This phenomenological qualitative study explored the meaning of practicum experiences for physical education teacher education (PETE) students. Participants were 10 PETE students majoring in teaching and enrolled in an introductory adapted physical education course with an inclusion-based practicum requirement. Data were collected from participants’ self-reflective journals and analyzed using thematic analysis procedures (Giorgi, 1985). Eleven themes emerged that reflected the meaning of practicum experiences for these students. Our findings suggest that journaling provides a medium for PETE students to identify issues, address problems, and think critically about best practices.

This phenomenological study explored the nature and meaning of being physically active from the standpoint of 15 women age 65 and older. The analysis presents a multitextured description of how 15 women maintained a physically active lifestyle for most of their lives. It provides information about why 15 older women value being physically active and how they negotiated a physically active lifestyle throughout their lives. Findings suggest that continuity of a physically active lifestyle was not a luxury these women experienced over the life course. Being physically active was affected by gender socialization, ageist attitudes, and physical challenges. Nonetheless, these long-lived, physically active women hung on to a concept of themselves as physically active; they demonstrated that active is an attitude and moving is a consequence. They have learned to improvise and, now more than ever, have taken control of their lives by being planful about being physically active.

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Industrial agriculture and food corporations have produced an abundance of food that is highly processed, nutritionally poor, and environmentally burdensome. As part of a healthy campus initiative, generated to address these and other food production and consumption dilemmas, a student-run “local and sustainable” food establishment called Food Next Door (FND) was created. This intrinsic case study evaluated food literacy in health science students, faculty, and staff first as a pilot to build the case for FND and further explicated customers’, volunteers’, and leads’ experiences with FND, identifying potential pathways from food literacy to citizenship. Ten returning customers, eight recurring nutrition student volunteers, and three graduate student leads participated in interviews that were analyzed for themes and subthemes. The findings show a progression in themes. Customers’ experiences highlight FND’s fresh, flavorful food, smiling and supportive staff, and personal transformation. Volunteers’ themes identified greater awareness of new foods and plant-based eating, acquiring new knowledge and skills in commercial kitchens, and deepening their connection to food, each other, and to where food comes from. Leads’ themes show opportunities to gain managerial skills, a deeper understanding of food and skills from being immersed in value-based food systems, and confidence in peer teaching. Experiencing and becoming part of the food value chain through FND built food literacy, shifted values, and transformed students into food citizens.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand what is was like for older women (78-92 years of age) who recently relocated to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) to participate in a five-week dance/dance movement therapy (DMT) class called Let's Keep Moving. Dance and DMT have many quality of life benefits for a range of populations (i.e. people with Parkinson's disease) but little is known about how dance/DMT might be beneficial for older adults as they adjust to relocation. Method: A phenomenological case method approach was selected to guide this study. Data were collected and triangulated from videotaped footage and field notes taken of the dance class and from focus group interviews with participants. Analysis revealed themes that had both structural and meaning units. Results: Being special and belonging, realizing a new and improved self, and moving better and feeling better were associated gains for participants. Having a teacher who was an authentic role model and provided inspiration was important/motivating to participants as well. Conclusions: Participation in dance/ DMT appears to help older women reduce relocation stress by fostering personal growth and social connectivity. Moreover, the precepts of Newman's Health as Expanding Consciousness appear to have utility in guiding thinking about health and quality of life for the old-old who are relocating to CRCCs.

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Older adults are often viewed by society more for what they cannot do than for what they are capable of achieving. This intrinsic case study examined the formation of a women’s 65+ volleyball team at a university for the purpose of better understanding what it was like for older women to learn a new sport and what meaning participating in competitive sport had for those who had not previously been considered athletic. Qualitative methods explored each participant’s experiences through a focus group, individual interviews, observational notes, and written reflections. Resulting team member themes included going for the gusto, belonging to a team, and support from the university. This program is a potential model to engage nonathletic older adults in sport, while forging a new and positive aging framework for aging athletes.

<P>For nursing and other health care students to be effective, remain in their training, and subsequently join the health care workforce, they need to have good therapeutic communication skills. This article presents an innovative strategy to improve therapeutic communication skills for nursing and health sciences students. The Video Inter-Active (VIA) computer-based, challenge-response-record-evaluate method used in this pilot study engaged students in realistic responses to scenarios commonly encountered in health care settings and provided them with opportunities to see themselves and critique their responses. Findings from this pilot study indicate that the VIA method is an effective and efficient way for students to develop and practice therapeutic communication skills. In a relatively short period (5 weeks), their learning from this method far exceeded learning achieved through traditional role-playing alone for practicing communication skills. </P> <H4>AUTHORS</H4> <P>Received: July 29, 2004</P> <P>Accepted: April 22, 2005</P> <P>Dr. Kluge is Associate Professor, and Ms. Glick is Adjunct Professor, Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado.</P> <P>This study was supported by a seed grant from the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.</P> <P>Address correspondence to Mary Ann Kluge, PhD, Associate Professor, Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, PO Box 7150 UH-1, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150; e-mail: <a href="mailto:mkluge@uccs.edu">mkluge@uccs.edu</a>.</P>