Tribute to Professor Michael W. Metzler Co-Founder of the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education

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Mark S. Freedman Independent Fund-Raising Consultant, Parkland, FL, USA

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Jackie Lund Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Hans van der Mars Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

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Phillip Ward The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

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October 15, 1952–October 18, 2022

Citation: Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 42, 1; 10.1123/jtpe.2022-0263

While on vacation in Arizona with his wife Terry, Michael W. Metzler passed away following a brief illness. Mike was a dear friend and colleague who left us much too soon. Below, we offer the following tribute to Mike, who was a long-time friend and colleague to us and many others. While he still had much left to do, for over 40 years physical education was privileged to receive his gifts of intellect, foresight, and understanding of what it is like to be a visionary scholar, teacher educator, servant, and human. He leaves behind an important and lasting legacy.

Mike Metzler: The Scholar Extraordinaire

Mike Metzler impacted Sport Pedagogy in countless ways and at various levels. We give a few key examples. First, while a doctoral student at The Ohio State University, and together with his mentor Daryl Siedentop and Debbie Birdwell (a doctoral student), Mike modified the Academic Learning Time (ALT) variable from classroom research and made it applicable to studying teacher effectiveness in physical education settings by adapting it to physical education and creating instruments to measure it. What became known as ALT-PE in the early 1980s still stands today as the most formidable proxy for student learning in our subject.

Second, both Mike and Mark Freedman, his doctoral student peer, were frustrated by the lack of publishing outlets for scholarly papers in our field. Soon after their graduation, they decided to start their own scholarly journal. Mike and Mark dubbed it the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education (JTPE). Despite “minor” obstacles like a lack of money, an editorial board, and a publisher, they persevered. They purchased a pair of Apple II computers that had less memory than today’s digital thermometer! They assembled a fine and distinguished editorial board. The first call for papers produced a good array of manuscripts. And in the Fall of 1981, they published JTPE’s Volume 1, Introductory Issue. JTPE’s Co-Founders were an early version of self-publishers. They literally did everything! The typesetting, the paste-up of the pages, almost everything but the binding. It was a true labor of love at every stage of the production process. After a few years, as JTPE evolved, they were fortunate to have Human Kinetics take over the journal’s publication process.

Third, in 1987 together with Lynn Housner and George Graham, Mike organized the inaugural “Invisible College” meeting at the fledging AERA-Special Interest Group (SIG) for Research on Learning and Instruction in Physical Education. It has been a staple gathering of scholars ever since.

Fourth, in 1990 Mike published his book Instructional Supervision for Physical Education, which provided a framework for the conduct of supervisory practices in physical education teacher education. Fifth, in his early career, Mike built a framework for instructional models–based teaching practice. While “instructional models” were strewn throughout the literature, Mike recognized that having different unit objectives required different instructional models. Now in its fourth edition, Instructional Models for Physical Education provides practitioners the key handles for aligning unit objectives selection, instructional strategies, and the assessment of student outcomes in PK-12 physical education.

Sixth, starting in 2000, about every 8 years, together with his colleagues, Mike gifted us four of JTPE’s Monographs. He clearly had his hand in these special journal issues around teacher effectiveness, Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program assessment (more on that below), and instructional models–based practices.

Seventh, following his retirement in 2016, he remained actively engaged as Associate Director for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Georgia State University’s (GSU’s) Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. He brought his knowledge of studying teaching and learning to GSU’s faculty by helping them see themselves as students of their own teaching.

Finally, by the mid-2000s, Sport Pedagogy had evolved sufficiently as a legitimate area of inquiry that it afforded a look back and a glance forward on research on teaching and teacher education in physical education. Together with Lynn Housner, Tom Templin, and Paul Schempp, he organized the 2007 History and Future Directions of Research on Teaching and Teacher Education in Physical Education Conference. And while the published proceedings book may seem “ancient” by today’s standards, it is a gem for anyone willing to learn from our past and think about the future of Sport Pedagogy research.

Mike Metzler: The Physical Education Teacher Educator and Servant

As a PETE faculty member, he perhaps left his greatest imprint on the PETE program at GSU. Once at GSU, he set out to improve the status of its Health and Physical Education program. Mike began his department overhaul by identifying key variables to study within his own program.

His premise was that a program faculty should first study their program by collecting baseline data that could inform future changes. It resulted in enough data for two JTPE Monographs (2000 and 2008), with the latter being focused on the diffusion of models-based practice among program graduates. Importantly, Mike avoided being insular in this effort and recruited several colleagues from other PETE programs in the southeastern United States. Together with his colleagues, Mike created a high-quality framework and assessment system that allowed for collecting research quality data for assessing PETE program student learning.

Mike moved into college administration for a 5-year span as Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, before returning to the department as a faculty member. As the Associate Dean, he developed a data collection system that every teacher education program in the college could use to record data in the various domains of learning. Moreover, as a faculty member, he was instrumental in developing a PETE doctoral program.

