<p> The continual decline in health and wellness and the potential impact on society, including the economic, social, physical, and emotional perspectives is a concern for health professionals. Specifically, there are concerns about the lifestyle habits as individuals' transition through the lifespan from childhood to late adulthood. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of high school varsity athletic participation on physical activity and wellness in the adult life stages: young, middle, and late. The researcher hypothesized that individuals that participated in high school varsity athletics would report higher levels of physical activity and higher wellness scores (social, physical, and emotional) in the adult life stages than individuals that did not participate in high school varsity athletics. </p><p> The researcher recruited, through electronic e-mail, 564 college alumni (69.1% female) to participate in the exploratory study. Participants completed the Godin Leisure-time Exercise Questionnaire and the Perceived Wellness Survey. Participants were then grouped by past high school athletic participation status (59.2% varsity athletes) and by adult life stage. </p><p> An ANOVA indicated significant differences between groups in all areas. Athletes in young adulthood showed the greatest differences in strenuous physical activity (p&lt;.001) when compared to non-athletes. Athletes in late adulthood showed the greatest differences in moderate physical activity (p&lt;.01) when compared to non-athletes. Non-athletes in young adulthood showed the greatest negative differences in emotional wellness (p&lt;.05) when compared to all groups. Additionally, the greatest differences in total wellness was between athletes (p&lt;.001) and non-athletes in young adulthood. Finally, athletes in young adulthood reported the greatest differences in total physical activity (p&lt;.05), physical wellness (p&lt;.05), and social wellness (p&lt;.05) when compared to other groups. </p><p> The findings from the study provide strong evidence that high school varsity participation can help individuals develop healthy habits that are carried into adulthood. The study provides a strong foundation for future research in physical activity, wellness, and sport behavior. In conclusion, school administrators and health professionals should consider providing more opportunities for more adolescents to participate in structured athletic programs to develop healthy habits that become lifelong behaviors.</p>

<p> Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem that can lead to adverse health conditions. In several rural Pennsylvania communities, over one third of elementary students are characterized as overweight, having a body mass index above the 85^th percentile. The purpose of the study was to investigate educational stakeholders' perspectives about school-based obesity-prevention programs. The conceptual framework focused on cognitive theory, the theory of planned behavior, and the trans-theoretical model of health behavior change, which postulates that an individual's readiness to change is the most important factor of intervention programs. Qualitative interview data were gathered from 18 educational stakeholders. Inductive code-based analysis led to categories and themes. Key findings revealed a variety of barriers that limited and prevented effective student-wellness initiatives: students' physical activity; family dynamics, schedules, and socioeconomic factors; lack of transportation limiting children's participation in physical activities; parental engagement and input on obesity-prevention initiatives; and cafeteria environment and meal offerings. Findings informed the development of a policy recommendation for a research-based nutrition education program for schools and a strategy to communicate students' cafeteria habits to parents. Recommendations include a heightened awareness on factors contributing to obesity, as well as better educator-led planning to make improvements to school-based programs. Implications for positive social change may be the potential to increase awareness of healthy behaviors and improved student health through obesity-prevention methods, exercise patterns, and dietary habits of youth. These healthy habits may reduce adverse health effects in adulthood, which could hold the potential to improve the health of the next generation.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0508. Adviser: Darla Castelli. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-120) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> Many U.S. adolescents struggle with obesity and a lack of motivation to be healthy and physically active, which affects individual as well as public health. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to evaluate students&rsquo; motivation to participate in physical education class and better understand the teaching strategies currently used by physical education teachers who participated in an interview and 2 observations. Self-determination theory framed the research questions, which focused on students&rsquo; intrinsic motivation to participate in physical education class and physical education teachers&rsquo; use of autonomy supportive teaching strategies. Learning Climate and Basic Need surveys were administered to 6^th&ndash;8^th grade students (<i>n</i> = 261). Analysis of descriptive statistics revealed students felt the strongest fulfillment of relatedness from their teacher (<i>M</i> = 5.6) and autonomy support to be the least (<i>M</i> = 4.6). Overall inferential statistics revealed similar results when teachers were compared. Analysis of variance resulted in no significant differences between the teachers as related to competence, relatedness, autonomy, and perceptions. Qualitative data was coded and revealed similar themes; all data revealed relatedness scores were the highest for all the teachers, and autonomy support was the lowest for all the teachers. Positive social change provides an updated 9-week curriculum plan with new units that have been designed to enhance their motivation and create awareness of lifelong physical activities; autonomy supportive teaching strategies have been incorporated in the curriculum.</p><p>

