Initial Validation of the Teaching Methods Scale in Physical Education

Purpose: Drawing on current theoretical perspectives on teaching methods (i.e., constructivism, cognitivism, or behaviorism), the present research developed a scale to assess students' perceptions of teaching methods in physical education. Method: Four studies were conducted to design and analyze the psychometric properties of this scale: (a) to create the scale through a thinkaloud protocol (n = 4) and an expert panel (n = 4), (b) to test the initial factor structure (nStudy 2 = 465), (c) to reevaluate the psychometric structure with an expert panel and a cross-sectional study (nStudy 3 =1,420), and (d) to confirm the scale structure and test concurrent validity and factorial invariance (nStudy 4 = 1,208). Results: These conjoint efforts identified a four-factor structure underlying the teaching methods in physical education (constructivist, cognitivist, behaviorist, and laissez-faire methods) and provided preliminary evidence for its validity and reliability. Conclusion: The teaching methods in physical education enables researchers to systematically examine students' perceptions of teaching methods in the PE class.