This sample of ATs had better health and fitness habits than the general population but did not meet professional recommendations set forth by the American College of Sports Medicine or the United States Department of Agriculture. Thus, these ATs were not ideal role models in demonstrating healthy behaviors.

Undergraduate ( n = 561) and graduate ( n = 104) students at a large mid-Atlantic university were surveyed to determine their usage patterns and beliefs about the climate of a newly constructed student recreation center (SRC) on their campus. Analyses attempted to identify differences between those students who used the facility ( n = 547) and those who did not ( n = 118) in relation to gender, age, year on campus, stage of change for exercise, and motivational orientation. Results revealed that SRC users were at higher stages along the transtheoretical model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983) and were significantly more likely to have participated in high school athletics than non-users. Non-users were significantly more likely to live off-campus, smoke, and be female than SRC users. The discussion offers suggestions for enticing non-users to exercise and use the facility, and feel more comfortable while doing so.

The value of conceptual physical education knowledge has long been acknowledged (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, 1969; Kneer, 1981; NASPE, 1995) yet has not been formally measured or assessed. Seven multiple choice tests with established validity and reliability (Ayers, 2001b) were used to assess the concepts identified in Mohnsen's text (1998). Tests were administered to 3,263 high school students at the schools of 17 NASPE Teachers of the Year in 16 states. On all tests, girls outscored boys, and Caucasians outscored all other racial groups. Examinees' average performance on each test was: motor development (65%), exercise physiology (62%), social psychology (60%), biomechanics (57%), aesthetic experiences (56%), motor learning (53%), and historical perspectives (49%). Analyses of each area determined concepts students knew and did not know.

The study aimed to examine (a) the association between weekly strength exercise frequency and grade point average (GPA), and (b) the demographic characteristics of weekly strength exercise frequency among undergraduate students at a large southern state university in the United States. Health behavior data (N = 1125) collected by the American College Health Association at the university in 2008 were analyzed. Analysis of variance was used to investigate weekly strength exercise frequency differences in GPA, sex, ethnicity, and year in university. The results revealed that those who more frequently engaged in strength exercise had significantly higher GPA. There was a significant difference in weekly strength exercise frequency by sex and ethnicity. Findings suggest that regular engagement in strength exercise may not only have physical health benefits but is also associated with academic achievement in high education. There is a need to further investigate the mechanism of strength exercise on GPA among university students.

The student recreation center (SRC) at many colleges and universities has evolved from being a place to lift weights and take aerobics classes to becoming a high-powered recruitment tool (Colleges use recreation, 2002). The present study included the development of an instrument to assess the use and impact of SRCs. Students (N = 655; users = 537, nonusers = 118) were surveyed about their use of and satisfaction with their university's newly constructed SRC. The overall findings revealed that a majority of SRC users were male (54.9%), felt more at home on campus since the construction of the SRC (61.2%), and felt that the SRC had increased their exercise frequency (79.9%). Forty percent of users adopted regular physical activity after the construction of the SRC. Non-users were primarily female (59.3%), had never visited the SRC (49.6%), and did not participate in any physical extracurricular activities (78.0%). Future SRC research should explore exercise patterns more thoroughly and link facility use to additional social and academic developmental outcomes.

The current study describes the nature of physical education teacher education (PETE) programs in the United States. Of the 200 institutions of higher education invited to participate, 116 PETE programs completed a comprehensive questionnaire regarding their undergraduate programs (58% response rate). Respondents reported employing an average of 3.84 (SD = 2.80) full-time and 3.07 (SD = 3.52) part-time faculty members, nearly equal in gender (females = 48%), and overly representative of Caucasians (92% of respondents reported employing a faculty of at least 60% Caucasian). First- and second-year field-based teaching experiences were provided by 77% of respondents. A majority (65.8%) of institutions provided student teaching experiences at the elementary and either middle or high school settings. These experiences typically lasted 9 weeks and were supervised by university personnel three times per setting, and 76.3% were conducted exclusively by PETE faculty. Emphasis on specific curricular models was reported by 83% of respondents, 45.3% reported electronic portfolio development as a primary technology experience, and 62% reported coursework as the primary means by which candidates received multicultural experiences.

Context Active learning describes any instructional approach that fosters student engagement in the content and is believed to promote critical thinking more fully than do traditional lecture formats. Objective Investigate student engagement, specifically professional relevance and peer interaction, with active learning techniques used in a flipped classroom format. Design An exploratory study utilizing both quantitative and qualitative survey instruments. Setting Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited undergraduate entry-level athletic training program. Patients or Other Participants Seventeen students (11 females, 6 males) of at least sophomore level, enrolled in the lower extremity orthopaedic assessment course in the athletic training program. Main Outcome Measure(s) A mixed-method analysis was used. Quantitative questionnaires were analyzed with comparisons of medians and the Friedman test for nonparametric analysis. Qualitative questionnaires were coded using deductive and inductive reasoning and analyzed with emerging themes and shared coding procedures. Validity evidence is presented for quantitative data. Independent coding was used to confirm the trustworthiness of the qualitative data analysis. Results Participants reported a high level of course preparation, perceived content relevance, and value of peer interaction, all of which are indicators of student engagement. Four qualitative themes emerged: (1) content relevant to profession, (2) class activities fostering professional development, (3) becoming a reflective practitioner, and (4) pedagogical reflections. Conclusions A primary finding of our study was the high degree of perceived relevance of classroom content to professional practice. Participants indicated they learned as much as they taught in peer interactions and perceived both to be at essentially the same high level. Evidence supports the use of an active learning instructional format to engage students. Participants indicated a high level of support for the flipped classroom despite the greater effort required by the emphasis on student responsibility and the active learning nature of the course.

OThe student recreation center (SRC) at many colleges and universities has evolved from being a place to lift weights and take aerobics classes to becoming a high-powered recruitment tool (Colleges use recreation, 2002). The present study included the development of an instrument to assess the use and impact of SRCs. Students (N = 655; users = 537, nonusers = 118) were surveyed about their use of and satisfaction with their university's newly constructed SRC. The overall findings revealed that a majority of SRC users were male (54.9%), felt more at home on campus since the construction of the SRC (61.2%), and felt that the SRC had increased their exercise frequency (79.9%).