Perceived value of work-integrated learning on the teaching efficacy and classroom management of pre-service teachers.

The aim of this study was to examine associations of teaching competence, autonomous motivation, and self-efficacy between two groups of pre-service teachers enrolled in a four-year Bachelor of Education degree program. One group participated in a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) pathway and one who did not participate in a Work-Integrated Learning pathway. Self-reports of basic psychological needs, motivational regulations, and self-efficacy were completed by 116 pre-service teachers. Findings indicated that pre-service teachers who participated in the WIL pathway had higher levels of efficacy in classroom management, and pre-service teachers who participated in the WIL pathway had higher perceptions of identified regulation, demonstrating that they perceived WIL teaching sessions as a useful way to develop other characteristics of themselves. These findings suggest that exposure to authentic and experiential learning encounters through practical WIL experiences has a favourable impact on pre-service teacher competence, autonomous motivation, and self-efficacy. Incorporating authentic and practical opportunities such as WIL into teacher education programs presents a valuable and feasible option to foster broad skill development and teacher readiness

Predicting accelerometer-based physical activity in physical education and total physical activity: The Self-determination Theory approach

The present study tested the motivational model of physical education (PE) including needs for competence, autonomy, social relatedness, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, in-class moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and total MVPA. Participants were 490 (264 girls, 226 boys) Finnish elementary school students. The data were collected using accelerometers and questionnaires for a seven-day period during the fall semester 2017. The key findings were that 1) social relatedness associated with total MVPA via in-class MVPA in girls, whereas competence was linked to in-class MVPA through extrinsic motivation in boys, 2) competence was positively linked to extrinsic motivation in a similar way in both girls and boys, 3) social relatedness and in-class MVPA were positively associated with total MVPA in both girls and boys, 4) competence, autonomy, and relatedness were positively linked to intrinsic motivation in girls when only competence and autonomy were related to intrinsic motivation in boys, and 5) in-class MVPA contributed 36% of total weekly MVPA minutes in the present sample. Although the indirect relationships between study variables did not fully support the existing PE motivational model, the direct associations showed that needs of competence, autonomy, relatedness could be promoted in PE classes to support intrinsic motivation, and total MVPA.This project was financially supported by The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and The Otto A. Malm Foundation, Finland

Effects of training on postural control and agility when wearing socks of different compression levels

Study aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of training while wearing socks differing in compression level (clinical, sub-clinical, regular) on performance of static and dynamic balancing and agility tasks in healthy, physically active people. We sought to understand whether socks with different compression properties supported postural regulation and agility task performance by enhancing somatosensory perception, unskewed by specific age range effects. Material and methods: Participants comprised 61 adults aged 18-75 years, divided into three groups (two experimental groups wearing clinical or sub-clinical level compression socks, and one control group wearing regular non-compression socks during training). An 8-week (2 × 1h per week) intervention programme was administered to train static and dynamic balance and postural control, leg strength and agility. Results: A mixed model ANOVA revealed no differences in static and dynamic balance and postural control and agility performance between clinical, sub-clinical, and control groups before and after training. All groups significantly improved their test performance, suggesting that training had some benefit on motor performance. Conclusions: These results raised interesting questions requiring further investigation to examine the effects of wearing socks (with and without different levels of compression) on motor behaviours in specific groups of elderly vs. young participants, in physically active vs. less physically active people, and in performance settings outside standardized laboratory tests to study applications in natural performance environments

Children's segment specific light physical activity across two years of school-based program

Making sure that children do not sit down for long periods of time can help them perform better in school and to improve their health. The aim of the study was to examine the patterns of children's light physical activity patterns and gender differences through the Physical Activity as Civil Skill Program 2012-2014. The program was designed to create a new physically active school culture, which required changes in psychological and physical school environment. The sample comprised 76 elementary school children at age of 10 to 13-year-old in Northeast-Finland. The data was collected through three measurement phases from October 2012 to April 2014. Accelerometers were used for the objective assessments of light-intensity physical activity. To improve the reliability of the measures, a hundred and thirty-seven children including the current sample were asked how many days per week and minutes per day they spent in light-intensity activities. The findings highlighted that children's total light physical activity sustained stable through two years of program. However, the segments of before-school, after-school, short break, and girls' class time showed declining patterns across the period. Both girls and boys accumulated the majority of their weekly light physical activity during the weekdays and out-ofschool periods compared to weekends and in-school time. The results provided important insights into the development of elementary children's light physical activity across different activity segments. The program seemed to be effective to prohibit declining levels of children's light physical activity. The attention should also be paid on out-of-school, especially after-school and weekend activities, because children spend only limited time of their waking hours at the school on the weekdays.peerReviewe

Children's expectancy beliefs and subjective task values through two years of school-based program and associated links to physical education enjoyment and physical activity

