each other” (21.01). The overall mean of partnership level was 0.00 (SD 1⁄4 0.57) in logits, which showed reasonable spread along the scale. Three items (“Our couples receive cheers from spectators”; “Our couples receive judges’ attention during the competition”; and “Our couples respect each other”) were identified as having significant DIF between male and female partners. Conclusions: Although the model fit the data well, additional efforts should be made to improve the measurement equivalence of a partnership scale between male and female partners.
This study is aimed at examining physical education student teachers' experiences with, belie... more This study is aimed at examining physical education student teachers' experiences with, beliefs about, and intention to use Spectrum teaching styles in the future (Mosston & Ashworth, 2002). Two hundred and eighty eight Physicak Education student teachers participated in the study whereas data were collected using a modified and translated version of the questionnaire developed by Cothran, Kulinna, and Ward's (2000). Participants in the study reported that as primary and secondary education students they had been more frequently exposed to reproduction teaching styles in their physical education classes whereas exposure to what can be described as productive styles had been substantially less frequent. In terms of beliefs, student teachers participating in the study perceive that the reproduction teaching styles provide students with more opportunities for fun, learning skills, and motivation for learning. In addition, as physical education instructors in the future student ...
The purpose of this study was to examine Greek preservice physical education (PE) teachers’ presu... more The purpose of this study was to examine Greek preservice physical education (PE) teachers’ presuppositions, beliefs and mental models about the reproduction and production teaching styles. The participants were 16 preservice PE teachers (10 males, six females). A qualitative methodology was used with data collected using semi-structured interviews. A multi-level analysis process using open coding and axial coding was sequentially conducted. Findings revealed two generative mental models about teaching styles. For the first mental model ( n = 5), learning is considered as a transmissive and unidimensional (i.e. one goal pursued at a time) process. Presuppositions supported by this mental model urge the preservice teachers to believe that the reproduction teaching styles promote effective learning, class control, students’ safety and discipline. For the second mental model ( n = 11), learning is viewed as a constructivist and multidimensional (i.e. multiple goals pursued at a time) p...
Abstract The study aimed to identify participants' teaching preferences and the underlying re... more Abstract The study aimed to identify participants' teaching preferences and the underlying reasons that support the implementation of the reproduction and production teaching approaches. Ten physical education (PE) teachers (6 males and 4 females) participated in the research. The phenomenological analysis indicated that the majority of the sampled PE teachers implemented the reproduction rather than the production approach. The findings revealed a pattern between the class goals the PE teachers’ set as top priority and their teaching preferences. Furthermore, a variety of factors that influence their teaching preferences were identified including class management, time management, active time, discipline and students taking responsibility.
The main purpose of the present study was to examine Greek physical education (PE) teachers’ self... more The main purpose of the present study was to examine Greek physical education (PE) teachers’ self-reported use of the Spectrum of teaching styles and their perceptions of the benefits of adopting these styles for their students. An additional goal was to explore the teachers’ perceived ability to implement these teaching approaches. The participants of the study were 219 (132 males, 87 females) PE teachers. Using an adaptation of Kulinna and Cothran’s (2003) Spectrum of teaching styles questionnaire, the PE teachers reported greater implementation of the command, inclusion, and practice styles than the self-check, learner-initiated, and self-teaching styles in their teaching. The PE teachers also perceived that the reproduction and production clusters of teaching styles were equally effective in promoting fun, skill learning, and motivation for learning in their students. Results also revealed that the teachers’ self-perceived ability was highest for command style use and their perc...
ABSTRACT The implementation of a constructive curriculum can enhance students’ cognitive knowledg... more ABSTRACT The implementation of a constructive curriculum can enhance students’ cognitive knowledge and understanding of the sci- entific movement and fitness concepts in physical education (NASPE, 2004; Standard 2). The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students’ perceptions of blood circulation related to exercise. Interview data were collected midway through a 10 lesson health- related, science-based, physical education curriculum. One hundred and seven students were interviewed to ascertain their level of understanding about blood circulation concepts related to exercise. Interviews were analyzed using open- and axial- cod- ing to identify emerging categories and themes. Data revealed four levels of progressive understanding about blood circulation regardless of students’ grade level. For example, when students were asked, “What happens when your heart beats fast,” 1 third- grade student at a Level 4 understanding replied, “[Your heart is] pumping blood... [that is] going throughout body. [It is] going into your muscles, which helps us to do many things we need to do. The student continued to explain”...when it reaches your muscles, it gives [them] oxygen and goes back to your heart...so it will start overall again.” This study demonstrated that students’ scientific understanding developed as they progressed through the physical education fitness curriculum. Data were discussed in relation to the cumulative nature of students’ multipart explanations, their general to specific knowledge growth, and the metaphors of the cyclic nature of blood flow they used in describing blood circulation.
