In a recent conversation with Dr. Sean Fullerton from Towson University, we dug into a timely and practical question for physical educators: how do teachers view and use fitness-based technology in their classes? The discussion centered on a study examining the adoption of PLT4M, a fitness software designed to track, support, and enhance student learning in physical education.
In a recent podcast episode, I invited colleagues to share one academic article that has had a lasting impact on their careers in physical education. What followed was less a technical review and more a thoughtful conversation about why certain pieces of research continue to influence how we teach, what we study, and how we work with young people.
Middle school is the tipping point where many young people decide PE is “for me” — or a class they simply endure. Phillips, Marttinen, Mercier and Gibbone give that turning point a microphone in Middle School Students’ Perceptions of Physical Education: A Qualitative Look, using two years of focus group interviews (65 students, Grades 5–8) to uncover why attitudes drop and what educators can do about it. Below are the key takeaways, followed by the headline findings from the study’s Results and Discussion sections.
Key takeaways at a glance
Curriculum sameness breeds boredom. Rerunning the same sports units each year desensitised enthusiasm; students called lessons “mad boring” and predictable.
Competition culture alienates many girls and some boys. An overemphasis on winning, aggressive play and “ballhogging” discouraged participation and reinforced gender gaps.
Fitness testing backfires when purpose is unclear. Most children could not connect pushups or mile times to life outside PE, and being evaluated publicly felt humiliating.
Sweat, changing time and body worries are huge social barriers. Especially for girls, limited lockerroom time, ruined hairstyles and lingering odour pushed them to opt out or underperform.
The “easy A” myth undermines learning. When grades hinge on dressing out and showing up, students equate effort—not understanding or skill—with success.
Teacher personality matters, but instruction matters more. Students praised “nice” teachers yet lamented minimal feedback, opaque grading and “rollouttheball” lessons.
What the study found
1. Curriculum drives attitude downturns
Three subthemes captured why repetition hurt attitudes: lessons felt repetitive and boring; an overemphasis on competition privileged aggressive players; and fitnesstesting activities were seen as purposeless public spectacles — “Why am I on display?”
2. Social factors magnify disengagement
Focus groups repeatedly linked negative feelings to sweating in the middle of the day and rushing to change clothes. Girls reported skipping participation to keep hair, makeup or a birthday outfit intact; boys admitted noticing this and labelling PEaverse peers “lazy” or “soft.”
3. Perceptions of teachers and grading feed the “easy A” loop
Students liked friendly teachers, but many said little was actually taught. Homework readings were rarely revisited, tests felt irrelevant, and one pupil who skipped all written assignments still held a 90+ average. The message: comply, don’t learn, to earn an A.
What the authors conclude
Affective hurdles (fun, enjoyment)—boredom, hostile competition, embarrassment—lower the feeling component of attitude.
Cognitive hurdles (usefulness, importance)—unclear learning goals, purposeless fitness tests, soft grading—undermine the thinking component.
Together they spiral into declining overall attitudes toward PE in Grades 6–8.
Practical implications for teachers & schools
Diversify the yearly menu. Rotate novel activities (e.g., Spikeball, parkour, dance modules) and let students codesign units to restore curiosity.
Dial back zerosum competition. Use smallsided or cooperative formats; separate skillbuilding from game play; offer girlsonly or choicebased options when appropriate.
Put fitness testing in a learning frame. Teach why cardio fitness matters, emphasise personal progress, and collect scores privately.
Fix the sweattime crunch. Schedule PE earlier or provide extended changing blocks, deodorant stations and optional freshair cooldowns.
Grade what you value. Tie marks to demonstrate knowledge, skills and personal goal-setting rather than mere dress or attendance.
Model reflective, student-centered teaching. Show visible planning, give actionable feedback and solicit ongoing student voice—key levers the study identifies for rebuilding trust and relevance.
Bottom line: When middle school students explain why they tune out, the fixes become clearer. Listening to their voices can transform PE from “the easy A” to an engaging course that equips all kids for active, healthy lives.
Full Article:
Phillips, S., Marttinen, R., Mercier, K., & Gibbone, A. (2020). Middle school students’ perceptions of physical education: A qualitative look. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 40(1), 30-38. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2019-0085
This blog post was written with the assistance of AI to support clarity and accessibility. It is intended to help disseminate and discuss research findings with a broader audience. However, for the most accurate and reliable information—including conclusions and practical applications—please refer to the original peer-reviewed publication on which this blog is based. The peer-reviewed article remains the most authoritative source.
If you're a teacher educator passionate about equity, inclusion, and social justice—or even if you're just getting started in this space—you’re going to want to bookmark this.
In a recent episode of our podcast, I was joined by three amazing colleagues from the University of Limerick in Ireland: Prof. Elaine Murtagh, Dr. Carmen Barquero Ruiz, and Dr. Antonio Calderón. Together, they’ve helped create not one, but two freely available, research-informed toolkits to support social justice in teacher education. And honestly? They’re gold.
Let me walk you through what these toolkits are, where they came from, and why they’re game-changers.
What happens when PE teachers are viewed as technicians versus craftspeople? That’s a central question behind a recent Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy article co-authored by Robin Fjellner, Dean Barker and Valeria Varea from Örebro University in Sweden. I sat down with Robin on the podcast to dive deep into his scoping review titled "How Physical Education Teachers Are Positioned in Models Scholarship."
The purpose of this blog is twofold.
1. First, we aim to summarize the conversation that occurred during the PETE Collaborative virtual meeting that occurred on October 5, 2023, entitled To Use or Not to Use? Artificial Intelligence (ChatBots) in PETE/HETE.
2. Second, we have compiled an initial bank of resources on the topic, as offered by call participants and suggested by the PETE Collaborative organizing group.
This blog discusses the article Generalization of Participation in Fitness Activities From Physical Education to Lunch Recess by Gender and Skill Level. We talk about the effects of a recess sport education fitness season on students’ participation in fitness activities from PE to lunch recess by gender and skill level.
Physical education (PE) teachers have insecurity about teaching martial arts to their students. There are places where martial arts, combative activities, or self-defense are part of PE standards and other places where they come up as electives. Either way, combative sports, and martial arts are lifelong physical activities and can bring varied emotional, psychological, and physical benefits. In this blog, I will discuss different ideas that have been developed by Marcelo Antunes and me (Alba) in our research, professional development courses, workshops, and engagement with academic peers. Our proposal focuses on the relationship between games and combat. Rethinking martial arts pedagogy through a game-based approach can be a way to support PE teachers to develop the confidence to teach their students without needing to become an expert. Additionally, through combat games, martial art coaches can find new ways of teaching children and youth enhancing their enjoyment and engagement in practice.
We discuss research, theory and current issues in the fields of health and physical education in an easy to understand way. Our aim is to make research accessible to educators and university students from all over the globe.
