An examination of PE student teachers’ and PE teachers’ experiences with and beliefs of teaching styles

Study 1 This study is aimed at examining physical education student teachers’ experiences with, beliefs about, and intention to use Spectrum teaching styles in the future (Mosston & Ashworth, 2002). Two hundred and eighty eight PE student teachers participated in the study whereas data were collected using a modified and translated version of the questionnaire developed by Cothran, Kulinna, and Ward’s (2000). Participants in the study reported that as primary and secondary education students they had been more frequently exposed to reproduction teaching styles in their physical education classes whereas exposure to what can be described as productive styles had been substantially less frequent. In terms of beliefs, student teachers participating in the study perceive that the reproduction teaching styles provide students with more opportunities for fun, learning skills, and motivation for learning. In addition, as physical education instructors in the future student teachers stated that they are keener on implementing teaching styles from the reproduction cluster. Finally, the finding of the study confirmed student teachers’ conceptions about their students’ learning process influenced by their prior experiences as school students.Study 2The purpose of the present study was to explore PE student teachers’ presuppositions, beliefs and mental models related with production and reproduction teaching approaches. The participants were 16 (10 males and 6 females) second year PE student teachers. A qualitative methodology was used and the data were collected by using semi-structure interviews. A multi-level analysis process was conducted which included open and axial coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1998).The findings revealed two framework theories that reflect the diversity of PE student teachers’ beliefs of the teaching approaches. PE student teachers attributed different characteristics to both clusters of teaching approaches and learning as well. More specifically, 5 PE student teachers were categorized within the first mental model and they appeared to hold the naïve presupposition that learning is dimensional and reproduction teaching approaches facilitate more effectively its’ accomplishment. On the other hand 11 PE student teachers perceived that learning is multidimensional and it could be achieved through the implementation of production teaching approaches. Finally, the findings of the present study confirmed Vosniadou’s (1994) suggestion that prior beliefs play an important role on learners’ structure of the knowledge.Study 3The main purpose of the present study was to examine Greek physical education teachers’ use of the Spectrum of teaching styles and perceived benefits of the styles for students. An additional goal was to explore the influence of the teachers’ perceived ability to use and beliefs about teaching styles on the implementation of these teaching approaches. The participants of the study were 219 (132 males, 87 females) physical education (PE) teachers. The PE teachers reported using the command, inclusion, and practice styles more often than and the self-check, learner-initiated, and self-teaching styles in their own teaching. The PE teachers also perceived that the reproduction and production clusters of teaching styles to be equally effective in promoting fun, skill learning, and motivation for learning in their students. Results also highlighted that PE teachers’ self-perceived ability had the highest influence on command style use and the teachers’ perceived benefits to students of styles from the production cluster. The findings of the present study suggest that a variety of factors influenced PE teachers’ tendency to implement a specific teaching style. Study 4The purpose of the present study was to examine physical education teachers’ beliefs concerning production and reproduction teaching approaches. An additional objective was to explore the goals of the physical education lessons that they prioritize, and the teaching approach that they believe that promotes the achievement of each goal. Finally, the study aimed to identify participants teaching preferences and the underlying reasons that support these choices. Ten physical education teachers (male = 5 and female = 5) participated in the research, two of them holding a postgraduate degree. Their teaching experience varied between 10 and 25 years. The qualitative analysis results indicated that the majority of teachers more often implement reproduction rather than production approaches regardless the school level. Participants reported that they perceived themselves as self-efficacious to implement both teaching approaches. The findings revealed that there is pattern between the physical education class goals they set as top priority and their teaching preference. Furthermore, a variety of factors that can influence their teaching preferences such as course control, time management, active time, discipline and responsibility were identified.