A Case Study of Preservice Physical Education Teachers’ Attitudes toward and Perceived Barriers to Quality Physical Education

Abstract

The purposes of this study were 1) to assess preservice physical education teacher’s beliefs in the four domains representing important outcomes for physical education as identified and measured by Kulinna et al. (2010) along with nutrition as an additional domain and 2) to identify barriers to quality physical education given by PETE candidates and identify barriers by pertinent demographic characteristics. Eighty-six PETE candidates completed a demographics survey, the PETE Students’/Physical Educator’s Attitudes toward Curricular Outcomes in Physical Education questionnaire and the Perceived Barriers to the Delivery of Quality Physical Education questionnaire. Participants’ attitudes and priority of curricular outcomes in were similar to Kulinna et al. (2010). The newly included nutrition domain was ranked as the third priority for PE outcomes. Institution-related barriers were identified as preservice teachers’ major barrier to quality physical education in K-12 schools. Also, gender had a significant effect on participants’ perception of barriers for 14 of the 20 questionnaire items where female PETE students anticipate these barriers as having greater influence on their ability at provide quality physical education than male participants. Recommendations for PETE programs to assist at minimizing the main barriers to quality PE anticipated by preservice students are discussed.

Keywords: quality physical education, preservice students, attitudes, beliefs, barriers