ABSTRACT
This study was designed to conduct a content analysis of the pictorial trends and issue themes as depicted on the cover of the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (JOPERD). The sample included 100% (n=189) of the covers of JOPERD from January 1981 to December 2001. Content validity was established by a panel of experts. Inter-rater reliability estimates were .94 . Three raters were provided with a coding sheet and each journal cover was analyzed and categorized by the raters. The data was analyzed using the SPSS data editor to calculate frequency and percentage of occurrence. The most notable finding about the pictorial representation of the Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (HPERD) profession was the occurrence rate of “Outdoor/Adventure Activities” as the most frequent (19.6%) categorization. The categorization of “Fitness Activities” peaked from 1981 to 1985 with an occurrence rate of 20%, and then decreased dramatically during the following years. “Adapted Physical Education Activities” peaked from 1991 to 1995 occupying 13.3% of the pictorial covers, and have decreased steadily since. The issue theme, “Effective Teaching Behaviors” occurred the most frequently (14.8%), while “Professional Recreation” ranked second (10.5%). The data will be presented in a 20 year increment and in four, five year increments for both pictorial trends and issue themes. A discussion on the changes in the profession and advertising trends in publications will be included