Background/Purpose Physical educators teach many children and adolescents who are physically inactive and who become less active as they mature (CDC, 2010). Grants to improve physical education are supported by the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) (United States Department of Education, 2009). This study's purpose was to examine a PEP grant's impact on a suburban physical education program.
Method Participants were 1 elementary, 2 middle , and 2 high school physical education teachers, 1 Physical Education Director, and nine students. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed inductively from five sources, a) individual 45-60 minute semi-structured interviews with the Director and five teachers, b) descriptive field notes from 15 class observation hours, c) 30-45 minute semi-structured student focus group interviews with 3 students at each grade level, d) teacher demographic questionnaire, and e) extensive document analysis.
Analysis/Results The results indicated that ongoing professional development served as an impetus for programmatic change. Implementation of a robust K-12 Project Adventure program was evident. The collegiality created from the professional development led to teacher buy- in and commitment to Project Adventure's philosophy and program.
Conclusions In conclusion, the district was in Fullen's (2007) continuation phase of educational change. Project Adventure was built into the curriculum and embraced by faculty and students. The teachers' improved organizational capacity allowed them to solve problems and created a deeper understanding of the content, and a change in beliefs about Project Adventure's place in the curriculum, all of which are dimensions of change in the continuation phase (Fullan, 2007).
See more of: Research Consortium