EFFECTS OF A CURRICULUM AND INSERVICE PROGRAM ON THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF ELEMENTARY PHYSICAL-EDUCATION CLASSES

The primary responsibility for engaging children in opportunities to b e physically active and learn physical skills rests with school physic al education. This study evaluated the effects of a combined health-re lated curriculum and inservice program on the quantity and quality of elementary school physical education lesson. Seven schools (N = 28 fou rth-grade classes) in one district were randomly assigned to one of th ree conditions: 10 classes were taught in their usual manner by classr oom teachers (Control [CO]); 10 classes were taught by trained classro om teachers (TT) who received inservice training and follow-up consult ations; and 8 classes were taught by physical education specialists (P ES) hired by the research project. Student activity level, curriculum context, and teacher behavior were directly observed and coded during a sample of 112 lessons over an 8-month period. Results indicated sign ificant differences in both the frequency and mean length of classes ( PES, 26.7 min; TT, 23.4 min; CO, 18.9 min). Additionally, the curricul um and inservice program equipped trained classroom teachers to provid e significantly better classes than were provided by controls in terms of student activity engagement, lesson context, and active instructio nal behavior, though their classes did not match the quality of those taught by the physical education specialists. This study is unique in its use of direct observation of lessons to assess a curriculum and in service intervention.