Students' Responses to Average- and Overweight-Appearing Teachers

Background/Purpose

With the increase in obesity levels of adults over the past twenty years (Centers for Disease Control, 2009), students have seen more and more overweight adults during their lifetimes and may not recognize the overweight Physical Education teacher as a poor role model of the health related message they teach. The purpose of this study was to determine whether students' scores on a test of aerobic fitness concepts improve when aerobic fitness content is delivered by an average and overweight appearing female and male teacher. A secondary purpose was to measure the students' attitudes toward the teacher and toward physical activity [PA].

Method

Females (n = 784) and males (n= 834) from eight junior high schools participated. Students answered a pretest on aerobic fitness concepts and watched a 10-minute DVD on aerobic fitness delivered by an average or overweight appearing female or male teacher. Students answered a posttest on aerobic fitness concepts and a questionnaire on their attitudes toward the teacher and PA.

Analysis/Results

For female students, ANCOVA revealed no significant main effects for teacher appearance, teacher sex or interactive effects on test score improvement. For male students there was no significant main effect for teacher appearance and no interactive effects. A significant main effect for teacher sex (p = .02) was found. For all students, ANOVA revealed a main effect for teacher appearance (p < .001) for attitudes toward the teacher. Main effects were found for teacher sex for female (p = .008) and male (p = .036) students and appearance x sex interaction effects for female (p = .002) and male (p = .012) students. For the three questions on attitude toward PA, for female students there were main effects for teacher appearance (p = .008) and teacher sex (p = .034; p = .003; p = .004) and an appearance x sex interaction effect (p = .005 and (p = .035). For male students there was a main effect for teacher sex (p = .001) and an appearance x sex interaction effect (p = .003; p = .002; p = .008).

Conclusions

Female students' pre-posttest difference scores did not significantly differ when taught by the various teachers. However, male students performed better with male teachers than with female teachers. Students' attitudinal responses are positive toward average appearing teachers. Regarding PA, attitudes are positive toward overweight appearing male teachers but not towards overweight appearing female teachers.