Background/Purpose When seeking program accreditation, Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs must demonstrate that teacher candidates meet the current standards set forth by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The purpose of this study was to describe how PETE programs are currently addressing competency of movement performance and health-related fitness of teacher candidates (NASPE Standard 2: Skill- and Fitness-based competence).
Method A questionnaire consisting of both open and closed response items was constructed to collect data on PETE program practices in assessing teacher candidate skill and fitness based competence.
Analysis/Results Questionnaires were completed by 147 (72 males, 75 females) PETE faculty across the country. Closed response item data were entered into SPSS 17.0 and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Open response items were analyzed using constant comparison and coded into categories, with each category having rules of inclusion. Sixty-seven percent of the PETE programs incorporated skill assessment as part of a course grade. "Competence" was most often defined by PETE faculty as performing at a moderate skill level. Thirty-seven percent of the PETE programs indicated that fitness was not assessed. Fifty percent of the PETE programs assessed fitness using Fitnessgram and others used locally developed tests or a single component test (1.5 mile run).
Conclusions Even though most PETE faculty agreed that teacher candidates must demonstrate skill-based competence and a health-enhancing level of fitness to be an effective teacher, their programs did not hold students accountable for achievement in these areas.