Assessing the Developmental Experiences of Students in a High School Physical Education Leadership Program

• In Event: Research on Learning and Instruction in Physical Education Poster Session

Abstract

Leadership development programs can provide adolescents with a range of positive experiences. Although physical education (PE) leadership programs are widespread, little research has examined the PE leaders’ experiences. The purpose of this matched case-control study (n = 186) was to assess the developmental experiences of high school students in a comprehensive PE leadership program compared to the typical PE student experience. Subscale scores from the Youth Experience Survey (YES) 2.0 were analyzed using matched pairs t-tests and Cohen’s d was used as a measure of effect size. As hypothesized, PE leaders reported significantly higher levels of positive experiences and no significant differences on negative experiences. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Paul M Wright, Northern Illinois University

• K. Andrew R. Richards, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• James D Ressler, Northern Illinois University