The purpose of this article is to review qualitative inquiries examining the perspectives of students with disabilities toward physical education (PE) published from 2014 to 2019, as an update to the 2015 review by Haegele and Sutherland. Keyword searches were used to identify articles from nine electronic databases, and seven articles met all inclusion criteria. The seven selected articles were subjected to a narrative analysis, and three thematic clusters emerged: (a) an “inconvenience”: the PE teacher’s influence on quality of experience, (b) “we play together and I like it”: friendships central to the quality of PE experience, and (c) “no lift access to the gym”: barriers to successful participation. Findings from this review support the notion that students with disabilities may have positive experiences in PE if they are offered appropriate modifications and accommodations and are provided with increased kind and supportive interactions with staff and peers.
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Perspectives of Students With Disabilities Toward Physical Education: A Review Update 2014–2019
Katherine Holland and Justin A. Haegele
Students’ Perceived Experiences of Competitive Activities Through Electronic Platforms
Eve Bernstein
The purpose of this study was to understand students’ experiences through digital YouTube clips focusing on middle school competitive activities in physical education class. This study was guided by the transactional framework, which states that individuals and institutions, in this case students and competitive activities in physical education class, create certain transactions, and these transactions are shared. Twenty-six YouTube posts were examined. The data were analyzed using the constant comparative method to find patterns in the posting of students’ experiences of participating in these activities. Three major themes of the digital clips clearly emerged. These themes included (a) perceived skill level—the low-skilled student, the athlete, and the Olympian; (b) student demonstration of skills; and (c) teacher-directed experience. These findings suggest that students share transactions in both images and the spoken experiences they are having during competitive activities.
Why Is Exercise Underutilized in Clinical Practice Despite Evidence It Is Effective? Lessons in Pragmatism From the Inclusion of Exercise in Guidelines for the Treatment of Depression in the British National Health Service
Panteleimon Ekkekakis
Exercise remains greatly underutilized in clinical practice for reasons that are only partly understood. This critical review situates the problem within the broader political and economic context. It focuses on depression, the leading cause of disability worldwide, and the processes that followed the inclusion of exercise as a treatment option in clinical practice guidelines in the British National Health Service. The review highlights previously unaddressed phenomena, including antiexercise lobbying by primary care physicians and efforts to present the evidence for the antidepressant effects of exercise as weak, nonexistent, or methodologically flawed. Notably, the field of kinesiology remained silent while these processes unfolded. This information suggests that the path from research evidence to implementation in clinical settings remains dependent on factors beyond the amount and quality of research evidence. The review underscores the need to vigilantly monitor, critically appraise, and actively participate in the clinical research literature and the development of guidelines.
Physical Education Teacher Education in Kinesiology: Past, Present, and Future
Melinda A. Solmon, Kim C. Graber, Amelia Mays Woods, Nancy I. Williams, Thomas J. Templin, Sarah L. Price, and Alison Weimer
This paper evolved from a panel discussion presented at the 2020 American Kinesiology Association Leadership Workshop focused on promoting physical activity through Kinesiology teaching and outreach. The authors consider the role of Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) in promoting physical activity by examining the historical role that PETE has played in what are now Departments of Kinesiology, the status of PETE programs today, and how the future of PETE programs can impact the future of the discipline of Kinesiology. The challenges and barriers that PETE programs face are presented. The role of PETE programs in research institutions is examined, and case studies are presented that demonstrate the complexities the academic units face regarding allocating resources to PETE programs. The consequences of program termination are considered, and the authors then make a case that PETE programs are important to the broader discipline of Kinesiology. The authors conclude by encouraging innovative solutions that can be developed to help PETE programs thrive.
Promoting Physical Activity Through Kinesiology Teaching and Outreach: An Eye Toward the Future
Nancy I. Williams and Alan L. Smith
Grants: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Puzzling
Jeffrey J. Martin
Grants play a major role in higher education, including kinesiology. However, critical commentaries on the role of external funds appear nonexistent in kinesiology. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to outline the most common criticisms of grants to stimulate a conversation in kinesiology. First, I discuss benefits of grants. Second, I examine the role of grants in higher education. Third, I discuss how external funds are not required to contribute meaningful research. Fourth, I examine how a major reason for grants, to produce research publications, often goes unfullfilled. Fifth, I show how the development of grant applications (especially unsuccessful applications) is an inefficient expenditure of resources. Sixth, I discuss how pursuing grants can be detrimental to other important academy goals. Seventh, I examine how grants may negatively influence faculty and administrator morale and quality of life. Eighth, I report on some common criticisms of the grant review process and discuss some alternative reviewing systems. Finally, I end with a brief summary and some recommendations.
Scientific Writing in Kinesiology: The Michigan Model
Kathryn I. Clark, Thomas J. Templin, and Taylor J. Lundberg
The purpose of this paper was to provide insight into the development of an engaging, interactive, and successful class in scientific writing in the Movement Science program in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan. This class is grounded in learning the art and science of scientific argumentation. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the evolution of the class over the past decade and present elements of the class that have proven successful in the education of Movement Science students. The paper concludes with the recommendation that the American Kinesiology Association include a writing course such as the one described here in its recommendations for the undergraduate core curriculum in relation to those learning objectives tied to research proficiency.
American Kinesiology Association’s Role in Promoting School Physical Activity Policy
Monica A.F. Lounsbery and Thomas L. McKenzie
This paper reviews the authors’ evolution as kinesiology scholars to a public health focus via their research on school physical activity (PA) and policy. The authors present key findings from their work, including their recent focus group discussion with 20 school leaders, to substantiate their perspectives about the role that the American Kinesiology Association could play in supporting public health goals and promoting school PA policy. The authors conclude the paper by appealing to American Kinesiology Association to clearly identify PA and its promotion as a central area of study in kinesiology, strengthen its ties to public health, and advocate for putting the “physical” back in the National Physical Education Standards.
Volume 9 (2020): Issue 4 (Nov 2020): 2020 American Kinesiology Association Leadership Workshop: Promoting Physical Activity Through Kinesiology Teaching and Outreach–An Eye Toward the Future
The Promotion and Implementation of Exercise is Medicine® in Kinesiology
Carena Winters
Evidence supporting exercise as a medicine in the prevention and management of chronic disease is indisputable. Created in 2007, Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) aims to make physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care, connecting health care professionals with qualified exercise professionals to provide evidence-based physical activity resources and programs to everyone of all abilities. Opportunities exist for exercise professionals in several areas within EIM, including exercise referral and prescription, EIM on Campus, and physical activity and EIM education. Connections between EIM and kinesiology and the need for exercise professionals to contribute to the EIM evidence are discussed.