Sport education has attracted attention and interest from physical educators recently. However, the implementation of sport education has not been without difficulties. The purposes of this study were to understand the views of teachers and students on this model as well as examining the difficulties the teachers may face when implementing the model. Two secondary physical education teachers and 110 secondary students participated in the study. The teachers taught a unit of football lessons in sport education to two classes of students. They were requested to keep a reflective journal that focused on the process of implementation of the approach as well as the student reaction to this model. An interview focused on their views of using the approach was conducted with each teacher. Views of students toward the instructional approach were also obtained through the use of structured questionnaire. Results revealed that the major difficulty faced by the teachers was the planning before the implementation. Most students expressed that they favoured the model and understood more about the organizing of football games. They also valued the learning of collaboration skills and team spirits in the lessons. The findings hold implications for the physical educators and teacher educators in Hong Kong.
[Copyright © 2008 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

Teacher Concerns Questionnaire (TCQ) was administered to 75 Hong Kong pre-service and in-service student teachers of primary physical education prior to their teaching practice or the commencement of teaching supervision period. Results showed no significant differences in all concern scale scores between groups and the three-factor structure of TCQ could not be replicated. Recommendations for future research were made: First, a modified TCQ for physical educators needs to be specifically designed. Second, qualitative data should be collected for more in-depth study of teacher concerns. Third, longitudinal research design should be used. Fourth, other factors that are likely to influence teacher concerns should also be considered.
[Copyright © 1999 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

Personal observations and evaluation reports on teaching practice suggest that PE teachers attending training at the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) tend to "over teach" in the sense that they talk too much and put too much emphasis on scientific details such as the mechanical properties of a movement. As more time was spent on explanation and other phases of teaching, learning through play in the applying phase was reduced. Observations also indicated that PE teachers tended to use drills rather than plays or modified games to allow pupils to acquire the criteria performance. A study of 250 lesson plans written by 24 students of an Advanced Certificate of Teacher Education (ACTE) course and 30 students of a Teacher Certificate (TC) course in the HKIEd has also revealed the same tendency. Evidence indicates that the mean time allocation for the applying phase shown by these students is lower than that suggested by textbooks/documents in pedagogy (approximately 50%). "Over teaching" in the above sense may be a socio-political measure in response to the academic movement of our discipline. Drills, which in general facilitate skill refinement, neglect the interest of different ability groups and the two sexes.
[Copyright © 1998 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

This paper presents a qualitative study with the use of the interpretive paradigm to capture subjective meanings that pre-service Physical Education (PE) teachers gave to their professional socialization process at the early stage of their two-year full-time teacher-training program. Data concerning their actions, feelings and reflection on their practical, pedagogical and theoretical modules were collected through interviewing and writing of reflective journal. Participants were analyzed according to their types namely, "athletes", "idealists", "pragmatists", "followers" and "the insecure group" while joining the program. It was interesting to find that they all articulated their professional learning to the "process knowledge" through experience rather than "propositional" one in the form of discipline based and theoretical conceptions regardless of their types. The findings provide information about how pre-service PE teachers learn and develop their professional knowledge, which in return, generate implications on how the Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program can be implemented effectively in Hong Kong.
[Copyright © 2000 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

This paper is concerned with a qualitative study of how three pre-service physical education teachers who were comparatively less skilful in sports, socialised professionally in their first field experience. It was a part of the two-year study project investigating the occupational scoialisation of pre-service physical education teachers in the Hong Kong Institute of Education. With the interpretive paradigm as the conceptual framework, data concerning the professional conceptions, socialising strategies and perceptions on their socialising agents during their first field experience were collected through interviewing and writing of reflective journals. The findings demonstrated a particular socialisation process of this type of recruits. Interestingly, they were found shaping their early belief from "being liked by the pupils" to "being proficient in sports skills and instructional competence" as important requirements for PE teaching after the first field experience. The wash out effect of the field experience on the physical education teacher programme was particular significant on them. The findings provide information about how a particular group of recruits socialised professionally in their first field experience. In return, such implications can be facilitated positively in teacher education.
[Copyright © 2002 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

