Do PERD Professionals Get Enough Training in Behavior Management and Supervision in Physical Activity Settings?

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Based on the yearly Educational Gallup Poll, the inability to manage and motivate student behavior is often the number one reason given by beginning teachers for leaving the teaching profession (Rose & Gallup, 2004). In recent years, effectively managing behavior has become even more challenging with the increased numbers of children and youths who are identified as at-risk or with disabilities. In reality, an unmanageable class is unteachable.

In a survey conducted nearly 20 years ago by Bishop, Henderson, & French (1988), only eight percent of PERD preparation programs dedicated an entire course to behavior management. Still today, if PERD preparation program instructors at the undergraduate level address the topic of behavior management, it is with a few lectures as part of a teaching-methods course. However, in recent years, national physical education standards have stressed the importance of behavior management (NASPE, 2004; APENS; Kelly, 2006) and an increase of information exists on this topic in teaching-methods textbooks (Rink, 2006; Siedentop & Tannehill, 2000).

Moreover, many physical activity professionals still maintain a narrow perspective and equate behavior management practices with discipline and punishment used to control students or make …