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Researchers have studied teaching and coaching separately, despite the fact that these roles overlap. The purpose of this study was to compare the instructional behaviors of educators who were engaged in the dual role of teaching high school physical education and coaching baseball. Nine teacher/coaches were observed using the ASU Observation Instrument. Of the 13 behavioral categories observed, significant differences were found in 5 categories. Coaching behaviors were greater for preinstruction, praise, and silence. Teaching behaviors were greater for the categories of management and the category “other.” The results demonstrate that instructional behaviors can vary depending upon context. This study supplements a beginning data base for comparisons of pedagogical behaviors of teacher/coaches.

Online learning is changing the educational landscape despite the limited empirical research and conflicting results about its effectiveness to produce student learning. The purpose of this study was to describe the status of online physical education (OLPE) in the United States. Surveys were sent to forty-five high school online physical education teachers and thirty-two were completed, producing a 71% response rate. Three-fourths of the online physical education teachers focused on a fitness curriculum with emphasis on the cognitive domain. Likewise, it was found that almost three-fourths of the OLPE courses did not meet the national guidelines for secondary schools, of 225 min of PE per week. Most of the courses required physical activity three days per week while six courses required no physical activity. Teachers expressed support, hesitation, and even opposition toward online physical education. This study initiates a descriptive database for future research studies regarding online physical education.

Nearly 40% of all undergraduates are adult learners (age 25 and older; Kasworm, 1990). As the number of adult learners rises, physical education teacher education (PETE) faculty members must begin to explore how these learners differ from traditional 18- to 24-year-old students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the events leading to a career decision in PETE and to examine participant-described behaviors as PETE students of two delayed-entry students actively enrolled in a university PETE program. Analysis of three 90-minute, in-depth, open-ended interviews revealed that significant life experiences prompted participants to reevaluate their career goals and pursue a career teaching physical education. As PETE candidates, participants frequently utilized a reservoir of life experiences to make sense of their career decisions and navigate their career paths. The adult learners described themselves as self-motivated and self-directed with clear career goals and timelines.