Purpose: The present study examined the patterns of children’s expectancy beliefs and subjective task values through the Physical Activity as Civil Skill Program and associated links to physical education enjoyment and total physical activity. Methods: The sample comprised 401 children aged 9–13 years from 3 small towns located in North-East Finland. All children received school-based activities across 2-year program from Grades 5 to 7. The present data were collected using questionnaires across 3 measurement phases during 2012–2014. Results: The levels of expectancy beliefs and subjective task values indicated to be relatively high and the development was stable through the program, especially in terms of expectancy beliefs, attainment value, and cost. In contrast, interest value and utility value decreased over the particular period of time. Boys believed they are physically more competent when compared to other students and valued physical education classes more important than girls. In addition, the higher the physical activity level the children reported, the higher the physical education enjoyment they perceived. Conclusion: The current program including actions to increase physical activity through manipulation of psychological and physical school environment modifications indicated to be an effective strategy to prohibit declining levels of children’s expectancy beliefs and task values.peerReviewe

Perceived teaching efficacy and coeducational vs. single-sex grouping in physical education teachers

In many countries, sex equality is an essential aim of physical education (PE) curricula, while the PE grouping practices are widely hetero-normative. As far as there is a discrepancy between the curricula and practice, equality will not fully take place. This study examined the associations between PE teachers’ perceived teaching efficacy (student engagement, instruction, class management) and preferences for single-sex (i.e. juridical sex) vs. coeducational grouping in PE. The analysis, based on a cross-sectional online survey of 175 Finnish PE teachers, showed that higher perceived class management was associated with the stronger preferences for single-sex PE. Associations of teacher’s age and teaching experience with the preferences for coeducational vs. single-sex PE showed considerable heterogeneity. PE teachers’ teaching efficacy, especially in class management, for teaching diverse groupings of students could be improved through in-service teacher training in accordance with the national curriculum.peerReviewe

Väkivaltaa, stressiä ja seksuaalista häirintää

Ulkomaan uutiset? Viikon tv-ohjelmat? Poliisin viikkotiedote? Ei, vaan katsaus suomalaisten liikunnanopettajien kokemuksiin liikuntatunneilla ilmenevästä opettajaan kohdistuvasta sekä oppilaiden välisestä seksuaalisesta ja fyysisestä väkivallasta sekä niiden seurauksista.nonPeerReviewe

Physical Education Teachers’ Perceived Sexual and Physical Violence and Work-related Stress

This study investigated the relationships between sexual (verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment) and physical violence against physical education (PE) teachers and work-related stress. Participants were 175 (females 122, males 53) Finnish PE teachers aged between 27 and 62 years. The findings showed that 1) higher perceived physical violence was positively associated with higher perceived non-verbal sexual harassment and work-related stress; 2) teachers with a sport science degree perceived higher work-related stress mediated by physical violence than other teachers; 3) longer-serving PE teachers reported lower verbal sexual harassment than teachers with less teaching experience; and 4) female PE teachers reported higher work-related stress than male teachers. These results indicated that violence against PE teachers is multidimensional. To prevent work-related stress in PE teachers, school authorities could encourage teachers to report student threats as a violence prevention strategy in schools and provide appropriate support for teachers who have been victims of violence.peerReviewe

A Motivational Model of Physical Education and Links to Enjoyment, Knowledge, Performance, Total Physical Activity and Body Mass Index

The present paper examined the full sequence of the Hierarchical Model of Motivation in physical education (PE) including motivational climate, basic psychological needs, intrinsic motivation, and related links to contextual enjoyment, knowledge, performance, and total moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Gender differences and correlations with body mass index (BMI) were also analyzed. Cross-sectional data was represented by self-reports and objective assessments of 770 middle school students (52% of girls) in North-East Finland. The results showed that task-involving climate in girls’ PE classes was related to enjoyment and knowledge through physical competence and intrinsic motivation, whereas task-involving climate was associated with enjoyment and knowledge via competence and autonomy, and total MVPA via autonomy, intrinsic motivation, and knowledge within boys. This may indicate that girls and boys perceive PE classes in a different way. Graded PE assessments appeared to be essential in motivating both girls and boys to participate in greater total MVPA, whereas BMI was negatively linked with competence and social relatedness only among girls. Although, the current and previous empirical findings supported task-involving teaching methods in PE, in some cases, ego-involving climate should be considered. Therefore, both task- and ego-involving teaching practices can be useful ways of developing preferred behaviors in PE classes

School-Aged Children’s Actual Motor Competence and Perceived Physical Competence : A Three-Year Follow-Up

Purpose This study examined school-aged children’s actual motor competence (MC) and perceived physical competence (PC) over three years along with the covariate effects of gender and body mass index (BMI). Methods Participants were 1 121 (girls 573, boys 548) children (Mage 11.26 ± .32) from 35 randomly selected public schools across Finland. MC was assessed using three movement tests targeting locomotor, stability, and object control skills, and PC was assessed using the sport competence subscale of the Physical Self-Perception Profile via four-phase monitoring. Results MC and PC remained stable over time. Of the three variables, locomotor skills showed the strongest association with PC. Lower BMI was associated with advanced MC skills and a less steep decrease in locomotor and stability skills over time. Conclusions The acquisition of fundamental motor skills in childhood and early adolescence is a prerequisite for enhancing MC and PC. The contribution of locomotor skills to PC indicated that versatile lower limb strength, speed, dynamic balance, and movement skills are important for positive subjective beliefs about PC capability. Increasing the MC skills of the children in most need, particularly those with high BMI scores, merits special attention.peerReviewe