Professions of Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Sport & Philosophy of Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Sport

Professions in Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Sport

• Profession: A specialized occupation requiring mastery of knowledge and demonstrated competence.

Characteristics of a Profession

• Based on a complex, systematic body of theoretical knowledge.
• Accepts individuals with extensive knowledge and experience obtained through formal education.
• Requires standards and competencies for entry, often via certification.
• Provides growth and development opportunities to ensure adherence to standards and practices.
• Offers a socially valuable service recognized by society.
• Governed by a code of ethics to protect those served.

Pedagogy

• The study of teaching methods.
• The art and science of teaching includes designing content, facilitating learning, and ensuring learning outcomes.
• Utilizes multiple instructional strategies and varied practice opportunities.

National Standards for Physical Education

• Standard 1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns.
• Standard 2: Applies knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics related to movement and performance.
• Standard 3: Demonstrates knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness.
• Standard 4: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.
• Standard 5: Recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction

• Gain learners’ attention.
• Inform learners of the objective.
• Stimulate recall of prior learning.
• Present new information.
• Provide learning guidance.
• Guide performance exploration.
• Provide feedback.
• Assess performance.
• Enhance retention and transfer.

Undergraduate Majors

• Athletic training.
• Coaching.
• Exercise Science.
• Fitness.
• Sport Management.
• Teaching.

Athletic Training Competencies (Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education - CAATE)

• Evidence-based practice.
• Prevention and health promotion.
• Clinical examination and diagnosis.
• Acute care of injury and illness.
• Therapeutic interventions.
• Psychosocial strategies and referral.
• Health care administration.
• Professional development and responsibility.

The Board of Certification (BOC)

• Must complete a CAATE-accredited program and pass the BOC examination in these domains:
  • Injury and illness prevention and wellness promotion.
  • Examination, assessment, and diagnosis.
  • Immediate and emergency care.
  • Therapeutic intervention.
  • Healthcare administration and professional responsibility.

National Standards for Sport Coaches

• 1 Set Vision, Goals, and Standards for Sport Program:
  • Standard 1: Develop and enact an athlete-centered coaching philosophy.
  • Standard 2: Use long-term athlete development to enhance physical literacy and encourage lifelong physical activity.
  • Standard 3: Create a unified vision using strategic planning and goal-setting principles.
  • Standard 4: Align program with all rules and regulations and the needs of the community and individual athletes.
  • Standard 5: Manage program resources responsibly.
• 2 Engage in and Support Ethical Practices:
  • Standard 6: Abide by the code of conduct.
  • Standard 7: Model, teach, and reinforce ethical behavior.
  • Standard 8: Develop an ethical decision-making process.
• 3 Build Relationships:
  • Standard 9: Acquire and utilize interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Standard 10: Develop competencies to work with diverse individuals.
  • Standard 11: Demonstrate professionalism and leadership.
• 4 Develop a Safe Sport Environment:
  • Standard 12: Create a respectful and safe environment free from harassment and abuse.
  • Standard 13: Collaborate to fulfill legal responsibilities and risk management procedures.
  • Standard 14: Identify and mitigate conditions that predispose athletes to injuries.
  • Standard 15: Monitor environmental conditions and modify participation as needed.
  • Standard 16: Reduce potential injuries by instituting safe training principles and procedures.
• 5 Injury Management and Athlete Well-being:
  • Standard 17: Develop awareness of common injuries and provide immediate and appropriate care within the scope of practice.
  • Standard 18: Support the decisions of sports medicine professionals for healthy return to participation.
  • Standard 19: Model and encourage nutritional practices that ensure the health and safety of athletes.
  • Standard 20: Provide accurate info about drugs and supplements and advocate for drug-free sport participation.
• 6 Create a Positive and Inclusive Sport Environment:
  • Standard 21: Implement a positive and enjoyable sport climate based on best practices for psychosocial and motivational principles.
  • Standard 22: Build inclusive practices for all groups aligned with legal and ethical guidelines (e.g. race/ethnicity, gender/gender identity/gender expression, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, nationality, etc.).
  • Standard 23: Understand including athletes with disabilities and consider options for participation.
• 7 Conduct Practices and Prepare for Competition:
  • Standard 24: Create seasonal/annual plans with developmentally appropriate progressions for sport-specific skills.
  • Standard 25: Design progressions for improving sport-specific physiological systems using exercise physiology and nutritional knowledge.
  • Standard 26: Plan practices to incorporate competition strategies, tactics, and scouting information.
  • Standard 27: Incorporate mental skills into practice and competition.
• 8 Life Skills and Contest Management:
  • Standard 28: Create intentional strategies to develop life skills and promote their transfer to other life domains.
  • Standard 29: Understand components of effective contest management.
  • Standard 30: Know the skills, elements of skill combinations and techniques, competition strategies and tactics, and the rules associated with the sport being coached.
  • Standard 31: Develop and utilize pedagogical strategies in daily practices.
  • Standard 32: Craft daily practice plans based on sound teaching and learning principles to promote athlete development and optimize competitive performance.
• 9 Motivational Techniques and Athlete Assessment:
  • Standard 33: Use appropriate motivational techniques to enhance performance and athlete engagement.
  • Standard 34: Implement appropriate strategies for evaluating athlete training, development, and performance.
  • Standard 35: Engage athletes in self-assessment and reflection to foster responsibility for their own learning and development.
  • Standard 36: Adjust training and competition plans based on athlete needs and assessment practices.
  • Standard 37: Use strategic decision-making skills to make adjustments or improvements or change course throughout a competition.
• 10 Strive for Continuous Improvement:
  • Standard 38: Regularly engage in self-reflection or peer-reflection.
  • Standard 39: Develop an evaluation strategy to monitor and improve staff and team performance.
  • Standard 40: Improve coaching effectiveness by seeking to learn the latest information on coaching through various avenues of coach development.
  • Standard 41: Engage in mentoring and communities of practice to promote a learning culture and continual improvement.
  • Standard 42: Maintain work-life harmony and practice self-care to manage stress and burnout.