The primary purpose of this study was to further the understanding of how people learn to teach. The central research question focused on differences in teaching knowledge that may be associated with training and experience. Eight teachers were selected to participate in this study. They represented a wide range of teaching experience, formal training, professional certification and sport participation. The common criterion for selection was previous experience in the teaching of volleyball. Data were collected from both questionnaires and transcribed interviews which followed the viewing of a twenty-minute videotaped volleyball lesson. Results indicated differences among the participating teachers in content knowledge (the skills of playing volleyball), pedagogical knowledge (general teaching principles), and pedagogical content knowledge (content-specific teaching knowledge). The comments of trained teachers displayed a greater awareness of and concern for general teaching principles. In contrast, untrained teachers devoted most of their comments to lesson content. Experienced teachers, whether trained or untrained, demonstrated a superior understanding of the relationship between the nature of content and the needs of learners at different levels of skill development. In that regard, they had a more elaborately developed sense of pedagogical content knowledge. Untrained teachers cited their experience as students and athletes as major sources of information about teaching, while trained teachers pointed to experiences associated with their formal training. Members from both group indicated that they had learned from role models and early teaching experiences. Among trained and untrained teachers the sources for the differences in knowledge, and how that knowledge was processed, included the following: varied teaching contexts such as public high schools and university classes, the extent of teaching experience which ranged from one to eighteen years, and views about teaching that were influenced by previous experience in either coaching or teaching roles. Implications for teacher education and staff development include a need for training experiences that will integrate various forms of teaching knowledge. In addition, it is clear that teacher preparation programs must deal much more explicitly with the differences between coaching and teaching contexts.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of public school physical education teachers holding multiple jobs. Data were collected through interviews in which 17 secondary physical education teachers described their motives and perceptions concerning the combination of teaching with other forms of employment. Each teacher was interviewed twice. In the first, unstructured interview, participants were encouraged to identify what they regarded as the realities of moonlighting, the purpose being to identify questions, problems, and issues not previously encountered or understood. Prior to the second interview, participants were asked to read through an abbreviated transcript of the first interview which documented primary areas of interest and items which required amplification or exploration. Profiles developed from the participants' own words provide a description of their moonlighting experiences and the impact of multiple employment on personal and professional lives. The profiles make clear that moonlighting is a highly individual phenomenon. Nevertheless, analysis of the transcripts served to yield a number of themes which were common to most of the participants' career patterns. Three particular themes appear to be both common and powerful in the professional lives of physical education teachers: (1) dissatisfactions with teaching and conditions in the school workplace often push teachers out into second jobs, (2) certain kinds of second jobs are regarded as part of professional responsibility, (3) some teachers spend more time in second jobs because limited time commitments in their personal lives leave a surplus of uncommitted time. For some teachers moonlighting simply is an economic necessity. Gender, marital status and age-related life cycle factors all serve to shape the importance of supplementing teaching income through additional employment. Finally, teachers hold mixed views concerning the impact of holding second jobs on their ability to function effectively in the school.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1934.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1934.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-11, Section: A, page: 4295. Adviser: Kim C. Graber. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-161) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> The aim of this project is to determine if physical education has a positive or negative impact on special education students in the following areas: attention, energy, participation, and mood. I hope to benefit the special education field and bring attention to how physical movement can improve the lives of children with disabilities. The data will be collected through observations. The teacher assistant will conduct the observations of the students within the classroom in four 15-minute increments totaling one-hour immediately following physical education class. A check list will be used to identify if the following areas observed either increased or decreased: attention, energy, participation and mood. The select students to be observed will have a letter sent home to parents to inform them of my research and to ask for consent for observations of their child. Students will remain anonymous, as pseudonyms will be used to identify them. Personal interviews will be conducted with the student&rsquo;s teacher to discuss the results of the observations.</p><p>