Purpose: This study had two purposes. One purpose was to explore preservice physical education teachers’ development of adaptive competence in six core practices during planning and teaching in physical education. The second purpose was to understand how rehearsals and repeated teaching as two pedagogies of practice-based teacher education were perceived by preservice teachers in their development of adaptive competence. Methods: This was a mixed-methods study using descriptive analysis to analyze data collected from lesson plans and a collective case study to analyze semistructured interviews. Findings: Preservice teachers made the most adaptations in the core practices of coordinating and adjusting instruction, establishing rules and routines, and providing precise instruction. Rehearsals and repeated teaching were perceived as effective strategies to facilitate the development of adaptive competence in teaching. Conclusions: Findings are discussed in terms of three contemporary teacher education conceptualizations: (a) adaptive competence, (b) core practices in physical education, and (c) practice-based teacher education pedagogies.

Background: Teacher education is a complex endeavor designed to prepare preservice teachers for the task of teaching physical education to students in K–12 schools. Yet, there is widespread criticism of teacher education outcomes within the United States and around the world. Consequently, teacher educators have been increasingly called upon to use evidence-based approaches in teacher education. Purpose: In this article, we discuss a teacher education reform called practice-based teacher education from macro and micro perspectives. Discussion: Practice-based teacher education emphasizes a curriculum that is focused on relevance defined in terms of what a teacher needs to know and do to be able to teach physical education. Evidence for curricular changes to physical education teacher education and to the content and pedagogies of methods and content classes are presented. We conclude with a discussion of how practice-based teacher education can address social injustice.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how preservice teachers (PSTs) developed their adaptive competence in lesson planning through repeated rehearsals and reflections in an online learning environment. Methods: A case study design utilizing descriptive analysis was used to analyze data collected from a series of lesson plan iterations made by nine PSTs in a physical education teacher education program. All participants attended one online introductory methods course, which consisted of a synchronous lecture and laboratory components to learn fundamental instruction and management skills in teaching physical education. Findings: PSTs made positive adaptations in five core practices in their lesson plan iterations. However, the frequency of adaptations in each core practice varied in different lesson components. The findings suggest that the complexity of content being taught and opportunities embedded in each lesson component may influence how adaptations were made in lesson plans. Conclusions: Repeated rehearsals and reflections can facilitate PSTs’ development of adaptations in lesson planning in an online environment. However, learning environments may prevent PSTs from adapting certain core practices.

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to explore preservice teachers’ perspectives on two practice-based teacher education pedagogies, teaching rehearsals and repeated teaching, in eight physical education teacher education programs. Method : We employed a multiple case study design. Thirty-eight preservice teachers (four to six per program) participated in the study (female, n = 20; male, n = 18; sophomore, n = 7; junior, n = 12; senior, and n = 19). A semistructured interview was conducted to collect data. The data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, followed by magnitude coding. Results : Five themes were identified from the data: (a) improved practices in classroom management, (b) improved effectiveness in providing instructions, (c) enhanced content knowledge, (d) learning from peers, and (e) perspectives toward teaching rehearsals and repeated teaching. Discussion/Conclusion : The findings provide evidence of the acceptability of two practice-based teacher education pedagogies as teacher education practices by preservice teachers.

The purpose of this study was to examine how preservice teachers (PSTs) adapted their lesson planning components over time. We were particularly interested in the quality of adaptations that were made by PSTs in a practice-based teacher education (PBTE) program. A descriptive analytic design was used to examine the lesson plans of nine PSTs who were peer teaching for 10-weeks. The context for teaching became incrementally more complex in terms of core practices of instructional and managerial skills as the semester progressed. Three PBTE pedagogical strategies were integrated throughout the peer teaching across five phases: rehearsals, repeated teaching, and approximations of contexts. A descriptive analysis of lesson components (e.g., instruction, management, and closure) was conducted, with further examination in three quality indicators: alignment to the lesson, preciseness of the task statements, and the content appropriateness of the lesson plan. Almost three quarters of adaptations were made in instructional statements and content development. Improvements in alignment to the lesson were made faster than improvement in preciseness and content. Approximately 80% of improved adaptations were maintained by PSTs across different lessons over time. The findings in this study suggest that PBTE pedagogical strategies support PSTs’ development of adaptive competence in lesson planning and improve PSTs’ adaptation in quality indicators as well.

Purpose: Social media has become a popular platform for forming professional learning communities (PLCs) for educators. However, few studies have been conducted to understand physical educators’ behaviors in these social media-based PLCs. This study aimed to investigate physical educators’ help-seeking behaviors in a social media-based PLC on Facebook. Method: A case study was conducted to explore physical educators’ help-seeking behaviors. A total of 4,323 posts were collected and analyzed using content analysis procedures. Both descriptive and qualitative analyses were performed. Findings: More than half (51.45%) of posts published in this Facebook PLC aimed to seek help. Six themes reflecting the types of help that physical educators sought were generated: teaching ideas and materials, equipment and technology, classroom management and discipline, extracurricular event and program development, career and professional development, and social and emotional support. Conclusion: The findings suggest that social media-based PLCs can provide physical educators at all levels opportunities to seek help.