Urban Middle School Physical Education Teachers' Attitudes Toward Fitness Testing

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

Abstract

Attitude theory posits that attitude influences how teachers do their work. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of urban middle school physical education teachers toward physical fitness tests. Middle school teachers (N = 121) were recruited from urban school districts. They completed the Physical Education Teacher Attitudes toward Fitness Tests instrument (Keating et al., 2008) and provided demographic information. Data were analyzed using descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses. Teachers’ overall attitudes were positive. Bachelors degree holding teachers had significantly higher attitude scores than Masters degree holding teachers. Gen X teachers had significantly higher adjusted affective subdomain scores than Baby Boomer teachers. The findings suggest that teachers’ age and education may influence their attitudes on fitness testing.

Authors

• Ray Noble Fredrick, United States Military Academy

• Stephen Silverman, Florida Atlantic University