Educational Gymnastics: The Effectiveness of Montessori Practical Life Activities in Developing Fine Motor Skills in Kindergartners

Research Findings: A quasi-experiment was undertaken to test the effect of Montessori practical life activities on kindergarten children's fine motor development and hand dominance over an 8-month period. Participants were 50 children age 5 in 4 Montessori schools and 50 students age 5 in a kindergarten program in a high-performing suburban elementary school. Children were pre- and posttested on the Flag Posting Test, an individually administered test of fine motor skill requiring children to place tiny flags mounted on pins into preset pinholes. Students in the Montessori treatment group demonstrated significantly higher accuracy, speed, and consistent use of the dominant hand on the posttest, adjusted for pretest differences and gender. Effect sizes were moderate for accuracy and speed (ds = .53 and .37, respectively) and large for established hand dominance (?R² = .35). Longitudinal research on the effects of early childhood programs emphasizing the reciprocal interplay of cognitive and physical aspects of activity is recommended. Practice or Policy: The findings argue for a balanced approach to early childhood education that maintains the importance of physical activity and fine motor development in conjunction with cognitive skills. Montessori practical life activities involving eye–hand coordination and fine motor skills can be integrated into programs.     

What Are You Doing—

The purpose of this paper is to provoke thought and hopefully stimulate action in physical educators in relation to moral education through physical education. A brief overview of three moral education programs in public schools serves to enlighten the reader concerning the possibilities for such development. Kohlberg's cognitive-developmental approach to moral education is discussed in greater depth since the author recommends this model as the foundation for moral education programs in physical education. A review of cognitive-developmental moral research culminates in the establishment of three guiding principles related to (a) nature of moral dilemmas, (h) nature of the environment, and (c) role of the teacher. An application of Kohlbergian techniques to physical education is discussed in relation to the three guiding principles. The paper concludes with an appeal to physical educators for greater concern and involvement with this long-standing goal of physical education for moral (character) development by the implementation of programs in the gymnasium classroom and in teacher education programs with concurrent research to support such programs.     

A Rationale for Mixed Methods (Integrative) Research Programmes in Education

Recent research shows that research programmes (quantitative, qualitative and mixed) in education are not displaced (as suggested by Kuhn) but rather lead to integration. The objective of this study is to present a rationale for mixed methods (integrative) research programs based on contemporary philosophy of science (Lakatos, Giere, Cartwright, Holton, Laudan). This historical reconstruction of episodes from physical science (spanning a period of almost 300 years, 17^th to 20^th century) does not agree with the positivist image of science. Quantitative data (empirical evidence) by itself, does not facilitate progress (despite widespread belief to the contrary), neither in the physical sciences nor in the social sciences (education) A historical reconstruction shows that both Piaget and Pascual‐Leone's research programs in cognitive psychology, follow the Galilean idealisation quite closely, similar to the research programs of Newton, Mendeleev, Einstein, Thomson, Rutherford, Millikan and Perl in the physical sciences. This relationship does not imply that researchers in education have to emulate research in the physical sciences. A major argument in favor of mixed methods (integrative) research programs is that it provides a rationale for hypotheses, theories, guiding assumptions and presuppositions to compete and provide alternatives. Similar to the physical sciences, this proliferation of hypotheses leads to controversies and rivalries, and thus facilitates the decision making process of the scientific community. It is concluded that mixed methods research programs (not paradigms) in education can facilitate the construction of robust strategies, provided we let the problem situation (as studied by practicing researchers) decide the methodology.     

A Developmental Perspective on the Role of Motor Skill Competence in Physical Activity: An Emergent Relationship

Although significant attention has been paid to promoting the importance of physical activity in children, adolescents, and adults, we do not currently understand how to promote sustained physical activity levels throughout the lifespan. We contend that previous research has failed to consider the dynamic and synergistic role that motor skill competence plays in the initiation, maintenance, or decline of physical activity and how this role might change across developmental time. In this article, we present a conceptual model hypothesizing the relationships among physical activity, motor skill competence, perceived motor skill competence, health-related physical fitness, and obesity. We contend that the development of motor skill competence is a primary underlying mechanism that promotes engagement in physical activity.     

Beyond the Stucco Tower: Design,Development, and Dissemination of the SPARK Physical Education Programs

School physical education plays an important role in public health. Nonetheless, there are few evidence-based, health-related, physical education programs and very little is known about how to disseminate them for widespread use. This article (a) presents background information and a review of the completed research on the SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) programs for elementary and middle schools (1989–2000) and (b) describes the ensuing efforts to disseminate those programs nationally (1994–present). The programs have three important features: an active curriculum, staff development, and follow-up support. Efforts to disseminate the programs nationally have required substantial collaboration among university, public school, and private sector personnel. Procedures used in SPARK may serve as models for others interested in researching and disseminating physical education curricula through staff development.     

