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Little is known about which curricular models and activity units are being taught in public schools. This exploratory study examined the K–12 physical education (PE) content and curricular models being implemented. Supervisors of PE recruited from one northeastern state participated in a 25-item questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were calculated. Sixty-nine of 92 questionnaires were usable and included in the data analysis. Findings suggest that few districts were using a curricular model at the elementary (K–5) level (27%). Another common response of adopted curricular models at the elementary level was Movement Education (17.6%). At the secondary level, No Model (35%) and Fitness Education (25.6%) were common responses. Specific units such as volleyball, basketball, and weight training yielded the highest responses, while field hockey, golf, archery, lacrosse, and tennis yielded the fewest responses. The findings suggest that K–12 PE curricula may not reflect current trends and mandates. The key determinants could be a lack of curricular model use and heavy reliance upon activities known to present challenges toward standards-based education (i.e., softball). Perhaps K–12 PE and PE preparation programs can connect to effectively articulate a curriculum, and adopt and train on curricular approaches aiming to increase teacher effectiveness and reach national standards.Subscribe to TPE

Assistive technology supplements and supports the learning of students with disabilities in school and at home. Thanks to federal mandates, students with disabilities receive consideration for assistive technology devices and services — the tools and supports needed to achieve determined learning outcomes. Assistive technology devices and services operate as a process, ensuring students with disabilities receive optimal access to learning across all educational settings and subject areas. This article provides physical educators with a working knowledge of the assistive technology process along with recommendations for supporting their students with disabilities.

Our goal as physical educators is to help all students develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be physically active for a lifetime. Despite efforts to address the diverse needs of students through quality physical education, the reality is that some students still need additional support beyond physical education to achieve their full potential. Response to intervention (RTI) is a proactive approach to educational-service delivery that relies on data-driven decision making to identify student needs and to tailor support. Traditionally, RTI has focused on addressing the needs of lower-performing students through tiered interventions. The purpose of this article is to review the basic principles of RTI, discuss how they have been applied in physical education thus far, and expand the conceptual framework so it can be used to address the needs of both higher- and lower-performing students.

This project aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale measuring Chinese preservice physical education teachers’ beliefs about the physical education profession (PPET-BPEP). The domains and items were created from a conceptual analysis of the previous literature and PPETs’ responses to an open-ended survey. Six experts in the field of physical education and educational psychology evaluated the content validity of the scale. The reliability and factorial validity of the scale were examined utilizing a sample of 696 Chinese PPETs. The PPET-BPEP scale with 12 items embedded in two domains revealed acceptable content validity, internal structure validity, and internal consistency. The two domains were labeled as “sense of calling” and “value of physical education profession” based on the shared content of items in each domain. We recommend using PPET-BPEP scale for PPET recruitment and preparation. The scale can also help establish teacher belief scales in other subject matters. Future validation of the scale is needed in different countries and institutions.

We investigated whether more arterial stiffness changes could be induced by fragmentation of Swiss ball balance, and examined the role exercise order played in the modulation of arterial stiffness when on-ball kneeling and sitting were combined. Twenty-three healthy young adults (23.8 ± 0.3 years) performed 7 trials in a randomized crossover fashion: CON (non-exercise control), K (on-ball kneeling, 5 min), fK (fragmented on-ball kneeling, 2 × 2.5 min), S (on-ball sitting, 5 min), fS (fragmented on-ball sitting, 2 × 2.5 min), SK (5-min sitting before 5-min kneeling) and KS (5-min kneeling before 5-min sitting). Arterial stiffness in Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was measured at baseline (BL), immediately (0 min), and every 10 min after exercise, and its changes from BL (ΔCAVI) were calculated. Area under curve (AUC) of ΔCAVI was calculated for SK and KS. The results showed that relative to CON, ΔCAVI decreased at 0 min and 10 min in K and fK, and remained decreased at 20 min in fK only. However, ΔCAVI in S and fS increased with time similarly, with no difference relative to CON. Though ΔCAVI decreased at 10 min in SK, it decreased at both 0 min and 10 min in KS, relative to CON. AUC of ΔCAVI was greater in KS than in SK. The study indicated that compared to continuous mode, fragmented kneeling results in more arterial stiffness improvements, while fragmented sitting exerts no additional effects. When kneeling and sitting are combined, kneeling before sitting elicits more arterial stiffness improvements than sitting before kneeling. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.

