Relationship Between Teachers' Attitudes and Actions Toward Teaching Physical Activity and Fitness
The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' attitudes toward physical activity and fitness and the relationship between their attitudes and what is taught in their classes. A secondary purpose was to validate an instrument measuring teachers' attitudes toward physical activity and fitness. This study was conducted in multiple phases. Thirty-one participants were involved in developing the attitude instrument in the preliminary study. Participants for the content validity study were 28 experts in physical education pedagogy. Participants for the reliability and validity study were 252 physical education teachers. Finally, participants for the relationship between teachers' attitudes and actions study were 42 teachers selected based on high physical activity/fitness or low physical activity/fitness scores on the validated attitude instrument. Results from the preliminary study were used to revise the attitude instrument. The mean percent agreement of the experts on all items of the final attitude instrument was.91. Reliability results from the reliability and validity study showed a high level of inter-item agreement (G-C alpha coefficients ranged.81-.89). Omega coefficients (.84-.90) and confirmatory factor analysis results also provide evidence that a reliable and valid instrument was developed. Repeated measures ANOVA results for the four attitude groups suggested that physical activity/fitness was the most important outcome goal for teachers in this study followed by self-actualization, motor skill, and social development, respectively. Tukey follow up tests indicated significant differences between all combinations of groups except motor skill and social development. Years of teaching experience was related to the outcome goals of self-actualization and social development. MANOVA revealed significant differences in teaching priorities among elementary, middle/junior high and high school teachers. MANOVA results from the relationship between teachers' attitudes and actions study did not show a significant effect between the attitude groups. There were no significant differences between the high fitness and low fitness attitude groups in the percent of class time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity, fitness activities, or teacher behaviors related to fitness. In all three areas, however, there were trends in the hypothesized direction.
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign