The Have and Have Nots: An Ever-Present Digital Divide

This article brings attention to the digital divide that still exists between those who have access to the most recent technologies and those who do not. It describes how teachers can be more aware of this challenge before incorporating the use of technology into physical education and health classrooms

Danialle Karmanos' Work It Out Evaluation Report: Winter/Spring 2013

The DKWIO program seeks to prevent childhood obesity by promoting a healthy mind, body, and spirit through yoga and nutrition programming. The purpose of DKWIO is to help children become healthier by reducing anxiety and increasing self-esteem through the calming and focused effects of yoga. Each week (10 weeks total) children are introduced to a unique one-hour formula that includes an introduction, nutritional information, yoga and activities, as well as relaxation and meditation exercises. The program is delivered by volunteer yoga instructors at urban elementary schools as part of students' existing physical education programming. By the end of the 10 weeks, the DKWIO program goals are that children will have a better understanding of and appreciation for yoga, healthy eating and physical activity, and that incorporating a practice of yoga will improve students' mental and physical health. This report is an evaluation of the program

Implementing Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Wayne State University Case Study

Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) have been highlighted by numerous public health and education agencies for their potential to improve the health and academic achievement of American youth. A CSPAP integrates physical activity throughout the school environment before, during and after school by engaging educators, children, families and community organizations. As the design, implementation and evaluation of effective CSPAP programs has inched forward, so has the call for physical education teacher education (PETE) programs to prepare the next generation of physical educators with the skills and knowledge needed to one day lead CSPAP efforts in K-12 schools. The purpose of this article is to showcase efforts in the PETE program at Wayne State University (WSU) to embed CSPAP training into the preparation of future teachers. The WSU PETE program is in the middle of programmatic reform to integrate CSPAP content and professional experiences in three ways. First, CSPAP training is integrated into many existing courses, from content instruction to methods, using lectures, discussion and various assignments. Second, PETE students are required to engage in the CSPAP research projects being conducted by the WSU Center for School Health. Third, PETE majors are required to be certified as physical activity leaders (PALs). Together, these three CSPAP training approaches allow PETE students to learn CSPAP through traditional university-based strategies, view schools in the midst of CSPAP reform initiatives, and graduate with national-level certification as PALs

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: Characteristics of Trained Teachers

As public health concerns about physical inactivity and childhood obesity continue to rise, researchers are calling for interventions that comprehensively lead to more opportunities to participate in physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics and attitudes of trained physical education teachers during the implementation of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program at the elementary level. Using a collective case study design, interviews, observations, field notes, open-ended survey questions, and an online forum monitoring guided the interpretation of teacher perceptions and development of emergent themes. Qualitative data analysis was conducted for each individual teacher and then across the ten teachers which produced four major themes: (a) Leading the Charge: Ready, Set, Go!, (b) Adoption versus Adaptation: Implementation Varies, (c) Social Media’s Place in the Professional Development (PD) Community, and (d) Keys to Successful Implementation. It can be concluded that, based on these findings, elementary physical education teachers are ready and willing to implement CSPAP. Key factors that may influence this implementation are discussed

Using Yoga to Reduce Stress and Bullying Behaviors Among Urban Youth

Background/Purpose: Obesity and secondary conditions continue to disproportionally affect the health of children living in urban areas. Studies show that a lack of resources and physical activity-unfriendly communities discourage 60 minutes of daily activity, including strengthening exercises, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using Social Ecological theory, the purpose of this study was to examine the multi-level influences of a yoga-based intervention on urban, inner city youth. Method: Using a mixed-methods design, ninety-three 3 - 5th grade students at five urban elementary schools participated in a ten-week yoga intervention. Analysis/Results: RM-ANOVA results revealed a significant reduction in stress and bullying behaviors among participants, and multiple regression analyses revealed that program attendance, change in stress, and change in yoga enjoyment significantly predicted change in yoga participation outside PE, when controlling for gender and age F(5, 87) = 5.36, p \u3c 0.01, adj. R2 = 0.19, but did not have a significant impact on physical activity participation outside of school. Student interviews and non-participant observations revealed strong enjoyment of yoga which led students to report substantial increases in yoga-related activities outside of school. Students also revealed that experience in yoga improved focus, attention, and reduced stress. Conclusions: Through convergence of qualitative and quantitative methods, this study showed a positive relationship between the number of yoga sessions attended (dose), enjoyment of yoga, and participation in yoga outside PE with friends and family. Findings suggest that urban PE should include more individual, non-competitive activities such as yoga, which students find to be stress-relieving, fun, inexpensive and easy to perform at home