Exercise Science and Fitness Organizations

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): Promotes scientific research and application of sports medicine and exercise science.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Provides information and data about health topics.
• National Institutes for Health (NIH): Offers fact sheets, health information, and MedlinePlus.
• IDEA Health and Fitness Association: Certifies fitness leaders.

Sport Management Organizations

• North American Society for Sport Management.
• Learfield IMG College: A collegiate sport marketing and solutions platform.
• Octagon: A global leader in sports and entertainment marketing.
• Creative Artists Agency: A multi-sport agency firm.
• Stadium Managers Association: Advances the professional management of stadiums and sport facilities.

Coaching Organizations

• National High School Athletic Coaches Association: Improves coaching abilities.
• National High School Coaches Association: Provides leadership and support to coaches and administrators.
• National Federation of State High School Associations: Provides learning opportunities for coaches.
• Positive Coaching Alliance: Provides character-building experiences for athletes.

Teaching Organizations

• SHAPE America: Provides standards for students, teachers, and coaches.
• PE Central site: Assists teachers in helping children become physically active and healthy.
• PHE America: Promotes active and healthy lifestyles with an emphasis on physical education programs.

Professional Organizations and Journals

• National Athletic Trainers’ Association:
  • Journal of Athletic Training.
  • Athletic Training Education Journal.
• American College of Sports Medicine:
  • Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
  • Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews.
  • Current Sports Medicine Reports.
  • Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
  • ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal.
• American Society of Exercise Physiologists:
  • Journal of Exercise Physiology.
  • Journal of Exercise Medicine.
  • Professionalization of Exercise Physiology.
  • Journal of Professional Exercise Physiology.
• International Society of Motor Control:
  • Motor Control Journal of Motor Behavior.
• North American Society for Sport History:
  • Journal of Sport History.
• North American Society for Sport Management:
  • Journal of Sport Management.
  • Sport Management Education Journal.
• The International Association for the Philosophy of Sport:
  • Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.
• North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity:
  • Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.
  • Journal of Motor Learning and Development.
• Association for Applied Sport Psychology:
  • Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.
  • Journal of Sport Psychology in Action.
  • Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology.
• North American Society for the Sociology of Sport:
  • Sociology of Sport Journal.
• National Strength and Conditioning Association:
  • The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
  • Strength and Conditioning Journal.
  • NSCA Coach.
  • Personal Training Quarterly.
  • TSAC Report.
• American Physical Therapy Association:
  • Physical Therapy Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.
  • PT in Motion.

