Search

Being active in nature carries many benefits and there are a number of ways to design and deliver outdoor programs so that young people can realize these benefits. This paper provides an environmental scan of the outdoor education (OE) programs currently offered in public school, grades 6-12, across British Columbia (BC). The environmental scan methodology involved (a) a review of academic literature related to OE in Canada and BC, and (b) an internet search of programs in each school in BC. The results of the scan outline the wide-ranging outdoor learning activities being conducted in each of the 63 school districts in BC. Analysis of the literature and websites revealed eight main categories of OE programs: (a) physical and health education courses; (b) programs with an Indigenous focus; (c) interdisciplinary programs; (d) unique content programs; (e) annual trips; (f) district programs; (g) school-wide initiatives; and (h) community partnership programs. This environmental scan has implications for educators, administrators, non-governmental organizations wishing to partner with schools, BC Boards of Education, the provincial Ministry of Education, and other provinces and countries regarding creation of programs and resource allocation for outdoor learning.

The long-standing challenges and issues associated with girls' disengagement from secondary school physical and health education (PHE) are serious and well documented. This disengagement has provided the incentive for the examination of alternative strategies to facilitate girls' engagement in PHE. This paper discusses the first phase in a formative research process designed to develop a resource manual to help teachers utilize nature-based physical activity (NBPA) as a means of fostering relatedness for girls in PHE. Participating teachers collaborated and generated specific NBPA ideas and pedagogical strategies during an all-day planning session. Four focus groups with the teachers (N = 20) were used to identify ways to develop NBPA interventions. Five broad topics are reported: (a) defining NBPAs, (b) specific NBPAs to use in PHE, (b) how NBPA can foster relatedness, (d) how NBPA in PHE differs from outdoor education, and (e) barriers to implementing NBPA in PHE. This paper emphasizes the valuable contribution of formative research to the integrity and fidelity of an intervention as well as to quality practice in the implementation of theory-based PHE initiatives.

An alternative way to approach outdoor education in PHE, while still reaping its numerous benefits, is nature-based physical activity (NBPA). NBPA refers to physical activities that are done in natural areas, require little specialized equipment, can be participated in by the majority of youth, are cost-efficient, and can be implemented by PHE teachers on a regular basis. Sample NBPA activities that teachers can easily implement with their classes are presented.

This study examined the influence of a 4-month intervention on students' motivation in Grade 10 physical education and enrollment in elective physical education. Health Promoting Secondary School Physical Education (HPSS PE) was designed to improve students' psychological need satisfaction in physical education, based on self-determination theory. A matched comparison pre-post design was used with 10 schools (5 intervention, 5 usual practice). Students (N = 373) completed questionnaires that assessed perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and school personnel provided enrollment information. Results indicated that HPSS PE was not effective in increasing participants' psychological need satisfaction; however, female students receiving the intervention were significantly more likely to enroll in elective physical education. Insights contribute to the evidence about creating need-supportive environments in physical education and improving enrollment rates in elective programming.

The popularity of rock climbing continues to increase. However, little research is available on the pedagogy of rock climbing. This study explored the effect of learning activities in a school-based rock climbing program on students' climbing self-efficacy. It used a case study design and data collection methods included (a) observations of the learning environment, (b) individual reflection journals, (c) focus group interviews, and (d) a course outline. Qualitative thematic analysis provided insight into (a) the type of learning environment conducive to improving climbing self-efficacy, (b) the influence of the sources of self-efficacy, and (c) the activities that were most efficient for the development of climbing self-efficacy. Findings indicate that effective learning activities should be meaningful, diversified, individualized, progressively challenging, and take place in a safe and collaborative environment.

This study employed a participatory action research methodology, Photovoice, to explore the experiences of adolescent students while learning nature-based physical activity (NBPA) in, and beyond, Physical and Health Education (PHE). Students were asked to take photos both within PHE lessons and outside of school, and write captions to analyze their photos, as part of a unit entitled NBPA in Pictures. Findings indicated that through the NBPA in Pictures unit in PHE, students were able to: connect to both place and others within PHE and outside of school; overcome challenges to being active in nature; describe nature’s impact on their body and being; and, gain the desire to inspire others to enjoy nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this investigation was to gain insight into the features of 32 senior physical education courses from 22 school districts in British Columbia that have successfully maintained high enrollments of female students. Analysis of course outlines, interviews with teachers, and student questionnaires were used to collect data. The following themes emerged: (a) focus on lifetime physical activities, (b) student involvement in course development, (c) authentic assessment, (d) gender as a course design feature, (e) value added options, and (f) positive and respectful class environment. Findings offer considerations for the design of physical education courses to address the learning needs of female high school students.

