An Analysis of Chinese Preservice Physical Education Teachers’ Beliefs About the Physical Education Profession

in Journal of Teaching in Physical Education
Xiaofen D. Keating*,1, Jingwen Liu*,2, Xiaolu Liu*,1, Jeff Colburn*,1, Jianmin Guan*,3, and Ke Zhou*,4
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  • 1 The University of Texas at Austin
  • | 2 California State University at Fullerton
  • | 3 The University of Texas at San Antonio
  • | 4 Henan University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2019-0095
Keywords:
Chinese physical education teacher candidates; college physical education students; professional callings; value of physical education profession; gender; year in college
First Published Online:
02 Jan 2020
In Print:
Volume 40: Issue 1
Page Range:
58–65
Restricted access

Purpose: This study investigated beliefs about the physical education (PE) profession of Chinese preservice physical education teachers (PPETs). Methods: Chinese PPETs (N = 660) from six universities participated in the study. Data were collected using a prevalidated survey—a scale of measuring Chinese PPETs’ beliefs about the PE profession, which consists of two domains: a sense of calling and the value of the PE profession. Analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance were used to examine the differences in overall beliefs and the two subdomains by gender and year in college, respectively. Results: The overall beliefs were positive. The sense of calling and value of the PE profession varied significantly by the year in college. Senior students had the lowest score in value of the PE profession, whereas sophomores showed the lowest score in sense of calling. Conclusions: PE teacher education programs had limited effects on changing Chinese PPET beliefs about the PE profession.

Keating, X. Liu, and Colburn are with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. J. Liu is with the Department of Kinesiology, California State University at Fullerton, Fullerton, CA. Guan is with the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX. Zhou is with the College of Physical Education, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.

Zhou (zhouke221@126.com) is corresponding author.

Journal of Teaching in Physical Education

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