Physical education teachers are inundated with national programs that can be implemented to impact the physical activity and fitness levels of their students. However, evidence is lacking related to barriers that teachers face as they select which, if any, programs they implement. The purpose of this presentation is to present qualitative data from NFL PLAY 60 FITNESSGRAM (FG) project participants. The NFL PLAY 60 FG Project provides access and resources to the FG software and encourages participation in PLAY 60 programs.
Method:
NFL PLAY 60 FITNESSGRAM Project teachers were invited to participate in focus groups during the 2014 AAHPERD national convention. Teachers (n=13) were divided into two focus groups. The focus of discussions were to explore perceptions of project teachers and their peers related to motivators and barriers for adoption and implementation of FG and PLAY 60 programs. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and data were analyzed using content analysis. Reflective notes and member checks were also employed to enhance data triangulation.
Analysis/Results:
All participants felt there were clear differences between physical educators who participated in national programs and those that did not. Overall themes that emerged from discussions that related to motivators included presence of district support, delegation of tasks, understanding importance of data use, and having a positive impact on students. Themes related to barriers included, time, feeling overwhelmed, technology use, and the presence of too many supplemental programs.
Conclusions:
Physical educators can be the change agents in schools when it comes to implementing health-related programs; however, some teachers have yet to adopt these new (and often free) programs. The findings provide target areas and strategies that can be used by program developers, district coordinators, and policy makers who posit to make an impact on those unreached students and teachers in school-based programs.