Browsing by Author "Mäntyaho, Meri-Tuuli"

Physical activity has a major impact on children's growth and development. Positive movement experience in school can have an influence on lifelong continuation in physical activity. School-aged children spend a lot of time in schools and therefore teachers who teach physical education have a great responsibility on what kind of movement and physical activity experiences children gather during school day. Teachers' conceptions of what good physical education and good physical education teacher are influence their goal adjustment and content of instruction on their physical education. The aim of the present study is to describe what primary school teachers' conceptions of good physical education and good physical education teacher in elementary instruction consist of. In addition, this study tries to investigate how teachers' pedagogical thinking is expressed on their physical education. The methodology of this study is a qualitative research and the objective was to use a theme interview approach to formulate the results. The data of this research consists of five interviews of primary school teachers who teach or have taught physical education in elementary instruction. Four of the interviewees have accomplished a short secondary subject study in physical education (25 c) and one of them has taken an adapted physical activity instructor course (60 c). In addition, one of the five interviewees has taken subject-related studies in physical education (60c). The data was analysed by content analysis with phenomenographic approach. In addition, the researcher's own reflective approach is used. Teachers' conceptions of good physical education and physical education teacher in elementary instruction were varied. Fifteen different categories of the most highlighted conceptions were formed to describe good teaching and good teacher in the physical education of elementary instruction. These categories split into subject related descriptions: physical performance, versatility and methodicalness as well as into descriptions related to instruction climate and teacher's action: positivity, motivational, experiences of success, mental growth, coordination, differentiation, clear communication, performance and effectiveness, athletic lifestyle, patience and understanding, interest and assertiveness. Teachers' conceptions of good teaching in the physical education of elementary instruction could be seen either as thinking on action level or as thinking on 1st thinking level (object theories) depending on one's viewpoint of interpretation. The majority of the teachers' pedagogical thinking could be seen as thinking on 1st thinking level (object theories) though. Instead, no direct thinking on 2nd thinking level (metatheory) appeared.