School administrator involvement is recognized as a key factor in the extent to which school health promotion programs and initiatives are successfully implemented. The aims of this scoping review are to: (a) Identify existing documents that contain recommendations regarding the involvement of school administrators in school-based health promotion; (b) distill and summarize the recommendations; (c) examine differences in the recommendations by targeted professional level, professional group, health promotion content focus, and by whether the recommendations are evidence-based or opinion-based; and (d) evaluate the research informing the recommendations. We drew upon the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines to conduct the review. Our team conducted a comprehensive literature search with no date or geographic restrictions from January 2018 through April 2018 using four electronic databases: Academic Search Complete, Google Scholar, Physical Education Index, and PubMed. Eligibility criteria included any online documents, in English, that contained recommendations targeting school administrators’ (e.g., principals, assistant principals, superintendents) involvement (e.g., support, endorsement, advocacy) in school health programming (e.g., physical activity, nutrition, wellness). The search yielded a total of 1225 records, which we screened by title, then by abstract, and finally by full text, resulting in 61 records that met inclusion criteria. Data (e.g., recommendations, targeted contexts, targeted administrators) from these records were extracted for a content analysis. Included records contained 80 distinct recommendations, which we summarized into three themes (Collaboration, Advocacy, and Support) using a content analysis. Separate content analyses revealed no qualitative differences in the recommendations by professional level, professional group, or content focus, or by whether the recommendations were evidence-based or opinion-based. Twenty-one of the included records were peer-reviewed research articles. Using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), we appraised qualitative research articles the highest and mixed methods research articles the lowest. This review provides a basis for future research and professional practice aiming to increase school administrators’ involvement in school-based health promotion.

Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) are recommended to support physical education (PE) and increase the amount of physical activity (PA) youth receive each day. However, adoption of CSPAPs in the United States is low. PE teachers are well positioned to lead the implementation of CSPAPs, but research is needed to better understand (a) PE teachers’ confidence to assume the multiple roles involved with CSPAP implementation and (b) the factors that are associated with such confidence. This study examined PE teachers’ role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) as a measure of PE teachers’ CSPAP-related confidence and its association with seminal life experiences as framed within teacher socialization theory. A survey was emailed to a stratified-random sample of 2976 PE teachers and distributed on social media, garnering a total of 259 responses. Exploratory structural equation modeling supported a three-factor solution for teacher socialization variables (acculturation, professional socialization and organizational socialization), in line with the theoretical framework, and a single factor solution for RBSE. Professional socialization and organizational socialization were significant predictors of RBSE, and qualitative data from open-ended survey questions supported these relationships. The results highlight the importance of preservice teacher education and current employment contexts in PE teachers’ CSPAP-related confidence.

The World Health Organization recommends a whole-of-school approach to promoting youth physical activity (PA) and there are several examples of this approach internationally. In the United States, ...

In the United States, less than half of adolescents meet national recommendations for daily physical activity (PA). Schools are an integral intervention point for achievement of national PA youth guidelines. To help schools achieve PA guidelines, multicomponent Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP) were developed. Each CSPAP component works synergistically to help students achieve 60 min of PA per school day. Physical educators are expected to implement CSPAP components in their schools, but little is known about the preservice physical education teacher (PPET) perception of CSPAP training experiences in teacher education. The purpose of this research study was to understand PPET perceptions of implementing a component of CSPAP at the elementary and secondary level during a student teaching course. Undergraduate (n = 5) and graduate (n = 4) physical education majors enrolled in a semester of student teaching were recruited. Data collection encompassed individual semistructured interviews at three distinct phases (N = 25): (a) pre–student teaching, (b) between student teaching school placements, and (c) post–student teaching. Data coding first revealed codes, then categories, and eventually four themes emerged, each with its own subthemes: (a) preparedness, (b) perceived challenges, (c) implementation, and (d) moving forward. Findings indicate PPETs developed confidence, achieved personal growth and self-actualization, perceived career benefit, and gained a desire for implementing CSPAP in the future. Additionally, implementing CSPAP components during student teaching can increase confidence and desire to implement CSPAP in the future. Further research needs to explore if CSPAP experiences during preservice training influence in-service teachers’ CSPAP involvement.