Background: Research has identified enhancement of positive self-concept as an important outcome connected with participation in adventure-based activities in physical education (PE). Purpose: This study compared the effectiveness of Team Building Through Physical Challenges (TBPC) and Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education (ACPE) programs on the self-conceptions of middle school PE students. Both approaches include adventure-type tasks adapted for use in PE. Methodology/Approach: Participants consisted of 397 female (n = 183) and male (n = 214) students who were enrolled in Coeducational Grades 7 and 8 PE classes in three middle schools. Students in the treatment classes were exposed to either the TBPC condition or the ACPE condition during PE classes over 7 months, whereas students in the control group completed the regular PE curriculum that did not include activities from either approach. Findings/Conclusions: Results suggest that both approaches benefit the self-conceptions of children with each being particularly effective at changing those self-conceptions logically related to specific organizing themes. Specifically, ACPE was greater than TBPC, for global self-worth and perceived behavioral conduct. TBPC was greater than ACPE for perceived social approval. Implications: Incorporating either the TBPC or the ACPE program in middle school PE can benefit the self-conceptions of students.

The aim of health and physical education (HPE) is to help children and youth develop physical activity and health behaviors that will benefit them throughout their lives. However, adolescent girls are often disengaged in HPE. Girls place considerable importance on having a socially supportive learning environment. Therefore, teachers should try to promote relatedness establish a supportive environment in which students have opportunities to develop healthy relationships with others in and beyond HPE. This article describes a school initiative, Girls in Action [GIA], created to provide girls with the opportunity to be active in a supportive environment. Designed by two high school HPE teachers, GIA has the goal of empowering young women to have a voice in planning physical activity events and participate in these events with other women outside of HPE. Steps on how to implement a program like GIA in a school are presented.

Many young women become disillusioned with physical education in their high-school years. Mounting evidence suggests that this disillusionment starts in early adolescence. This article discusses the experiences of female students in coeducational, middle-school, physical education classes. Focus group interviews, individual interviews, and questionnaires were used to collect data. The following themes emerged: personal competence, a moving body is a healthy body, choice and variety for a lifetime, and an emerging sense of gender equity. Results provide guidance for the development of physical education curricula to gain and hold the interest of female, middle-school students. (Contains 1 table.) [Abstract provided in both English and French.]

School physical education (PE) aims to develop students' knowledge and skills for lifelong participation in physical activity (PA). Unfortunately, many PE teachers report that motivating students is a significant challenge. The purpose of this study was to explore PE teacher perceptions about the effectiveness and acceptability of three self-determination theory-based motivational strategies on students' PA, motivation, and learning during PE lessons. Thirteen PE teachers from five schools in Western Sydney, Australia, participated in this study. We carried out semi-structured post-lesson interviews with PE teachers to gather information about the perceived effectiveness and acceptability of the three intervention strategies and whether these were sustainable teaching methods: (1) explaining relevance; (2) providing choice; and (3) complete free choice. Analysis of interview data revealed that teachers believed each strategy successfully enhanced student PA, enjoyment, motivation, and student learning. The findings also showed that our motivational teaching strategies were acceptable when embedded within certain PE contexts. Overall, the results have implications for future pre-service and in-service PE teaching practice.

Background: Comprehensive School Health models offer a promising strategy to elicit changes in student health behaviours. To maximise the effect of such models, the active involvement of teachers and students in the change process is recommended. Objective: The goal of this project was to gain insight into the experiences and motivations of teachers and students involved in a choice-based Comprehensive School Health model--Health Promoting Secondary Schools (HPSS). Setting: School communities in British Columbia, Canada. Design and methods: HPSS engaged teachers and students in the planning and implementation of a whole-school health model aimed at improving the physical activity and eating behaviours of high school students. The intervention components were specifically informed by self-determination theory. A total of 23 teachers and 34 school committee members participated in focus group interviews. The minutes of planning meetings were collected throughout the intervention process. Results: Analysis of the data revealed five themes associated with participants' experiences and motivational processes: (a) lack of time for planning and preparation; (b) resources, workshops and collaboration; (c) teacher control impacts student engagement; (d) teacher job action inhibited implementation of HPSS action plans; and (e) choice-based design impacts participants' experiences. Conclusion: Findings from this study can facilitate future school-based projects by providing insights into student and teacher perspectives on the planning and implementation of school-based health promotion programmes and implementing choice-based educational change initiatives.

