Longitudinal study of preadolescent sport self-concept and performance: reciprocal effects and causal ordering

Do preadolescent sport self-concepts influence subsequent sport performance? Longitudinal data (Grades 3, 4, and 6) for young boys and girls (N= 1,135; mean age = 9.67) were used to test reciprocal effects model (REM) predictions that sport self-concept is both a cause and a consequence of sport accomplishments. Controlling prior sport performance (performance-based measures and teacher assessments), prior sport self-concept had positive effects on subsequent sport performance in both Grade 4 and Grade 6 and for both boys and girls. Coupled with previous REM studies of adolescents in the academic domain, this first test for preadolescents in the sport domain supports the generalizability of REM predictions over gender, self-concept domain, preadolescent ages, and the transition from primary to secondary school.     

Schülerwahrnehmungen des Unterrichtsklimas

The limited findings on student perceptions of class climate in physical education (PE) classes can be attributed to the lack of a suitable measuring instrument. In an effort to overcome this research desideratum, this study aims to construct and develop a questionnaire measuring the students’ perceptions of class climate in PE classes. Therefore, findings from general class climate research (e.g. Saldern & Litig, 1987) are linked with qualitative findings of students’ perceptions in PE classes (Miethling & Krieger, 2004). The questionnaire was answered by 1,135 students from grades eight through ten attending a German secondary school (Gymnasium). A principal component analysis (PCA) with orthogonal rotation (varimax) gives an eight-component solution including 40 items. Regarding the PCA, class climate can be measured by two components pertaining solely to teachers, three components describing the teacher-student relationship and three components describing the student-student relationship. The criterion-related validity is satisfactory at the class level; 57% of variance of the criterion enjoyment in PE class can be explained. Deeper analyses show noticeable class climate characteristics in individual schools. Finally, further developments of the questionnaire and perspectives regarding school climate and academic culture research are discussed.     

Sportlehrerprofessionalität: Ende einer Misere oder Misere ohne Ende?

This article provides an overview of the current status in the field of empirical research on professionalism and professionalization of physical education (PE) teachers. It aims to examine the thesis on the “misery” of the PE teacher profession. Therefore, different research approaches from the educational science field are taken into consideration. This might allow finding explanations for the postulated deficits in the professionalization of PE teachers. First, three different perspectives are introduced, including sociology of the profession, subject culture, and occupational biography. In a second step, professionalization of PE teachers is structured and modelled in alignment with longitudinal studies in the education science field. Based on this model, research findings and research desiderata on PE teachers professionalization are shown. This approach allows a differentiated view on the topic.     

Zur Entwicklung von Sportlehrer/innen

This article deals with the biographical developments in the professional life of physical education (school) teachers. Starting with a summary of the changes concerning demands in this professional field, a thesis of productive insecurity ("produktive Unsicherheit") in the developing processes is formulated. Hence this assumption is discussed by means of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of attitudes and the empiricism model of professional development (Miethling 2011) in this field. Especially the issue of normality is discussed in the following. Development–theoretical ("life span development" research) and cultural–theoretical presumptions (concerning normalism) are used in this matter. Thereby, the preliminary thesis is specifically augmented and modified.