Most of the achievement motivation research has focused on student conceptions of effort, provided recommendations for teachers to emphasize effort, and has only begun to explore the influences of parents, teachers, and curriculum. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teacher conceptions of student effort in physical education. Specifically, this study 1) examined teacher definitions and descriptions of student effort, 2) analyzed the statements employed by teachers to teach and/or reinforce the importance of effort, and 3) classified participant achievement goal orientations based on their reactions to statements about student effort. Participants included four middle school physical education teachers from an urban middle school in the Northeast. Data collection included an initial 45 minute interview with each participant, three hours of observation of participants teaching using a researcher designed systematic observation instrument, and a 45 minute final interview focusing on questions that arose during observations and probes about teacher goal orientations. The systematic observation instrument charted teacher statements (types of feedback, types of questioning) used to reinforce effort during lessons. A physical education department grading rubric including an effort category served as documentation that helped triangulate the teacher responses to interview questions and data from observations with the department grading policy. Results indicated that these teachers believed that a student demonstrating good effort was physically active, displayed appropriate behaviors, and continued to improve performance regardless of ability level. Teachers consistently reported that effort is interrelated with participation, skill improvement, attitude, and conduct which helped clarify why the teachers rated effort as extremely important yet gave little weight to effort in the grading rubric. Participants stated that reinforcing student effort was important and could be achieved by providing positive general feedback to students and offering challenges to students during physical education class. Three out of four participants felt that students are taught about the concept and importance of effort in elementary physical education. Participants were classified as task-oriented based on Nicholls’ (1984, 1989) goal orientations due to their reactions to researcher statements about effort and ability. For example, participants stated "Continued effort will lead you to improvement and a good grade" and "People with natural ability still need to improve". The importance of this qualitative study was to add rich details to the research literature on teacher conceptions of effort and help support the possible bridge between teacher conceptions and how teachers influence or judge children’s conceptions of effort.Keyword(s): middle school issues, research