His colleagues enjoyed AND benefitted tremendously from their oft impromptu conversations about (physical education) teacher education. As is evident in his scholarly writing, Mike “knew about” and “how to do” teacher education, publishing his work in Sport Pedagogy journals, as well as Education journals. Mike had a deep understanding of the nature of the profession long before the rest of us were thinking in those directions.

Space does not allow for a full account of how Mike was a true servant to the profession. His integral roles within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD), National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), American Educational Research Association (AERA), and National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE) as either editor, president, committee-chair, or committee-member gave focus and direction to members within these organizations.

Mike Metzler: The Person

Mike was a tireless worker and advocate, deeply committed to his profession as well as his academic home at GSU. Mike typically arrived at the office before most others, making this the ideal time to have an impromptu philosophical discussion about various components of teacher education. When Mike disagreed with some premise being discussed, the discussion was over when he agreed to disagree. He was a highly valued mentor to his colleagues and students. As well, if/when he felt something was wrong on a particular issue he stood up and made it known. Moreover, giving his time to help others was woven into his DNA.

But he showed his real mettle when he started his battle against cancer in 2009. It allowed him to show those around him what he was really made of. With his wife Terry as his rock, together they fought the dreadful disease as a team. He did not give in, and the cancer went into remission. He beat the odds and, of course, as only Mike would, authored an eloquent book chronicling his fight with cancer, titled My Two Journeys in Cancer World: Team Mike Versus the Prairie Dogs. To be sure, his overall quality of life was no longer what it was prior to the cancer. But he would always remind you that “It beats the alternative.”

Mike had been a foodie for most of his adult life. During his doctoral studies in Columbus, together with his friend and colleague Mark Freedman, Mike had an ongoing friendly competition about who could make the best pasta sauce, chili, and a variety of grilled and barbequed meats. The “winner” between them was never really determined. The real winners were their well-fed friends, significant others, and other Ohio State University colleagues.

Being a lover of good food and drink, he was severely limited in what and how much he could take in. Having part of his fibula used to attempt a reconstruction of his jaw was not a huge success. But he persevered! He was a fighter. While his cancer was in remission, his physical struggles were palpable. Yet his spirit, his keen intellect, and his passion for life and learning, the trademarks of Mike’s good life, were undiminished. He was and continues to be an inspiration to all of us who find that life is fleeting. Mike made the most of his.

What Mike Metzler Leaves Behind …

Mike’s contributions from over the last four decades reach far and wide. His research and his work in PETE will continue to serve as beacons for all. Those who were privileged to start their journey in higher education at about the same time will attest that he had a profound knack for making everyone around him better scholars, teacher educators, and persons. On several occasions he insisted that he regarded himself “merely a foot soldier,” preferring to avoid the limelight when honors and awards were bestowed on him, wishing to get back to do good work. We thought it would be appropriate to connect current (and future!) Sport Pedagogy/PETE generations with some of Mike’s work. To those willing to take the time, pour yourself a good glass of wine and read some of Mike’s seminal papers with care. The examples below should make for informative and thought-provoking reading and hopefully trigger additional Google Scholar searches to retrieve more of his other works:

  1. Metzler, M., & Tjeerdsma, B. (Eds). (1999). The Georgia State University physical education teacher education program assessment project. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 19(4), 395–547.
  2. Metzler, M. (2016). School-based team research to address grand challenges through P–12 physical education programs. Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport, 87(4), 325–333.
  3. Metzler, M., & Blankenship, B. (2008). Taking the next step: Connecting teacher education, research on teaching, and program assessment. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(4), 1098–1111.
  4. Metzler, M. (1994). Scholarship reconsidered for the professoriate of 2010. Quest, 46(4), 440–455.
  5. Metzler, M. (1992). Bringing the teaching act back into sport pedagogy. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 11(2), 150–160.

As Sport Pedagogy and PETE evolves further it will continue to have Mike’s imprint on it from his research and other scholarly work.

Over the years, through countless in-person and email conversations, we frequently speculated over what lies ahead for physical education as a field, PETE, and Sport Pedagogy. His insight and his ability to step back and look at the big picture issues allowed him to see the consequences of the actions of colleagues and organizations. Sometimes, Mike would lament that “I hate being right!” Yet, we are all better for it!

Mike was a scholar, chili cook-off champion, maker of sound speakers, marathoner, Dead head, Mentor, and so much more. Those who knew Mike well, learned from him. We hope that new generations of PETE faculty and Sport Pedagogists will learn from his insights as well. We have lost a dear friend, colleague, and true “Steward of the Discipline and Profession.” However, Mike would want everyone around him to get back to work, focus on the important stuff, and continue to help elevate the field. We owe him that!

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