Key Terms and Definitions

• Profession: Application of knowledge, competencies, and experiences, lifelong learning, service to others, and adherence to a code of ethics.
• Pedagogy: The focus of teaching should be on student learning.
• Athletic training: Identifies injuries and helps athletes recover.
• Coaching: Helps athletes learn sports skills, strategies, fitness, and values.
• Fitness: Specialists help clients enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity.
• Sport management: Applying business concepts to sports.
• Exercise science: Applying scientific principles to physical activities.
• Teaching: Guided by standards for themselves and their students.
• Specialized professional organizations: Provide benefits such as journals, conventions, and networking.

Philosophy of Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Sport

• Philosophy: The love, study, and pursuit of wisdom, knowledge, and truth.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Explain the meaning and importance of philosophy.
• Distinguish among the traditional philosophies.
• Describe the role of ethics and moral reasoning.
• Articulate personal philosophies related to careers.

Five Traditional Philosophies

• Idealism: Reality depends on the mind for existence and truth is universal and absolute.
• Realism: Laws and order of the world are revealed by science and are independent from human experiences.
• Naturalism: Laws of nature govern life, and individual goals are more important than societal goals.
• Pragmatism: Reality is the total of each individual’s experiences through practical experimentation.
• Existentialism: Centers on each individual’s subjective choices.

Idealism: Truth is universal and absolute

• The mind is critical to understanding.
• Never-changing ideas comprise the ultimate reality.
• Ideas, virtues, and truths are universal.
• The mind and body are optimally developed simultaneously.
• Believes there is one correct way to perform skills.
• Plato.

Realism: Scientific laws are independent of human experiences

• Scientific laws determine truth and reality.
• The scientific method provides the process for acquiring and applying truth.
• The curriculum includes activities and experiences that enable students to understand the laws of the physical world.
• Learning is subject-centered and includes progressions and drills.
• Aristotle.

Naturalism: Laws of nature govern life and individual goals

• Truth and things valued exist within the physical realm of nature.
• “Everything according to nature” means students learn and develop in and through nature.
• Physical well-being enhances a readiness to learn mental, moral, and social skills.
• Individualized learning occurs through self-discovery.
• Through problem-solving, students progress at their own rates.
• Rousseau.

Pragmatism: Reality is a total of individual experiences

• Ultimate reality must be experienced and is ever-changing.
• Truth and values are functions of the consequences of time and context.
• Social responsibilities are essential.
• Students develop social efficiency as they experience solving the problems of life.
• A student-centered curriculum encourages students to develop social and interpersonal skills.
• John Dewey.

Existentialism: Truth and values are based on one’s experiences

• Human experiences and individual choices construct reality.
• Each person’s experiences determine truth, which is uniquely personal.
• An individual’s value system is chosen and tempered by an understanding of social responsibility.
• The desired educational outcome is the self-actualizing person.
• Individualized activities encourage creativity and self-awareness.
• Jean-Paul Sartre.

Applications of Philosophies

• Idealism: Physical therapists use idealism to help clients set realistic goals and persist through discomfort.
• Realism: Exercise physiologists use the scientific method and personal trainers use measurements to determine progress.
• Naturalism: Recreation specialists use natural settings as learning laboratories and physical education teachers instruct in developmentally appropriate activities.
• Pragmatism: Athletic directors understand the need to generate revenues and directors of recreational facilities realize the importance of pleasurable, convenient activities.
• Existentialism: Health educators stress nutritious foods and physical educators emphasize daily physical activity, but each person makes choices with consequences.

