School-Based Youth Physical Activity Promotion: Thoughts and Beliefs of Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers

Physical education teachers are central to the facilitation of school-based physical activity promotion. However, teachers have self-reported a lack of knowledge, skills, understanding, and competence to successfully implement these strategies. The aim of this investigation was to explore the beliefs and perceptions of pre-service physical education teachers, concerning their potential roles in future school-based programs designed to promote student physical activity. Fifty-seven pre-service physical education teachers ( 21 males and 36 females) had complete data and were included in the analysis. Participants responded positively, and did not reveal concerns about their capacity to facilitate school-based physical activity promotion during practicum, and prospectively as practising teachers. This may indicate that either this particular tertiary institution provides curriculum which adequately prepared participants; or participants had misconceptions about their ability and preparedness to fulfill this role. This investigation provides important empirical evidence for preparing pre-service physical education teachers in their potential future roles.