Physical Education Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives on Teaching Health-Related Fitness

Abstract

This aim of this study was to examine the relationship between preservice teachers’ acculturation and their beliefs related to teaching health-related fitness (HRF) within the K–12 setting. Participants included three preservice physical education teachers enrolled in an HRF course. Inductive analysis determined the factors that contributed to participants’ perceptions and conceptions of teaching HRF in physical education. Data analysis revealed three prominent themes regarding the preservice teachers’ conceptions of teaching HRF: (a) HRF content belongs in physical education, (b) lacking pedagogical expertise, and (c) physical education teachers are made at home. This exploratory study suggests that preservice teachers learn their conceptions of HRF from a variety of environments, contexts, and leadership figures and that their experiences can be deeply personal. These personal beliefs regarding HRF manifest themselves in preservice teachers’ understanding of how HRF content should be practiced in physical education. Physical education teacher education programs could provide more direct opportunities for preservice teachers to develop a more broad understanding of HRF content and field experiences allowing them chances at successful model implementation.