Purpose Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, which often follows major acute cardiac events, is traditionally focused on aerobic exercise and has been associated with decreased morbidity and mortality. Its benefit among cardiac surgery patients is less clear, as is the role of resistance-based exercise programs and their sex-specific effects. This study seeks to evaluate the safety and feasibility of a 12-week resistance training program in patients post cardiac surgery through a sex-specific lens. Methods We conducted a nonrandomized feasibility trial with a 12-week strength training exercise intervention. The primary outcome was safety and feasibility. Secondary outcomes included changes in strength, endurance, and functional capacity; and sex differences among these. Adult participants post open-heart surgery who had completed traditional cardiac rehabilitation were consented. Both patients who completed (cases) or did not complete (controls) a tailored 12-week resistance training program underwent comprehensive assessment of physiologic and physical fitness measures pre- and postintervention. Findings Nine participants enrolled in the trial, including 6 in the intervention arm (median age 61 years; 67% male) and 3 in the control arm (median age 66 years; 67% male). No serious adverse events were noted, indicating safety of the intervention. Participants completed a mean of 34.8/36 (96.7%) of sessions, indicating the feasibility of the program. Although not powered for statistical significance, patients experienced positive trends of improvement in measures of hand grip strength, endurance, and functional capacity with the intervention. When stratified, females experienced greater gains than males in these measures. Implications This proof-of-concept study found that resistance-based exercise after cardiac surgery is well tolerated and feasible. Although all patients experienced improvements in exercise parameters, females reported greater relative improvement than males.

The percentage of US youths experiencing mental health and substance use problems has risen rapidly in recent years. Schools are important settings for prevention, but whether preventive programming meets student needs is unknown. This study examined trends in school programming related to mental health and substance use and teacher professional development across US middle and high schools from 2008-2020.

Authors: Dr. Sharon P. Misasi*, Dr. Gary Morin and Lauren Kwasnowski Dr. Sharon P. Misasi is a Professor of Exercise Science at Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Gary Morin is a Professor of Exercise Science, Assistant Athletic Trainer and Program Director of the Athletic Training Education Program. Lauren Kwasnowski is a Research assistant for this

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We examined whether multiple domains of baseline cognitive performance were associated with prospective physical activity (PA) adherence in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot study (LIFE-P). The LIFE-P study was a ...

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 ensured millions of American students had a legal right to free and appropriate physical education. Yet, there is confusion about who delivers appropriate adapted physical education (APE). This article reflects on the half century of legally defined APE and a country’s response to preparing teachers for the disability-related demands of the job. A critical perspective is offered with the hope of improving physical educational outcomes for students with disabilities.

Purpose: To explore the relationships between weight status, weight perceptions, and perceptions of the body positivity movement on social media. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Online through the Qualtrics platform. Subjects: Participants (N = 521; mean 26.6 ± 5.1 years) were recruited using Qualtrics online panels. Measures: The study survey included questions about participant demographics, weight status, and weight perception. Subjects rated 6 study-specific viewpoint questions about the body positivity movement on a 5pt Likert scale. Analysis: Multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for relevant confounders assessed the associations between objective weight status, perceived weight status, and perceptions of the body positivity movement. Results: Objective weight status was not associated with perceptions of the body positivity movement. Perceptions of weight status were associated with perceptions of the body positivity movement in young women, with those that perceived themselves as overweight more likely (OR = 1.67, P < 0.05) to disagree with the statement that “the body positivity makes people less likely to lose weight.”. However, young women that perceived themselves as having a lower weight status were less likely (OR = 0.54, P < 0.05) to agree with the statement that “the body positivity movement empowered women” as well as “being inclusive of people of all sizes” (OR = 0.56, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Weight perception, rather than objective weight status, may be a stronger predictor of weight bias and views of the body positivity movement. © The Author(s) 2024.

Introduction: Government and insurance sponsored exercise programs have demonstrated decreased hospitalizations, but it is unclear if this is the case for self-referred programs. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study from 2013 to 2020, older adults who participated for at least three months at a community-based exercise center (participants) were compared with those who did not (nonparticipants). Each completed a baseline physical assessment and periodic reassessments thereafter. These data were paired with regional hospital data and a national mortality database. Statistical analysis and modeling were performed from 2020 to 2023. Survival to all-cause hospitalization was assessed with a priori subgroup comparison by gender and cox proportional hazard modeling by age, gender, and comorbidities. Results: The cohort included 718 adults, mean age 69.5 years (SD 8.4), with 411 (57.2%) participants and 307 nonparticipants. Mean follow-up was 26.7 months. Participants had similar baseline measures of fitness (p>0.05) but were more likely to be retired and less likely to have diabetes or prior stroke than nonparticipants. Sustained participation was associated with a reduced rate of all-cause hospitalization (9.0% vs. 12.7%, p=0.02), even when adjusted (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.34, 0.87, p=0.01). This decrease was noted only in women (p=0.03) but not in men (p=0.49), gender was nonsignificant after adjustment for comorbidities (p=0.15). Conclusions: Exercise program participation was independently associated with decreased risk of all-cause hospitalization, with possible differential effects by gender. Further randomized trials of the benefits of personalized exercise programs are warranted to assess sex- and gender-specific effects. © 2024 Elsevier Inc.

