Developing Physical Educators' Competencies in Next Millennium —— the First National Sports Skills and Academic Knowledge Competition for Physical Education Major Students in China

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the means of skill and knowledge development for future Chinese physical educators in order to facilitate them to be more competitive.Two surveys were conducted to physical education major students and coaches, who participated in the first National Sports Skills and Academic Competition for Physical Education Major Students of China held in Shanghai in August 1997. A total of 176 (132 males and 44 females) students from 22 different nationwide universities and 43 coaches were surveyed. The data were analyzed by using SPSS. It was indicated that with the growing popularity of lifetime fitness and health related physical education courses that are being created and required at school, it is imperative for universities and colleges in China to begin preparing physical education students to effectively teach these courses. Training physical education students with comprehensive knowledge and skills will help them to be qualified for fulfilling this task.