The Experiences of African American Physical Education Teacher Candidates at Secondary Urban Schools

Engaging Students in Physical Education: Key Challenges and Opportunities for Physical Educators in Urban Settings

“…Recent graduates of physical education teacher education (PETE) programs may be underprepared and overwhelmed when starting work in urban schools, especially new teachers who have had no prior professional experience in this setting (O’Neill, 2009; Sato, Fisette, & Walton, 2013) and those whose sociodemographic and geographic backgrounds differ from those of their students (Culp, 2011; O’Neill, 2009; Pope & O’Sullivan, 1998). Some research has suggested that veteran PE teachers may become frustrated when changing community demographics require adaptations to an established teaching approach (Chen, 1999; Griffin, 1985).…”

“…Although PE teachers from communities of color may demonstrate greater cultural competency than their white counterparts (Harrison, Carson, & Burden, 2010), starting work in a new school underprepared is challenging nonetheless (Sato, et al, 2013). In one qualitative study, several black PE teacher candidates reported feeling unsure of how to navigate cultural norms and stereotypes, including students’ perceptions of “white” and “suburban” sports (e.g., lacrosse), after starting to work in urban areas without relevant preservice training (Sato et al, 2013).…”

“…Although PE teachers from communities of color may demonstrate greater cultural competency than their white counterparts (Harrison, Carson, & Burden, 2010), starting work in a new school underprepared is challenging nonetheless (Sato, et al, 2013). In one qualitative study, several black PE teacher candidates reported feeling unsure of how to navigate cultural norms and stereotypes, including students’ perceptions of “white” and “suburban” sports (e.g., lacrosse), after starting to work in urban areas without relevant preservice training (Sato et al, 2013). Recognizing this reality, faculty at multiple institutions have called for more specialized training that better prepares preservice students and early-career teachers for working in urban settings by including coursework and readings that address sociocultural issues, by placing less emphasis on team sports, and by increasing preservice teachers’ exposure to schools in urban communities (Chase et al, 2011; Flory & McCaughtry, 2014).…”

“It Was Really Tough”—Exploring the Feelings of Isolation and Cultural Dissonance With Black American Males at a Predominantly White Institution

“…Leisure and campus engagement facilitated the negation of cultural dissonance experienced by Black American males from low SES backgrounds by providing supportive relationships and positive experiences. Cultural dissonance occurs when individuals are exposed to cultural norms or experiences that differ from their own and their expectations (Bailey, 2013; Sato et al., 2013). These findings indicated that Black American males from low SES backgrounds had to navigate a predominantly White and affluent community fraught with challenges.…”

African American pre-service physical education teachers’ learning about aquatic courses

“…Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programmes are tasked with training pre-service physical education teachers who will be able to design aquatic curriculums and offer aquatic academic courses to students who are from different social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds in urban schools, including African Americans (Burden et al, 2004; DeSensei, 1995; Sato, Fisette and Walton, 2013; Sato and Hodge, 2012, 2013, 2017). This specific study focused on African American pre-service physical education teachers who attended a Historically Black University.…”