Date of Award

2001

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Education Honours

School

School of Education

Faculty

Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences

First Supervisor

Dr Ken Alexander

Abstract

This exploratory study sought to identify whether Health and Physical Education (HPE) Heads of Department (HODs) used a process of reflection to identify students' physical activity levels in compulsory general HPE (years 8-1 0) at secondary schools in the northern metropolitan suburbs of Perth. This study used a questionnaire, administered by research assistants, to learn what teachers believe students should be taught about physical activity. It utilised the Pollard & Tann (1993) reflective teaching process to determine if teachers collected written information on students' physical activity levels. It asked whether they analysed, evaluated, reflected, planed, made provision and acted on any information gathered. The study used comparative and descriptive statistics as well as conceptual categorisation to determine whether the behaviour of HPE HODs aligned with their stated goals. The study showed the teachers in the study did not have a valid or reliable method of data collection. It also highlighted teachers' confusion about the terms 'physical activity' and 'fitness'. Ideological and contextual barriers to the successful use of written data collection were also identified. Issues of accountability and subject marginality were also raised due to the low number of administrative requests for program evaluation. These findings have identified several areas for further research.

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