Toward a More Comprehensive Picture of Physical Education Teaching Quality: Combining Generic and Content-Specific Practices

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores physical education teaching quality and its effects on student psychomotor learning by bringing together generic and content-specific practices. Method: A sample of 51 elementary classroom teachers who taught physical education to third-, fourth-, or fifth-grade students (N = 944) was recruited. Student psychomotor development was measured through a pre- and postperformance test. Teaching quality was captured through classroom observations and a student survey. Results: Findings showed that more teacher-level variance was explained when combining generic and content-specific practices, as compared with that explained when considering either type of practices in isolation. Teaching aspects from both types of practices were found to be important predictors that could discriminate among teachers based on their level of effectiveness. Conclusion: A comprehensive framework of physical education teaching effectiveness could be developed involving both types of practices. This framework could be used for both summative and formative purposes in preservice or in-service teacher education programs.