Background: The relationship between physical activity (PA) and bullying behaviors is unclear among adolescents with overweight/obesity (OW/OB). The current study examined the likelihood of engaging in bullying behaviors by differing physical activity behaviors in adolescents with OW/OB. Method: Analyses included 9114 adolescents with OW/OB, ages 10–17 years, from the combined 2018–2019 National Survey of Children’s Health. Adolescents were grouped by PA level (0 days, 1–3 days, 4–6 days, every day); outcome variables included bullying behaviors (perpetrator, victim, both, or neither), sport participation, behavioral conduct problems, depression, difficulty making new friends, and excessive arguing. Separate adjusted logistic regression models assessed the odds of each outcome comparing differing PA levels. Results: Compared to their inactive peers, adolescents with OW/OB that engaged in at least 1 day of PA were significantly less likely to be victims of bullying (OR = 0.80; 95% CI (0.68, 0.93)) and to be both a bully perpetrator and victim (OR = 0.77; 95% CI (0.64, 0.94)). Participation in sports significantly increased the likelihood of being a bully perpetrator (OR = 1.50; 95% CI (1.06, 2.11)) and decreased the likelihood of being a bully victim (OR = 0.83; 95% CI (0.75, 0.92)) in adolescents with OW/OB. Additionally, adolescents with OW/OB that participated in PA were less likely to experience adverse psychosocial outcomes. Conclusions: Findings suggest PA participation (≥ 1 day/week) may reduce the likelihood of bully victimization and both (perpetration and victimization) and attenuate adverse psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with OW/OB. However, sport participation may increase bully perpetration while decreasing bully victimization in adolescents with overweight/obesity. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

How physical education teachers approach standards-based assessment of the new National Physical Education Standards is yet to be determined. But the use of technology for assessments may be one way to support and empower students in the education process toward physical literacy. This article focuses on the ways in which educators have adopted a particular technology, called Plickers, and how its use as an assessment tool can move physical education teachers’ practice forward. © 2024 SHAPE America.

This study assesses the acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and efficacy of a novel asynchronous video-based intervention for teaching respiratory physiology and anatomy to medical students in resource-limited settings. A series of short video lectures on pleural anatomy, pulmonary physiology, and pathophysiology was created using Lightboard and screen capture technology. These were uploaded to YouTube and Google Drive and made available to 1st-3rd year medical students at two Latin American universities for 1 week. Employing a parallel-convergent mixed methods design, we conducted surveys, focus groups, interviews, and pre/post testing for qualitative and quantitative data. Thematic Analysis was used to analyze qualitative data and McNemar's test for quantitative analysis. Seventy-six students participated. The videos' short format, interactivity, and Lightboard style were highly valued for their flexibility, time efficiency, and educational impact. Students recognized their clinical relevance and trusted their content, suggesting potential applicability in similar settings. Despite infrastructure and connectivity challenges, the use of flexible streaming and downloadable options facilitated learning. Survey results indicated high levels of feasibility (99%), appropriateness (95%), and acceptability (95%), with significant knowledge gains observed (37% correct pre-test answers vs. 56% post-test, p < 0.0001). Our findings demonstrate high acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and efficacy of a targeted asynchronous education centered on short-format videos in resource-limited settings, enabling robust learning despite local barriers. Flexible access is key for overcoming localized barriers. Taking an adaptive, learner-centered approach to content creation and delivery to address constraints was pivotal to success. Our modular videos could serve as versatile models for flexible education in resource-constrained settings. © 2024 American Association for Anatomy.

Health coaching could be an innovative approach to develop student coaches' cultural competence (CC) among future health professionals. The current mix-method study design explored the impact of an 8-week peer health coaching intervention among college students on CC, from both student health coaches (i.e., students majored in health sciences who completed health coaching training and acted as health coach) and student clients' perspective. Nine student coaches and 24 student clients participated in the study. The quantitative analysis showed an increase in the clients' perceived level of coaches' CC between the pre- and posttest. The qualitative analysis revealed three themes, including varying levels of awareness, respectful and culturally responsive coaching, and cultural connection. Implications and recommendations for educators and researchers are discussed.