Participation in high school Physical Education (PE) contributes to the overall health of adolescents. However, many girls discontinue enrollment in PE as soon as the mandatory credits are met. Tailored PE courses designed to meet the needs and interests of girls may motivate them to continue participating in PE. This case study explored one girl's story of her past experiences in PE, as well as her current experiences in a tailored elective PE course. We explored how this girl's experiences with the course content, learning environment, and assessment affected her perceptions of PE. Findings emphasized the importance of variety within PE course content, a welcoming environment, fair and private assessment, and feelings of confidence, social safety, and competence for girls in PE.

The aim of this research was to develop measures to provide valid and reliable representation of the motivational states and psychological needs proposed by the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000) within a physical education context. Based on theoretical underpinnings of self-determination theory, two questionnaires were developed to measure students motivation and psychological need satisfaction in high school physical education: (a) the Physical Education Motivation Scale (PEMS) and (b) the Physical Education Autonomy, Relatedness, Competence Scale (PE-ARCS). Validity and reliability concerning the scales were examined. Exploratory factor analysis supported the validity and test-retest reliability of a 3-factor, 9-item solution for PEMS and a 3-factor, 12-item solution for PE-ARCS. The results provide evidence supporting the validity and reliability of PEMS and PE-ARCS as promising physical education-specific measures of motivation developed within the framework of self-determination theory., It is widely supported and acknowledged that school-based physical education programs present a tremendous opportunity to positively influence the attitudes and patterns of physical activity participation among adolescents (Alderman, Benham-Deal, [...]

It was of interest to determine if earlier research findings, where female students were particularly advantaged by the Team Building Through Physical Challenges (TBPC; Glover & Midura, 1992) program in a coeducational setting, would still be observed in gender-segregated physical education classes. A total of 260 female (n = 127) and male (n = 133) middle school students were assigned to either treatment (participate in one TBPC activity every second week) or control (no exposure to TBPC activities) conditions. Assessments of six self-conceptions were collected before and after a five-month intervention period. Data were analyzed using a 2 (control/treatment) X 2 (pre-intervention/post-intervention) X 2 (female/male) repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance. Examination of the results suggested that the TBPC program continues to somewhat advantage female students in gender-segregated classes, although the overriding finding was that the program is associated with beneficial outcomes for both female and male students. (Contains 1 table.)

Studies reveal that self-conceptions of grade 6 and 7 students are affected directly by team building programs. One group of students participated in team building physical education, while the second group performed the regular PE curriculum. Results indicate that team-oriented programs improve student perceptions of their athletic competence, social acceptance and global self-worth.

This study investigated the effectiveness of an 8-month Team Building through Physical Challenges (TBPC; Glover & Midura, 1992) program on the self-perceptions and perceived social regard of middle school physical education students (N = 1802). Data were analyzed using multilevel analyses where midpoint and final evaluations were conducted separately. Results revealed that at the midpoint evaluation, students in the experimental and control conditions were not different on any of the subscales assessed. At the end of the program, students in the experimental condition, compared with those in the control condition, showed significantly higher scores on 6 of the 10 subscales assessed and the effect sizes were medium to very large. The findings support the effectiveness of the TBPC program in creating positive psychological outcomes for students in a field-based setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this exploration is to offer a theoretical framework proposing a definition of the affective domain in physical education. The framework is designed to assist physical educators in conceptualizing the content of the affective domain in terms of a commitment to facilitate students' development of a moral attitude and an aesthetic attitude about their movement participation. The framework is expressed in a manner that ultimately could guide teachers in making curriculum decisions about educational objectives and learning experiences. The framework provides specific developmental concepts suitable for positivistic and naturalistic inquiry, with subsequent revision and reconceptualization of the framework anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has been conducted on the psychosocial outcomes that may occur in adapted populations who participate in Special Olympics. This study examined changes in perceived competence of participants and nonparticipants of a 1 1/2-day Special Olympics track and field meet. Pre- and posttest measures of the physical, cognitive, peer acceptance, and maternal acceptance subscales of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children were obtained from participants (N=24) and nonparticipant controls (N=24). A test of homogeneity of variance on pretest scores revealed that both groups were equivalent on the perceived competence and social acceptance measures. A MANOVA was conducted to compare gain scores on all four measures between the two groups. Results indicated that both groups differed significantly on the perceived physical competence and peer acceptance measures. The stability of gains in perceived competence over time, and further examination of perceived competence and its correlates with adapted populations, were suggested as future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the effects of different teaching strategies of physical education students on moral development. Assessment of moral judgment on teachers prosocial behavior; Implication of post intervention for the control on moral judgment; Effectiveness of both social learning and structural-development on the students moral development.

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the use of technology to teach high school dance. It presents information on two student-centered activities to teach dance. It discusses limitations to using technology to teach dance in high school. It details the authors' experience to teach dance through planning dance lessons and project.

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of AVANTE is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)