Importance of the Body

• Idealism: Simultaneous development with the mind.
• Realism: Emphasis on the whole individual.
• Naturalism: Physical activity essential for optimal learning.
• Pragmatism: Variety of activities for the effective functioning in society.

Curricular Focus

• Idealism: Teacher-centered.
• Realism: Subject-centered.
• Naturalism: Individual readiness to learn.
• Pragmatism: Student-centered.
• Existentialism: Individual-centered.

Importance of the Teacher

• Idealism: Model and example.
• Realism: Orderly presentation of facts.
• Naturalism: Guide and helper.
• Pragmatism: Motivator.
• Existentialism: Stimulator and counselor.

Objectives

• Idealism: Developing personality and the mind.
• Realism: Preparing students to meet the realities of life.
• Naturalism: Developing the whole person.
• Pragmatism: Helping students to become better functioning members of society.
• Existentialism: Assisting students to become self-actualizing.

Methodology

• Idealism: Lecture; question-answer discussions.
• Realism: Use of real-world drills, lectures, and projects.
• Naturalism: Informal; problem-solving.
• Pragmatism: Problem-solving.
• Existentialism: Questions raised, freedom encouraged.

Evaluation

• Idealism: Subjective; qualitative.
• Realism: Quantitative; using scientific means.
• Naturalism: Based on the attainment of individual goals.
• Pragmatism: Subjective and self-evaluation.
• Existentialism: Unimportant in the traditional sense.

Differences Among Philosophies

Ethics

• Ethics is the study of moral values or the doing of good toward others or oneself.
• Moral values are the relative worth placed on virtuous behaviors.
• Principles are universal rules of conduct.

Moral Reasoning

• Moral reasoning is the systematic process of evaluating personal values and developing a consistent and impartial set of moral principles by which to live.
• Moral knowing is the cognitive phase of learning about moral issues.
• Moral valuing is the basis of what we believe about ourselves, society, and others.
• Moral acting is how we act based on what we know and value.

Examples of Moral Values and Principles

• Justice: Treating others with fairness.
• Honesty: Being trustworthy.
• Beneficence: Fair play or doing good.
• Responsibility: Fulfilling duty.

Ethical Theories

• Teleological (utilitarianism): Focuses on the consequences; the greatest good for the greatest number.
• Deontological (Kantian): Actions must conform to absolute rules of moral behavior.

Ethical Principles

• Moral duties are prescriptive and independent of consequences.
• Fair play means playing within the letter and spirit of the rules.
• Seeking to win is acceptable only if the rules are followed.
• An opponent is a worthy athlete deserving respect.
• Retribution is never acceptable.
• Games are not played to intimidate; the purpose is a mutual quest for excellence.
• Sportsmanship requires modesty in victory and self-respect in defeat.

Problems with Athletes’ Moral Reasoning

• Moral reasoning decreases with longer participation in sport.
• Males have lower levels of moral reasoning.
• Team sport athletes show lower levels of moral reasoning.
• High school athletes' moral reasoning is less consistent than non-athletes'.

The Six Pillars of Character

• Trustworthiness
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Fairness
• Caring
• Citizenship

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

• Instills core character values in sport: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant leadership, Sportsmanship.

Suggested Steps for Developing a Personal Code of Ethical Conduct

• Establish a purpose.
• Identify aspirations.
• Commit to interactions with others.
• Review other codes and draft your own.
• Discuss with a significant person.
• Sign and recommit daily.

Key Terms and Definitions

• Philosophy: Seeking wisdom and knowledge.
• Code of conduct: Guides ethical behavior.
• Idealism: Using the mind to understand truth.
• Realism: Seeking truth through scientific investigation.
• Pragmatism: Experiencing truth as a better member of society.
• Naturalism: Nature is the source of truth.
• Existentialism: Personal experiences determine truth.
• Eclecticism: Borrowing from various philosophies.
• Ethics: Studying moral values and doing good.
• Moral reasoning process: Evaluating personal values.
• Utilitarianism theory: Greatest good to the great number.
• Non-consequential theory: Absolute rules govern behavior.
• Moral imperatives in sport: Fair play and respect.