Education and public heath entities have recommended physical education policy for students to receive a significant dose of daily physical activity comprising of moderate to vigorous physical activity within quality physical education (PE) programs (CDC, 2013; USDHHS, 2008). Physical activity standards for physical education physical activity have been established and validated using the electronic pedometer (Scruggs, 2013). Assessment of this policy has been problematic in this state due to issues with widespread policy adoption and/or implementation of a practical assessment mechanism. The purpose of this study was to examine how PE teachers perceived the usage of pedometers as a tool for increasing engagement in activity and assessment of activity engagement during class time.
Method:
Twenty PE teachers were randomly selected across six state districts, and across elementary, middle and high school levels. They were provided with pedometers and asked to use the pedometers and collect pedometer data for five consecutive days for their classes. Each teacher was individually interviewed before and after the pedometer usage, and 14 teachers were interviewed at the end of the following semester as a follow-up. Interview questions related to teacher perceptions about the usage of pedometers for activity and assessment, and the impact of pedometer on student engagement, and instruction. Inductive analysis was used to code data into categories and themes. Data trustworthiness was established through triangulation and peer reviewers.
Analysis/Results:
The teachers perceived: (a) value in using pedometers to raise activity and motivation levels with all students and particularly those overweight and amotivated in PE; (b) that the pedometers increased awareness of activity time spent during PE and motivated them to examine their instruction and curriculum; (c) pedometer usage aligned with their philosophy regarding the role of PE; (d) advantages and barriers to using pedometers for assessment. One semester later, the majority of teachers reported pedometer usage for increasing physical activity but less so for assessment. However, a promising finding was that a number of teachers indicated identifying baseline pedometer levels for specific activities as a formative assessment measure.
Conclusions:
Teachers perceived pedometer usage to increase awareness of PE physical activity time and shows promise as a practical assessment measure. Recommendations include training teachers in pedometer use to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity time during PE; the use of pedometers for assessment, and tying policy adoption with specific assessment mechanisms.