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We explored children's physical activity level and psychosocial outcomes in a service-learning program. The program, taught by preservice physical educators, engages children in fun activities within a mastery motivational climate (MMC). Forty-two children in grades K-4 wore accelerometers during two 90-min sessions, resulting in 84 data points. Forty-three children age 8 and up completed a postprogram survey assessing motivational climate, perceived competence, and personal and social responsibility. Of those, 27 completed a presurvey as well. On average, children were engaged in light activity for 38.6% and moderate-to-vigorous activity for 26.0% of the program time. Social responsibility improved from pre- to postassessment. Children perceived a high MMC, and regression analyses showed that MMC was positively related to perceived competence, personal responsibility, and social responsibility at the end of the program. Results suggest this program was effective in using an MMC to promote social responsibility while engaging students in light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity.

Outdoor recreation professionals have long sought to impact environmental behavior of participants. Mindfulness and nature connection have recently been explored as possible constructs to impact environmental behavior. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of mindful outdoor recreation trips on college students' nature connectedness and ecological behavior. We used explanatory mixed methods approach to explore the relationship between mindfulness, nature connection, and ecological behavior. Quantitative findings suggest that being mindfully outdoors has a positive effect on the degree to which nature is included in the sense of self and on ecological behavior. Qualitative findings support the quantitative findings and suggest that students use mindfulness to connect with nature and to care more for the environment. These findings suggest that the use of mindfulness interventions in outdoor education programming may improve nature connection and ecological behavior.

Social-Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986, 1999) served as the framework to explore overweight children's perceptions of different physical activity settings. Participants were children (n = 67) enrolled in an after-school and summer program for overweight African-American and Hispanic-American children from low-income families. To gain insight into the children's thoughts encompassing their participation in both the after school/summer program and their physical education classes at their respective elementary schools, all of the children individually participated in semistructured interviews. Children enjoyed their involvement in the after-school/summer program and described social, physical, and cognitive benefits related to their participation. Interview data also revealed children's ideas and suggestions for adapting physical education to enhance participation in physical activity. Based on these results, instructional and management strategies focusing on promoting a nurturing environment in physical activity settings for all children (overweight and nonoverweight) are presented and discussed.

Fun & Fit is a program designed to create positive physical activity experiences and to promote healthy lifestyle choices among overweight children from low-income African American and Hispanic American families. The program is a collaborative project between Texas Tech University and the Lubbock Independent School District funded through a grant received from the United States Department of Education. The primary goals of Fun & Fit, Phase I were to (1) have participants experience fun and success in physical activities, (2) provide multiple occasions for the children to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, (3) increase participants' knowledge about nutrition and wellness, and (4) give Texas Tech University students opportunities to hone their teaching skills through participation in a university service-learning course. This article describes the development and implementation of the Fun & Fit program. (Contains 2 figures.)

This investigation examined the effect of model similarity on girls' acquisition, retention, transfer, and transfer strategies of a novel motor task. Forty girls (mean age = 10 years) were randomly assigned to conditions in a 2 (model skill level) 3 2 (model sex) factorial design using four treatment groups: (a) male skilled, (b) male learning, (c) female skilled, and (d) female learning. Quantitative data were collected throughout all phases of the investigation. ANOVA results for transfer strategies revealed a significant main effect for model skill level and model sex. Participants observing a female model or a learning model transferred significantly more learning strategies than did participants observing a male or skilled model. After quantitative data collection, qualitative data were obtained via structured interviews and assessed through content analysis. Results from the interview analyses underscored the need to include models of similar sex, as well as learning models, when instructing girls in motor skills.

Over the past 20 years, the status of adolescent health has deteriorated at an alarming rate. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) proposed six standards that identified characteristics of a physically educated individual. Some of these standards address constructs that can be framed in the self-determination theory. The purpose of this study was to validate an instrument intended to measure the actions and dispositions toward physical activity as a result of participation in a physical education program. Participants for this investigation were university freshmen. This sample was chosen because the participants were coming from a recent high school physical education experience. Using exploratory factor analyses, Griffin, Wang, and Hart (2008) found four-factor and three-factor solutions for actions and dispositions, respectively. The current study used confirmatory factor analysis that provides evidence for construct validity of the instrument for measuring the actions and dispositions toward physical activity. As a result of this investigation, a questionnaire measuring actions and dispositions toward physical activity has been validated. The instrument can easily be used by physical education specialists, physical activity practitioners, and academicians., Growing rates of poor fitness and diminished health status among America's adolescents have become perennial findings in reports by researchers and government health agencies (Whitley, Bruce, & McInnis, 2008). As [...]