Building Bridges for Those Under Bridges: A Lesson in Civility

Four questions are presented: What are the historical roots of motor development; How can motor development be characterized; How should motor development be conceptualized; and How should motor development be organized? A brief history presents the psychological roots of motor development and emphasizes the individual researchers who have created the area of motor development since the 1960s. Motor development is characterized as a composite of the researchers, knowledge, application of knowledge, systems for delivering knowledge, and graduate programs in motor development. Motor development should be a perspective rather than a structure or subdiscipline. All courses in human movement should be taught from a developmental perspective, research should be done within the appropriate subdiscipline, and some of that research should be developmental. Motor development will be best served if researchers align with scientists within the subdisciplines and share developmental information in cross-disciplinary groups.     

The New Physical Education

I attempt to provide a framework for the subsequent position papers by offering perceptions about the nature of motor learning research and various factors affecting its focus, quality, and depth. Historical antecedents and present conditions help to explain the course that the motor learning specialization is taking, with implications for the potential meaningfulness of the research to pedagogy and to the advancement of a body of knowledge. A number of variables confound the analysis, including the identification and growth of specializations referred to as motor control and sport psychology (and their interpreted relationship to motor learning), the ability to determine what in fact constitutes motor learning research, the judgment as to what research is user friendly (of potential benefit to physical educators), and the question as to who is responsible for making practical sense of the literature: the scholar or the practitioner.     

Chinese teachers' attitudes toward teaching physical activity and fitness

In this study we examined Chinese physical educators' attitudes toward teaching physical activity and fitness. We then compared the Chinese teacher attitudes to their American counterparts. Participants were 330 Chinese elementary, middle and high school physical educators. The Teachers' Attitudes Toward Curriculum in Physical Education (TATCPE) instrument was used to gather data. One‐way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests indicated that the Chinese teachers scored significantly higher on the self‐actualization and physical activity/fitness than the motor skill development and social development outcome goals. The MANOVA on motor skill development, physical activity/fitness, self‐actualization and social development outcome goals showed no significant differences for gender, teaching level, or years of teaching experience among the Chinese teachers. Teachers from both countries, however, considered all four domain areas to be important outcome goals. Despite cultural differences, Chinese and American teachers share key core attitudinal values about their respective programs.     

元认知对中学生运动技能学习的影响研究

本文首先对元认知及元认知在体育领域的发展现状进行了阐述,并采用调查法对长春市初中生使用元认知的情况及制定实验方案对体育课上学生运用元认知学习运动技能的成绩情况进行分析,从而得出它对体育运动技能学习的重要性。     

The Impact of Supply and Demand on Doctorates in Physical Education Teacher Education: The Future of the Profession

ABSTRACT

Quality preparation of doctoral students is a key to the survival of physical education teacher education. Past research has revealed a shortage of students graduating with a doctoral degree in physical education and a general reluctance of teachers to leave their jobs to pursue an advanced degree. As the number of universities preparing new physical education teacher education assistant professors decreases, those in the profession are concerned for the future of teacher education. Unlike other professions that prepare more doctoral students than the market can accommodate, this is not the case for physical education teacher education doctoral programs. This article will provide summary information on supply and demand, which will be used to identify trends and recommendations for the future. This article will explore the status of doctoral programs in the United States and whether university programs will be able to prepare a sufficient number of professors to replace the aging physical education teacher education professoriate.     

美国密歇根州立大学科学教育硕士培养方案的特点与启示

美国密歇根州立大学为中学科学教师攻读硕士学位设置了三个培养方案,即生物科学教师硕士培养方案、物理科学教师硕士培养方案与教学艺术硕士(普通科学方向)培养方案。这三个方案要求学生修30学分的课程,前两个培养方案面向高中教师,要求撰写研究论文,还开设了学科前沿研究课程,后者面向幼儿园至初中教师,不要求撰写论文,其课程内容具有基础性。三个方案的共同点是课程主体内容密切结合学校的学科教学,课程体系具有多学科领域的综合性。     

Relevance,Application, and the Development of an Unlikely Theory

This paper advances the argument that motor learning research is not relevant to the needs and interests of motor skill teachers. The principal reason is that motor learning researchers in university departments of physical education have responded to calls for paradigmatic shifts that were intended for experimental psychologists, not necessarily for researchers from departments of physical education. As a result, motor learning researchers have concentrated their efforts on studying the mechanisms underlying motor performance rather than on devising and testing ways to improve motor performance. The body of knowledge produced by this approach has been based on experiments employing laboratory tasks and treatment conditions that lack fidelity to those appropriate or even possible in real-world teaching environments. Consequently, little knowledge has been produced that can be directly applied to the technical aspects of teaching. It also is argued that progress toward an applied thrust has been hindered because energies of the most capable researchers have been spent on attempts to develop a grand theory of motor skills, a theory that can never emerge until researchers attend to the essential preliminary task of defining motor skills.     

