“Taking it out of PE” – A discussion of contemporary evidence of the transfer of student PA behaviors from physical education to extra-curricular contexts.
Tristan Wallhead1, Peter Iserbyt2 and Kian Vanluyten2
1Division of Kinesiology and Health, University of Wyoming, USA
2Physical Activity, Sports & Health Research Group, KU Leuven, Belgium
The promotion and development of a physically active lifestyle has evolved as a ubiquitous goal for PE across the globe. Despite this value proposition, the empirical evidence for the transfer or generalization of student physical activity behaviors from PE to extra-curricular contexts remains limited. There remains a pressing need to discuss how students’ motivational experiences and behavior competencies developed in PE can contribute to the adoption of a more physically active lifestyle by students choosing to “take it out of PE”.
In this AIESEP connect event we will present a summary of contemporary research studies from two theoretical perspectives that have examined the notion of transfer or behavioral generalizability from PE to extra-curricular school-based contexts. Viewed through social cognitive theories of motivation, Tristan Wallhead from the University of Wyoming will summarize findings from several studies that have examined student motivational transfer using both team sports (using Sport Education) and lifestyle sports (mountain biking) content. Underpinned by an applied behavior analysis framework, Peter Iserbyt and Kian Vanluyten from KU Leuven University will then summarize a series of studies that have investigated the effect of connecting the content of PE with voluntary PA during recess programs in elementary and secondary schools. Their results demonstrated that the majority of children participated, regardless of sex and skill level, in recess programs that had the same content as physical education. Research in this area serves to provide potential for the justification of PE as a core subject matter and enhances the field’s perceived relevance to the public health agenda. The connect event will conclude with a discussion of potential next steps in this line of research and the scope for international collaborations through the AIESEP network.
All are welcome to join!
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https://gmu.zoom.us/j/94179292995?pwd=RVB1Q05kWmpVaHVCTWRxRHBsU1RFdz09
Meeting ID: 941 7929 2995
Passcode: 430960
