The study is a survey of the required physical education programs in senior Texas colleges with physical education departments for women.

This thesis argued that Physical Education is marginalised in the South African primary school education sector. Through this marginalisation, Physical Education has been reduced from having full subject status, to being only one of the components of one of the primary school learning areas, namely, Life Orientation. Simultaneously, Physical Education finds itself in a situation in which it is generally being taught by a class teacher and no longer by a specialist Physical Education teacher. Possible reasons for this marginalisation are expressed, however, the argument that Physical Education is an imperative in the holistic development of the child, is also espoused. This thesis critically examined the route that South African primary school education is taking and focused on the issues of holistic education and development, Outcomes-based Education and Life Orientation.

This thesis argued that Physical Education is marginalised in the South African primary school education sector. Through this marginalisation, Physical Education has been reduced from having full subject status, to being only one of the components of one of the primary school learning areas, namely, Life Orientation. Simultaneously, Physical Education finds itself in a situation in which it is generally being taught by a class teacher and no longer by a specialist Physical Education teacher. Possible reasons for this marginalisation are expressed, however, the argument that Physical Education is an imperative in the holistic development of the child, is also espoused. This thesis critically examined the route that South African primary school education is taking and focused on the issues of holistic education and development, Outcomes-based Education and Life Orientation.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kansas, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-146). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kansas, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-146)

published_or_final_version / Sports Science / Master / Master of Science in Sports Science

No description available.

Universities are seen to have a central role in the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), partly through their teaching and research activities. However, the critique of Higher Education's (HE) contribution to sustainable development thus far points to the limitations of a discipline driven, curriculum content and solely student focused response. Within this context, extra-curricular interventions, for example, running awareness campaigns, creating groups and organising events, appear to have potential to advance ESD in HE. However, there has been little investigation or published work in this area. Ideas of non formal and informal education; constructivist theories of learning; concepts of free choice, tacit and social learning, and the notions of whole systems thinking and sustainable education all point to roles for interventions in the extra-curricular sphere. This thesis explores the use of extra-curricular interventions in HE through an empirical investigation in the UK. A 2006 postal survey of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) records the extent and type of interventions in use and opinions about their utility. A case study, developed through action research, reports the use and impact of extra-curricular ESD-related interventions at one HEI over an academic year (2006-07). In this case study, regular contact with a group of staff and students over the year is used to map changes in their thoughts and actions relating to sustainable development, and to record the influences attributed to these changes. Importantly, extra-curricular ESD-related interventions are found to be commonly used in UK HE, and to have a prominent position in ESD work despite their limited visibility in the literature. Their utility is confirmed as they are seen to provide experiences that contribute to student and staff learning, as well as institutional change. The evidence collected supports their roles as: disciplinary bridge', community bridge; socialisation scaffold, and social learning arena. They appear to have a useful developmental role in mobilising and motivating members of the campus community. As peripheral activities, however, extra-curricular interventions may be prone to erratic implementation through being under-resourced. They can extend participation in BSD although will not reach everyone. They are best viewed as a complementary part of BSD and linked to a process of curricular and pedagogic renewal. In addition to confirming the extent, utility and limitations of extra-curricular ESD practice, the research contributes a model to map understandings of sustainable development. This model points to a core environmental understanding to which extra layers and strands of thinking can be added. It also confirms the importance of non formal and informal influences in shaping people's conceptions of sustainable development.

This study investigated the effect of participation in team building activities on the self-conceptions of middle school physical education students. Participants consisted of 68 physical education students in Grades 6 -8. The classes were randomly assigned to one of two groups, either treatment or control. The treatment group participated in one Team Building Through Physical Challenge (TBPC) activity every other week, for 8 weeks, while the control group continued with their regular physical education curriculum without participation in the TBPC activities. Harter's (1 985b) Self-perception Profile for Children was administered to all participants prior to and following the intervention. Data were analyzed using a 2 (treatmentlcontrol) x 2 (pretest/posttest) x 2 (malelfemale) repeated measures analysis of all six self-conceptions (athletic competence, social acceptance, behavioural conduct, scholastic competence, physical appearance, and global self-worth). Results at posttest revealed males in the treatment group had significantly higher self-conceptions for athletic competence. Participant mean scores in the treatment group also increased across time for social acceptance, scholastic competence, athletic competence and global self-worth. The second purpose of this study was to capture the experiences of the participants. A variety of qualitative data collection techniques (focus group interviews, videotaping, and digital photographs) were used to achieve this purpose. Five relatively distinct themes emerged from the analyses. These themes included: (a) Optimal Challenge and Optimal Interest, (b) Risk and Trust - A Symbiotic Relationship, (c) Teamwork - . . .It's About The Process, (d) Communication - Having a Voice, and (e) Negotiating -The Decision-Making Process. The findings of the qualitative analysis helped illuminate the quantitative results. Recommendations for future research and practice are also presented.

A problem which confronts education today, and which causes many children to be unsuccessful in academic achievement, is retarded reading.