Concerns of Preservice Physical Education Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the concerns of preservice physical education teachers at the University of Leuven (Belgium). In two studies, data were obtained with two different methodologies, namely a questionnaire and the logbook. In the first study the Teacher Concerns Questionnaire (TCQ) was administered to 100 students on three occasions during their early field teaching experiences. Of the three types of concern—self, task, and impact—only impact concern increased significantly and could be identified as a stable factor. In line with related studies, data did not reveal the three stages of Fuller’s concern model. In the second study written concerns were gathered using the logbook method. Concerns about pupil control and organization were found most frequently. Finally, concerns obtained from the TCQ were compared with the written ones. The contradicting findings suggest there are both idealistic and realistic concerns. Further research into a valid instrument for assessing concerns of prospective physical educators is recommended.