Scheduled for Symposium: Physical Education Teacher Educators - A Contemporary Profile, Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 3:15 PM - 5:15 PM, Convention Center: 202C


The Career Development of Physical Education Teacher Educators

Amelia Mays Woods, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, Kristin Bolton, Illinois State University, Normal, IL and Kim C. Graber, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

Spurred largely by the publication of A Nation at Risk in 1983 (National Commission for Excellence in Teacher Education), teacher education programs within the United States have undergone a great deal of scrutiny in recent decades. A concern that American youth were receiving sub par educations, perhaps as a consequence of ill-prepared and ineffective teachers, resulted in a number of reform efforts related to the development and content of teacher education programs. Little attention, however, has been directed toward studying those individuals who are responsible for preparing teacher candidates. Logically teacher educators' values, beliefs, experiences, and demographics influence the pre-service education they provide to their students. Therefore, it is important to examine the backgrounds, interests, and opinions of practicing teacher education faculty. As such, this study aimed to describe the college and university faculty who are most directly involved with the preparation of physical education teacher candidates. Revisiting work conducted initially in 1985 by Metzler and Freedman, the current study provides insight into the characteristics of physical education teacher education (PETE) faculty, where they come from, what they do, and how they perceive their work. Grounded in the career development theory, survey questions examined the process through which faculty members chose to pursue a career in PETE and how their interests, beliefs, and experiences have influenced the courses of their careers. This theory is comprised of a number of career-related theories (Ginzberg, Ginsburg, Axelrod and Herma Theory; Super's Theory of Vocational Choice; Holland's Career Typology; Lent, Brown and Hackett's Social Cognitive Career Theory) that suggest individuals go through a multi-stage process in choosing and developing a career that meets their personal needs and provides success and satisfaction.
Keyword(s): leadership development, physical education PK-12, professional preparation

Back to the 2008 AAHPERD National Convention and Exposition (April 8 - 12, 2008)