Abstract

With the advent of the Internet, and more specifically the use of email discussion groups or listservs, physical educators have a new resource to assist them in overcoming the challenges to their professional development. One such resource is the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) listserv. NASPE-L is a physical education listserv that encourages teachers to discuss and share ideas about improving their teaching and programs. This study examined physical education teachers' conversations posted on the NASPE-L, in which teachers shared information about their needs and concerns while working in their own school environments. Data were acquired from the messages (N=333) in the NASPE-L archives for one randomly selected month. The data was analyzed using a qualitative inductive content analysis (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Results of the qualitative analysis identified six common themes: professional issues, teaching activities, instructional strategies, technology in physical education, professional conferences, and advocacy. Findings indicate the professional nature of the conversations on the listserv, what teachers may expect by participating on a listserv, and its potential to reduce teachers' feelings of isolation. (Contains 7 tables and 1 figure.)

Citation

Pennington, T., Wilkinson, C. & Vance, J. (2004). Physical Educators Online: What Is on the Minds of Teachers in the Trenches?. Physical Educator, 61(1), 45-56. Retrieved August 13, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/94201/.

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Keywords

• Advocacy
• content analysis
• Discussion Groups
• Educational Strategies
• Electronic Mail
• Instructional Improvement
• internet
• Physical Education
• Physical Education Teachers
• Physical Environments
• professional development
• Program Improvement
• teacher attitudes
• Teacher Participation