ABSTRACT According to constructivists, new content learning is based on learners’ prior knowledge... more ABSTRACT According to constructivists, new content learning is based on learners’ prior knowledge. Because this principle holds true in physical education, it is critical for physical educators to map students’ understandings, described by cognitive scientists as naïve concepts or theories, embedded in their prior knowledge. At times, teachers assume students’ prior knowledge is accurate and scientific. However, a mismatch between students’ actual cognitive structure and teachers’ assumed prior knowledge can lead to unsatisfactory results. The study’s purpose was to examine elementary school students’ understanding of the concept of “energy” in relation to health, fitness, and physical activity. Researchers interviewed 107 students in grades 3 to 5 to examine their current understandings of this concept. The students’ conceptions were gathered through semistructured interviews using scenarios and open-ended questions. Open and axial coding identified emerging themes. Results indicated that students’ conceptualizations were informed by naïve theo- ries based primarily on their subjective feelings. Naïve theories were characterized by: (a) legitimating their subjective feeling through science, (b) drawing mechanistic analogies across dif- ferent scientific concepts, and (c) incorporating social discourse, such as that found in medical and commercial contexts, into their scientific conceptual schemes. Students’ information originates from different sources and competes for legitimacy in their conceptual world. To form a consistent epistemology, elementary students appear to strategically accommodate these competing ideas and concepts within their evolving conceptual structure of science, still dominated and heavily influenced by subjective feelings.
Self-efficacy expectations in teacher trainees and the perceived role of schools and their physic... more Self-efficacy expectations in teacher trainees and the perceived role of schools and their physical education department in the educational treatment of overweight students
International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2021
The International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES) is a peer-reviewed scholar... more The International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES) is a peer-reviewed scholarly online journal. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Authors alone are responsible for the contents of their articles. The journal owns the copyright of the articles. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of the research material. All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations regarding the submitted work.
The purpose of the research was to explore 6th graders' perceptions with respect to the concept o... more The purpose of the research was to explore 6th graders' perceptions with respect to the concept of "responsibility", based on the theoretical framework of Hellison's TPSR model (2011). 17 male and female sixth-graders from 9 Greek public elementary schools of Central Greece participated in the study. Study was conducted through semi-structured interviews. Five questions corresponded to the five levels of the TPSR model and the sixth one was directly referring to students' perceptions of the concept of "responsibility". The latter question was phrased as follows: "What does the word "responsibility" mean to you? What type of behavior would you consider as responsible?" The transcripts of the recorded interviews were analyzed by using QSR NVivo Version 8.0.340.0 SP4 and further coded according to the levels of responsibility of the TPSR model and their constituent components. The present poster is limited to the presentation of the results of the analysis of the sixth question, regarding the perceptions of the concept "responsibility". Students seemed to refer most frequently to the first level of responsibility (42 references), namely "respect" and its components (self-control, peaceful conflict resolution, and mostly to behaviors indicative of reliability-consistency, discipline, and human dignity). The third level, the level of "self-direction" and its components (on-task independence, goal-setting progression, and mostly behaviors indicating self-commitment), was the second most frequently mentioned level by the interviewed students (20 references). An almost equally substantial level for students' perception of responsibility was the fourth level ("helping others and leadership") and its components of caring and compassion, sensitivity and responsiveness, and inner strength (17 references). Finally, the students rarely alluded to the second level, the level of effort (5 references). Findings show that there is a relatively rational hierarchy in students' perceptions over responsibility, since they mostly referred to the first level of TPSR and less to the rest of the levels.
As educators in higher education we are interested in transforming students’ perceptions, attitud... more As educators in higher education we are interested in transforming students’ perceptions, attitudes and behaviors in relation with the use of a variety of teaching styles. And we have solid reasons for that. Nevertheless, students’ past experiences in Physical Education and a series of blocking beliefs play an important role in their understanding. A series of research studies and empirical information will be presented that might be useful to those of us who are teaching the Spectrum to students and teachers. An abstract of the presentation and additional notes will be available to the Spectrum pre-conference participants.
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