The Reality of Fitness for Pre-service Teachers: What Physical Education Majors "Know and Can Do"

Despite the fact that fitness looms large in the profession, and the fact that there are many issues associated with teaching and testing it, little research has been done to substantiate what in-service or pre -service teachers actually know and do related to fitness. The purpose of this article is to describe the results of two types of fitness assessments on physical education majors. The results of the Fitnessgram test on all physical education mt�jors revealed a fairly high overall rate of passing (82% of students passed all test items); higher passing rates were ap arent for specific tests. BMI was the area of greatest diffi­ culty and concern. In addition, majors in the teacher education concentration who had com· pleted all coursework and student teaching were given a coRnitive test called FitSmart, which is a National Health-Related Fitness Knowledge Test designed for high school students. Results indi· cared that although the pre-service teachers scored in the 99th percentile for high school students, their mean score was 75.18%. Results of both these assessments raise concerns for col­ leges and universities as fitness plays an increas· ingly larger role in physical education. Standards-based refonn efforts emphasize what students should be able to "know and do" in relation to subject matter content. Although physical fitness has been espoused as a comer­ stone of physical education for many years, it is only recently, for solid research-based reasons, that health-related fitness is being recognized as a legitimate part of the key content for physical education (Surgeon General's Report, 1996, 5 National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2000). Part of being a "physically educated person "includes being physically fit and knowing the benefits of a physically active lifestyle. National standards include an 'understanding of movement concepts and principles' (such as those that apply to physi­ cal activity and fitness) as well as being 'physi­ cally fit' and 'participating in regular physical activity'. Also, state learning standards often include fitness and knowledge of its concepts. New programs, such as Physical Best, are spon­ sored by AAHPERD in an effort to promote fitness education for K -12 students and help fulfill motor, cognitive, and affective fitness-oriented standards. Clearly, health-related fitness is part of our professional agenda and helps to define what school-aged children should know and be able to do. There are many reasons why fitness is such an important part of physical education today. Physi­ cal activity is recognized as an important compo­ nent of a healthy lifestyle. In 1992, The American Heart Association added physical inactivity as a primary risk factor for coronary heart disease. During 1994 and 1995, The Center for Disease Control, The American College of Sports Medi­ cine, and The National Institute of Health pub­ lished official statements on the importance of physical activity for cardiovascular health. In 1996, The Surgeon General of the United States officially recommended regular exercise as a part of a healthy lifestyle. Clearly, the message from the Surgeon General, the Center for Disease Control, and research is that physical activity is a key factor in longevity and quality of life. Despite