Importance of Selected Competencies and Relationship to Corresponding Coursework in Programs of Teacher Preparation

Abstract

This investigation utilized factor analytic procedures to identify areas of coursework perceived as important for undergraduate majors in teacher preparation to acquire. Nonparametric correlation procedures were then used to compare the importance attributed to identified factors with the status of corresponding course offerings. A sample of 546 physical educators responsible for teacher preparation programs at four year colleges/universities responded to two separate questionnaires: (1) a Comptency Questionnaire concerning the importance of 20 selected competencies for future teachers to attain, and (2) a Content Questionnaire which determined the courses offered and their status in each curriculum. The analysis of data revealed three factors which accounted for 41% of the total variance in the importance attributed to competencies. The three factors (in order of mean scores of importance) were Science of Movement, Pedagogy, and Coaching. Kendall's Tau correlation procedure between factors of competencies and corresponding status of courses resulted in low coefficients ranging from .15 for Science of Movement to .22 for Pedagogy. It was concluded that the courses offered in programs of teacher preparation are not determined according to the importance attributed related competencies.