A gap in perceived accessibility to play spaces for physical activity in Arizona elementary schools.

BACKGROUND: The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans states all children should be provided with various physical activity opportunities; however, school play spaces are often unaccommodating to students with disabilities and this limitation may be exacerbated in lower-income schools. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to compare elementary school play space accessibility among children with and without disabilities at lower- and higher-income schools. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilized an online survey assessing the perceived accessibility of play spaces for students with and without disabilities in low- and high-income schools administered to 178 physical education teachers across Arizona. Chi-square analyses were conducted to assess reported play space adequacy among students with and without disabilities, and associations by school-level income. RESULTS: There was a significant association between disability status and reported playground and play field inadequacy (p < 0.05). Without considering school income, reported inadequacy was 3x greater for students with disabilities compared to those without for both playgrounds and play fields. Among low-income schools, reported inadequacy was 3x greater for playgrounds and 7x greater for play fields for students with disabilities compared to those without. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a gap in access to school play spaces for students with disabilities and highlight the lack of inclusive play areas specifically among schools serving low-income populations. Our findings underscore the need for students with disabilities to be considered in the development of play spaces to ensure this at-risk population receives maximum opportunities for accessible movement and social engagement during the school day.

My Turn to Make a Difference: Efficacy Trends among Induction Physical Educators.

Purpose: This study provides a longitudinal examination of the influences enhancing or constraining the development of efficacy in ten induction physical educators. Method: Over a span of three years, data from structured interviews and responses to the Physical Education Teaching Efficacy Scale were collected at seven time points. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were analyzed for qualitative themes and quantitative trends through the lens of various factors known to influence the career cycle. Results: In the personal environment, the presence of positive individual dispositions, the ability to balance competing demands, and high levels of perceived support emerged as constructive enhancers of efficacy. In the organizational environment, positive influences included the ability to meet the expectations of stakeholders and perceived confidence related to the tasks of teaching. Over time, significant differences existed for the survey categories measuring efficacy in content knowledge, accommodating skill level differences, teaching students with special needs, and instruction. Furthermore, significant differences also occurred related to gender, geographical location/setting, and school classification. Conclusion: Efficacy levels in beginning physical educators are highly dynamic and context-specific, but the presence of high levels of perceived support, both personally and organizationally, can positively enhance the efficacy of induction teachers related to balancing demands both inside and outside the classroom. Implications include the necessity for authentic and thorough preservice training and upon employment, access to adequate resources.

A cross-cultural investigation of the use of teaching styles.

Teacher beliefs are a major influence on teacher actions. Because context influences beliefs, it was the purpose of this study to explore teachers' beliefs about Mosston's Spectrum of Teaching Styles from an international perspective. Over 1,400 teachers from 7 countries completed a survey related to their self-reported use of and beliefs about various teaching styles. Data suggested a shared core of reproduction teaching style use. The use of and beliefs about the production styles of teaching were more varied. Teachers' use of styles was significantly related to their beliefs about the styles.