Professional Development for Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Don Hellison presented his ideas to teachers and coaches who sought strategies for enhancing responsibility behaviors in youth of underserved communities. He also conveyed his concepts to teacher educators charged with preparing professionals in sport and physical activity all over the world. Using a variety of formal and informal ways of sharing teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR), Don, his colleagues, and those responsible for educating teachers and coaches have shared TPSR as a way to help youth learn social and emotional life skills through sport and physical activity. This article is designed to review what is known about how teachers and other physical activity professionals learn to do TPSR by exploring the literature and research as well as summarizing lessons learned about the process. Common barriers to successful implementation of TPSR and future directions for research and practice on professional development in TPSR are discussed.