Few studies have attempted to study the perception of physical education of secondary school girls with 'non-participation' behaviours during physical education lessons. This paper tries to explore the differences of attitudes of 'non-participation' and 'ordinary' senior form school girls toward physical education in a single-sex school. Six students were purposely selected in the study. They were interviewed and invited to give comments on physical education in their school. Their behaviours in three physical education lessons were observed and recorded. Data in the study indicated that most students held 'sex stereotyped beliefs', however, only the 'non-participation' students showed alienated behaviours from the physical education lessons. Possible reasons for these were the difference between the 'non-participation' and 'ordinary' students on the perceived status and values of physical education within school. School administrators and physical educators should revise the school physical education curriculum and instructional behaviours in order to maintain the students interest and positive attitude toward physical education.
[Copyright © 1998 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

Physical activity has numerous positive and psychological benefits. Therefore, a physically active lifestyle benefits both the individual and the society. Nevertheless, many people drop out from their sport or exercise regimen. In this inquiry three motivational factors in exercise adherence, including predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors, were studied from a cross-cultural perspective. A total of 235 male (n=151) and female (n=84) volunteers (mean age=21.4 ± 2.6 years) from Hong Kong (n=112) and United Kingdom (n=123) completed an exercise habits inventory and the Physical Activity Adherence Questionnaire (PAAQ). All participants were physically active, of whom 132 have once quit a sport/exercise in the past whereas 103 never quit. Results revealed that differences exist in predisposing and enabling motivational components of exercise adherence in both cross-cultural and gender comparison studies. Participants who quit a sport or exercise report lesser reinforcing experiences than those who never abandoned an adopted sport or exercise. It is concluded that reinforcing factors play a crucial role in the long term maintenance of a sport or exercise and that both cultural and gender differences need to be taken into serious consideration in the course of facilitation of various exercise/sport behaviours.
[Copyright © 2003 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

This paper is concerned with a qualitative study of how 15 pre-service PE teachers, who are taking the two-year full-time teacher training course, develop professionally in their second field experience. With the interpretive research paradigm as conceptual framework, data were collected through interviewing and writing of reflective journals. Groups of pre-service PE teachers were found possessing different professional learning experiences concerning their conceptions and socializing strategies. Their professional conceptions included "educating pupils to learn", "seeing PE as catharsis, discipline and having fun". Their socializing strategies composed of finding means to improve teaching, and adopt social tactics for managing pupils and defensive attitude for handling crisis. The study provides an understanding of pre-service PE teachers in the Hong Kong Institute of Education and their learning-to-teach processes. The findings serve as the backdrop for recommending possible pedagogical changes for facilitating desirable professional development of pre-service PE teachers.
[Copyright © 2007 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

The purpose of the study was to describe the teaching behaviours of Hong Kong physical education student teachers. Thirty-two local pre-service and in-service student teachers were videotaped teaching two lessons in their own schools or in the allocated school during their final practicum. Each videotaped lesson was coded using the Physical Education Teacher Assessment Instrument (PETAI). Data generated by the PETAI were entered into a SPSS programme to produce further statistical analysis. The results were comprehensive described and comparison were made between the in-service and pre-service student teachers' behaviour categories by employing the independent t-test. Results indicated that the in-service student teachers had significantly higher percentages of the response presentation and the total teacher instructional time than the pre-service group. Whilst the pre-service student teachers spent significantly more time in planned presentation, equipment management, organization, behaviour management and overall management time than the in-service group. It is likely the different experience in physical education lesson teaching in school environment of the groups give account for the differences of their teaching behaviours. Findings of the present study implied that there were different teaching behaviour patterns and needs of pre-service and in-service student teachers during their practicum.
[Copyright © 2000 Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.]

Ever since Physical Education (PE) became one of electives in the Teacher Education (TE) programme in 1947, it has gradually developed from a practical and professional oriented subject to a theoretical and academic based discipline in the tertiary institutes in Hong Kong. This paper described the 'selected' historical incidents of the development of PETE in Hong Kong. PETE becomes hegemonic towards scientific bias, health-dominated, technocratic and utilitarian-oriented nowadays. It creates tensions of dichotomised issues between PE and sports science; PE and medical science; theoretical and pedagogical orientation; research and practical basis; scholarly and professional discipline; and technocratic and inquiry focus etc. Its development illustrates the differences in directions, status, functions and practices. It intents to identify problems of the present practices and initiate discussion on alternative directions of the PETE in the coming future.
[Copyright of Journal of Physical Education & Recreation (Hong Kong) is the property of Hong Kong Baptist University.]