The purpose of this study was to describe through a series of in-depth phenomenological interviews the nature and quality of physical education teacher educators' work experiences, and to understand the meaning they make of their professional lives. In one of the most important reviews on teacher education of this decade, Lanier and Little (1986) emphasized that we know very little about teacher educators. As pressures are generated by current reform proposals for teaching and teacher education, it seems appropriate to try to understand as much as we can about the people who educate teachers. Phenomenological interviewing was used to collect material about the experiences of 15 teacher educators in physical education. Eight women and seven men in early and late career stages, from both university and college settings (primarily in the northeastern states), were interviewed on three different occasions for 60 to 90 minutes each time. The audio taped interviews were transcribed verbatim, producing approximately 100 pages of material for each participant. Pseudonyms were used as an attempt to protect the identity of the participants and their institutions. From transcripts, eight to twelve page profiles were constructed using the participants' own words. The researcher also identified themes which connected the experiences among the participants. Thematic descriptions included how participants perceived their work tasks, how they associated with other faculty, how they related to school-based colleagues, and how they interacted with their students. Major themes from these interviews include participants' emphasis on teaching and interacting with students as the most rewarding aspect of their work; differences between junior and senior faculty members' views about research; perceptions about the low status of physical education; and clear gender differences in attitudes toward work roles and salary.

<p> Certain coaches seem to have a basic blueprint for success that consistently puts them at the forefront of their respective industries. Within this blueprint are various components of leadership. The purpose of this study was to identify how successful NCAA Division I baseball coaches understand their roles and responsibilities as leaders in a higher education context. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball coaches were interviewed. Each guided his respective program to at least three regional playoffs over an 11 year span (2005&ndash;2015). A qualitative analysis indicated two major themes, and one minor theme. The two major themes were Winning and Coach as CEO, and the minor theme was Need for Personal Life. First, the coaches recognized that their main responsibility was to win. Before the team can win collectively, each member of the program had to win individually. Second, as the CEO of the organization, coaches understood that it was their responsibility to create a culture of winning throughout their program. This was done by setting high expectations for assistant coaches, and focusing on the overall development of student-athletes. One of the main challenges in strengthening a culture of winning was the entitled beliefs and behaviors of student-athletes. Third, coaches realized that in order to truly be a successful leader, they had to balance their personal and professional responsibilities.</p>

<p> Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 has significantly improved women&rsquo;s access to previously male-dominated areas of education in the United States, but few of these studies have focused on the experiences of women currently in the higher education field. This study explored female head athletic trainers&rsquo; perceptions of the role of U.S. higher education institutions in preparing and supporting their achievement of leadership positions in U.S. collegiate sports: it also explored their views on potential changes in current higher education curricula and certification processes. This phenomenological study used Ridgeway&rsquo;s status construction theory as its theoretical lens for examining the role of higher education in participants&rsquo; career progressions. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 9 female head athletic trainers from various intercollegiate schools in the United States. The trustworthiness of findings was increased through use of the constant comparison data analysis method and sharing transcripts and excerpts of findings with participants. The study findings showed that the participants perceived higher education program preparation and support as limited in both helping women achieve collegiate leadership positions and overcome barriers to professional advancement. Suggestions for improving athletic training educational programs included adding mentorship and role models, experiential learning and interactions with sport personnel, networking opportunities, leadership training, and courses in gender roles and biases. This study promotes positive social change by identifying underlying gender biases inhibiting women&rsquo;s promotions into sport leadership roles and by providing policy and curricular suggestions for addressing these, thereby promoting greater social equality.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to explore the application of learning contracts in the process of preparing to take the AT BOC exam. The goal of this study was to investigate best practices to assist students in being successful when taking the BOC certification examination. Self-directed learning in medicine was an important skill in the ever-changing healthcare landscape. One self-directed learning tool, learning contracts, had been studied in other healthcare fields. However, little research had been conducted utilizing learning contracts in athletic training. In addition, providing students with a research based instrument that could be used to improve success on the BOC examination would positively impact the profession of athletic training. Therefore, a mixed methods research study was implemented to study the usefulness of learning contracts in the preparation for the BOC examination. The data produced in the study showed that athletic training students were self-directed learners and that learning contracts were a useful tool when preparing for the BOC examination. Along with the Self-Assessment Exams (SAEs) produced by BOC, Inc., learning contracts were shown to be useful in helping students diagnose learning needs as well as creating a plan to study. Based on the outcomes of this study the researcher recommends that athletic training students, and athletic training programs, implement the use of learning contracts when preparing for the BOC examination. The researcher also recommends that students strongly consider using SAEs to diagnose learning needs or gaps.</p><p>