Can Fitness Education Programs Satisfy Fitness Professionals’ Competencies? Integrating Traditional and Revised Importance-Performance Analysis and Three-Factor Theory

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess whether fitness education programs could meet the needs or competencies of fitness professionals such as personal trainers and group fitness instructors. A mixed method was adopted to address the objectives of the study. In the first step, a semi-structured interview was conducted with five fitness experts to identify the five dimensions of professional competencies. In the second step, an online survey and paper questionnaires were utilized to collect data from 324 eligible subjects. Traditional importance-performance analysis, revised importance-performance analysis, and the three-factor theory were used to analyze the collected data. The results indicate that “professional skill,” “career development,” and “public relations” are the three most critical professional competencies. “Nutrition” and “coping with stress” should be strengthened and improved in fitness education programs. “Administrative management” is the least important professional competency. Multi-competencies development and lifelong learning are the factors for a successful fitness trainer.

Enhancing Self-Leadership in Online Fitness Education and Training: Exploring Strategies and Addressing Challenges Among Social Media Influencers in Henan Province, China

“…However, there are numerous techniques that instructors in this sector can use to lessen these challenges. Some instructors invested in continuing education, attended workshops and seminars, and kept up with the most recent research and advancements in the field of fitness training in an effort to advance their professional careers (Ku & Hsieh, 2020). Another approach is improving the quality of their marketing materials by enrolling in editing and graphic design programs taught by industry professionals.…”

Using Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) to Improve Golf Club Management: The Gap between Users and Managers’ Perceptions

“…The use of IPA in the sports sector has increased notably in recent years [15,18,19,22,25], including in golf [28,29]. However, although there are studies applying this type of analysis in golf user participants [27], there are no references in the literature that use the IPA on the perception of golf managers.…”

“…Likewise, the use of the IPA is also growing in the sports sector for the assessment of fitness services [15][16][17][18][19], in sports centers according to public or private ownership [20], for tennis users [21] and baseball spectators [22], at hockey camps [23], sporting events [24,25], or managers and students of sports management [26], could be some examples.…”

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“…Finally, strong decision-making skills are necessary for sports health educators to assess individual needs, evaluate treatment options, and make informed recommendations. Autonomous learning (Barry et al 2012;Ku and Hsieh 2020) is also important, as the field of sports health is constantly evolving with new research and advancements. Educators must proactively seek out continuing education opportunities to stay updated on the latest evidence-based practices and interventions.…”