How Are Positive Attitudes Toward Role Modeling Physical Activity and Fitness Promoting Behaviors Among PETE Faculty, PETE Students, and K-12 Physical Educators Formed?

In 2002 the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) released an updated position statement entitled, "Physical Activity and Fitness Recommendations for Physical Activity Professionals." The position statement reaffirms NASPE’s belief that, "Participation in regular physical activity at a level sufficient to promote health-related physical fitness is an essential behavior for professionals in all fields of physical activity at all levels (this includes coaches, K-12 teachers, physical education and kinesiology faculty in higher education, fitness professionals, athletes, all advocates of physically active lifestyles)." There remain concerns, however, that some people in the field (or entering the field) have not fully endorsed or embraced the role modeling concept highlighted in the position statement. This study sought to identify variables associated with the formation of positive attitudes toward role modeling physical activity and fitness promoting behaviors among a sample of 600 physical education teacher education (PETE)-affiliated university faculty (10.1%), PETE students (25.3%), and K-12 physical education teachers (64.7%). The mean age of the participants was 35.7 years, and the majority of participants were female (55.3%), Caucasian (92.8%), exercised regularly (84.2%), and had an "acceptable" body mass index (BMI; 51.4%). Along with a demographic questionnaire, participants completed self-perceived physical activity and fitness measures, the Weekly Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (exercise METS), and the Attitude Toward Role Modeling (ATRM) Scale. From these data, nine demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral variables were extracted and considered predictors of ATRM using a forward stepwise regression analysis. Four variables were significantly associated with the participants’ ATRM [R²=.14, R²adj.=.14, F (4, 546)=22.52, p <.0001], accounting for 14% of the total variance; however, a review of the beta (b) weights revealed that only two variables contributed significant unique variance to the model: self-perceived fitness [b=.28, t (546)=5.88, p <.0001] and exercise METS [b=.13, t (546)=3.12, p <.001]. This study suggests that one’s self-perceived fitness level and actual exercise involvement are important variables in forming a positive ATRM. This is the first study to predict, rather than merely describe, the role modeling attitudes of physical education professionals and pre-professionals. Of course, the question still remains: How do we help those professionals and pre-professionals who are not currently active become and stay active? Embracing the new NASPE position statement may be an important first step.