智障儿童构音障碍矫治的个案报告

为了探讨智障儿童构音障碍的矫治方法,文章采用个案研究方法,对一名6岁10个月中度智障儿童的构音障碍矫治进行研究。先用构音障碍评估工具对其构音功能进行评估,后根据评估结果制定口部运动功能训练和构音音位训练相结合的训练方案并实施训练,最后进行训练后的评估。训练后该患儿的口部运动功能、构音清晰度等构音功能指标有明显提高。结果显示：对存在构音障碍的智障儿童实施有针对性的构音训练,能有效改善其言语状况;对智障儿童实施口部运动功能训练和构音音位训练相结合的实施方案是可行的。     

Physical and sexual abuse among school children: Prevalence and prevention

Prevalence of physical and sexual abuse, with emphasis on data provided by the 1986 National Incidence Study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is discussed within certain data collection constraints. Incidence results are reported by subcategory of abuse, child's sex, child's age, child's race/ethnicity, family income, and family size. Effects of physical and sexual abuse and characteristics of abusers are presented to establish the context in which primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs are developed and delivered. Research on abuse prevention programs is discussed, with attention drawn to problems associated with the lack of a research base for school-based abuse prevention programs.     

Evaluating Approaches to Physical Literacy Through the Lens of Positive Youth Development

The potential of physical activity and sport programs to promote positive youth development (PYD) is well-recognized among youth sport researchers and practitioners. More recently, physical literacy has gained traction among sport organizations as an important component of long-term athlete development. With conceptual roots in academic writing, two approaches to physical literacy emerged: a holistic approach, encompassing cohesive developmental processes and outcomes; and a performance-driven approach, focused largely on physical competencies and performance. This article will evaluate the dual approaches to physical literacy through the lens of PYD. By pairing the theoretical foundation of the holistic approach with the attention to measurement in the performance-driven approach, we subsequently propose an integrated approach to physical literacy grounded firmly in sport and physical activity PYD research. Guided by this approach, we offer key insights and practical recommendations for the implementation of programs that seek to foster both physical literacy and PYD.     

The Decline and Elimination of PETE: Implications for Doctoral Education

ABSTRACT

In this article, we will explore the current landscape of teacher education programs in general, and specifically, physical education teacher education (PETE) from the national level down to the local level. Furthermore, we will explore the impact that the elimination of undergraduate PETE programs can have on PETE doctoral programs, including the teaching, research, and engagement of their faculty. We present ideas for preparing doctoral students for their future higher education roles that may or may not include the preparation of future physical educators.     

The Importance and Difficulty of Disciplined Adherence to the Educational Reform Model

Policymakers, researchers, educators, parents, and citizens alike recognize the need for quality programs that address the pressing developmental and learning needs of our youth, particularly those most at risk. Community-based youth programs are being viewed increasingly as a productive means to facilitate the successful physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of adolescents (Girod, Martineau, &; Zhao, 2004). To address the challenges of growing up in unhealthy environments where high-risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking, experimentation with drugs, physical violence, and unprotected sex can lead to profound negative outcomes, carefully organized and supervised after-school programs have been developed to provide a positive alternative to such problematic adolescent activity (Riggs &; Greenberg, 2004). Notwithstanding, research evidence of program effectiveness—academic and otherwise—is scant, which sets the stage for underresearched after-school programs to be eyed with greater fiscal scrutiny.     

Physical Education Curriculum Reform in Finland

The Finnish education system has received worldwide attention due to the top academic performance of Finnish school students. Physical education, as an integral part of the Finnish education curriculum, potentially contributes to the overall success. The purpose of this article is to summarize Finnish physical education reform during the past decades and to review and critique recent literature that has examined the effectiveness of Finnish physical education programs. This review concludes that physical education has a solid foundation in Finnish schools and that it enjoys strong support in Finnish society. Although physical education contact time has diminished across four decades, the current basic education reform has begun to allocate more time and funding for elementary and middle school physical education. The literature review, however, revealed limited evidence on the effectiveness of physical education programs. In the future, robust studies are needed to provide evidence of the effectiveness of physical education. It is likely that with rigorous research evidence, the current efforts to allocate more time for physical education should be more easily justified and supported.     

The Whole Person in Physical Education Scholarship: Toward Integration

This essay focuses on the effects of the recent subdisciplinary research emphasis in physical education scholarship on whole-person issues such as personal and social development in school- and agency-based physical education programs. It is argued, first, that recent social problems have accelerated the need for scholarly attention to the whole person in physical education and, second, that this research emphasis has responded by beginning to clarify and validate various personal and social development approaches in physical education. However, these results are not, for the most part, finding their way into practice; a different approach to scholarship is required to augment current lines of research. This approach, which emphasizes the interplay of theory/research and practice, is more likely to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to encourage integration among the subdisciplines. In the process, pressing social problems that now constitute much of the context for practice will be addressed.     

Concealment of Child Sexual Abuse in Sports

Researchers and theorists offer a strong base of research in physical activity for high risk groups, particularly sedentary children, adults, and the elderly. Little research examines the lifelong healthy movement behaviors of former competitive athletes. This paper raises some important questions relevant to this population, in particular the disturbing, yet limited research pointing to a serious failure of former competitive athletes to necessarily live longer, healthier, and more physically active lives. The scarce research that seems to highlight this neglected problem is outlined and hypotheses that may contribute to this phenomenon are offered and categorized in the following three sections: atypical physical behaviors found in the sporting realm, utilitarian uses of physical activity, and the long-term consequences of athletic identity. Suggestions are offered to direct future research and to implement practical intervention strategies and educational programs.