Understanding Stress and Aggression Behaviors among Urban Youth

Background/Objective: Youth violence, including school bullying and fighting, has become a global public health problem. Stress has been identified as a factor related to aggression (i.e., bullying behaviors, fighting, and anger), of which inner-city youth are particularly vulnerable given their often disproportionately high stress living environments. Stress and aggression are of particular concern in urban physical education (PE) given the proliferation of competitive, sport-based curricula, “culture of basketball”, and the often-limited supervision that takes place. Using the Social Ecological Model, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between stress and aggression in inner-city elementary PE students. Methods: After parental consent, participants completed a questionnaire with validated scales measuring stress, aggression, and demographics. Participants included 138, 3rd-5th grade students (Mage = 9.77) from six inner-city schools in the Midwestern United States. Analysis/Results: After correlations were conducted to determine relationships, a series of multiple regression analyses were used to determine the predictors of aggression; controlling for gender, race, and age. Regression results revealed that fighting was significantly predicted by the independent variables with stress, anger, and bullying uniquely contributing (F (6,115) = 21.54, p \u3c 0.01, adj. R2 = 0.51). Additionally, bullying was uniquely predicted by fighting and anger (F (6,115) = 35.01, p \u3c 0.01, adj. R2 = 0.63). Conclusions: This study established a significant relationship between stress, anger, fighting and bullying behaviors in urban PE, possibly indicating a need for renewed focus on anti-aggressive approaches and positive stress response techniques. Specifically, mindfulness-based physical activities, such as Yoga, could enable educators to create more peaceful and less stressful climates, which might then lead to less bullying, fighting, and aggression, hence a more productive learning environment

Relationship between health risk and school attendance among adolescents

Background/Purpose: The prevalence of childhood obesity and school truancy are contemporary health issues, as millions of children do not attend school, when required. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between intent to be physically active, aerobic fitness, and school absences. Methods: Data from 1907 adolescents from the United States were collected during physical education. Participants completed a valid Theory of Planned Behavior survey and the FitnessGram, with the demographic data obtained from school records. Linear regressions controlling for gender, grade, free/reduced lunch, body mass index, and intent to be physically active were calculated. Results: Adolescents who had positive intentions to be physically active (P \u3c .001), scored higher on the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test (P = .006), and ran faster in the mile (P \u3c .001) had fewer unexcused absences compared to students who had negative intentions and lower fitness. Discussion: Adolescents with higher aerobic fitness had fewer unexcused school absences, which suggests that cardiovascular health may be a valuable contributor in decreasing adolescent health and behavior risk, specifically truancy and out-of-school suspensions. Translation to Health Education Practice: Whole-of-school approaches that align physical activities and educational experiences can help adolescents understand the benefits of physical fitness as a prevention strategy

Physical Education Teachers\u27 Experiences With Remote Instruction During The Initial Phase Of The Covid-19 Pandemic

This study investigated physical education (PE) teachers\u27 experiences with remote instruction in the United States during the initial outbreak of COVID-19. PE teachers (n = 4,362) from all 50 states completed a survey identifying their experiences with remote instruction in May, 2020. Survey responses were analyzed by geographic region, district type, and school level. Teachers reported having students submit assignments (51% yes), using video instruction (37% yes), being less effective when instructing remotely (20% yes), and emphasizing student outcomes focused on health-related fitness (32% yes), and physical activity value/ enjoyment (43% yes). Access to technology (40% yes) and required student assignments (43% yes) were lowest among teachers from the South. Rural teachers reported the least access to technology (37% yes) and rated themselves as least effective (24% yes). Secondary level teachers reported the highest percentage of required assignments (84% yes). Teachers\u27 responses identify unique challenges to delivering equitable and effective remote PE instruction

Development of the Teacher Efficacy Toward Providing Physical Activity in the Classroom Scale

The overall aim for this study was to create and validate an instrument that helps researchers measure and better understand classroom teachers’ efficacy toward providing physical activity throughout the school day. The development of the Teacher Efficacy Toward Providing Physical Activity in the Classroom Scale (TETPPACS) occurred in two phases. First, in study one, after item development and face validity review, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted with pilot data (N = 320) to discover the factor structure of the TETPPACS. Second, with a follow-up sample (N = 192), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to confirm the factor structure and measurement quality of the instrument. The final bi-factor model with three efficacy-specific constructs and the general efficacy construct resulted in an acceptable fitting two-group configural model across elementary and high school teachers ( =363.791; CFI=.91; TLI=.87; SRMR=.066; RMSEA=.081). The results of this study suggest the new TETPPACS is a valid and reliable instrument to measure classroom teacher’s efficacy toward providing physical activity during the school day. This instrument can help researchers further investigate how teacher efficacy relates to implementation and facilitation of physical activity experiences throughout the school day

Considering Physical Well-Being, Self-perceptions, and Support Variables in Understanding Youth Academic Achievement

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between measures of students’ physical well-being and self-perception and their academic achievement. Specifically, we look at students’ social support for physical activity, physical activity perceptions, self-concept, self-efficacy, health behaviors, and cardiorespiratory fitness (as measured by the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run [PACER] test). Students (n = 697 fifth graders) were surveyed at the beginning of the school year. A two-group path analysis revealed notable relationships between the predictor variables and proximal and distal outcomes, with some paths moderated by sex. One relationship that was significant for both sexes was cardiorespiratory fitness, as it was the only significant predictor of achievement. This effect was moderate to large for the female students (R2Math=36%; R2Read=15%) and small to large for the male students (R2Math=26%; R2Math=10%). These findings can be used to guide future research and educational prevention and intervention efforts