Biomedical subjects

C D Ennis

Publications and source records attributed to C D Ennis.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

The role of value orientations in curricular decision making: a rationale for teachers' goals and expectations.

This research examined the role of value orientations in curricular decision making from the perspective of high school physical education teachers and students. Educational value orientations served as the theoretical base for the research. Teachers who exhibited one of two paired orientations, disciplinary mastery/learning process (DM/LP) or ecological integration/social reconstruction (EI/SR), were interviewed to examine the extent to which their value orientations influenced their stated (a) goals for student learning, and (b) expectations for academic performance and behavior. Students were also interviewed to investigate the extent to which they acknowledged these goals and expectations. Data were analyzed using constant comparison. Results suggested that goals and expectations of DM/LP and EI/SR teachers were distinctly different and that comments from students in the EI/SR teachers' classes did not reflect their teachers' goals and expectations. Dynamical system theory was used to conceptualize value orientations as attractors within the educational ecosystem. Teachers working from weak EI/SR value attractors may be limited by learner, instructional, and contextual constraints.

Curriculum↗

PubMed1991

Value orientations: a description of teachers' goals for student learning.

This study examined the extent to which physical educators made consistent decisions regarding goals for student learning within five educational value orientations. The research examined value orientations within hypothetical educational situations as represented by a paper and pencil inventory. Ninety physical educators in three school districts in the midwest completed the Value Orientation Inventory (VOI). Total scores from each value orientation on the VOI were converted to T-scores and used to divide teachers into two groups representing high and low priority categories. Chi-square tests were used to examine the data by gender, teaching level, and teacher's years of experience. Results indicated that 97% of the physical educators made consistent curricular and instructional decisions within one or more of the value orientations. There were no significant differences based on gender, level, or teaching experience.

Attitude↗

PubMed1991

Description of knowledge structures within a concept-based curriculum framework.

The development of declarative knowledge was examined within the parameters of movement-based curricula. Declarative knowledge represents factual or foundational knowledge frequently articulated as curriculum content. A semantic ordered tree technique was used to investigate the knowledge structures of three groups of teacher preparation subjects (novice, coursework, student teacher) and one group of elementary physical education teachers (experts). Structures were examined based on frequency and coherence criteria. ANOVA was used to examine differences between groups. Results suggested that declarative knowledge appeared to develop in complexity from novice to expert within the parameters of concept-based movement curricula. The Active Structural Networks Theory was used to interpret structural development through the accretion, tuning, and restructuring phases. Knowledge structures of the novice and coursework groups seemed to represent accretion, whereas those of student teachers and experts represented tuning and restructuring.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1990

An analysis of the PPCF as a theoretical framework for an instrument to examine teacher priorities for selecting curriculum content.

The purpose of the research was to develop an instrument to examine physical education teachers' priorities for curricular decision-making. The purpose dimension of the Purpose Process Curriculum Framework (PPCF) was used as the theoretical structure for content decisions. Three studies are reported that investigate the reliability and validity of the proposed instrument. Items were evaluated for relevance and validity of the proposed instrument. They were evaluated for relevance and theoretical consistency by physical education teachers (Study 1) and curriculum specialists (Study 2). Acceptable items were then placed in a ranking format and field tested with physical educators in three school districts (Study 3). Results from Study 1 indicated that secondary level physical education teachers supported the relevance of items to reflect the educational setting in their classes. In Study 2, mean ratings of curriculum specialists established that 19 of the 22 categories were theoretically consistent with the PPCF. However, internal consistency coefficients (alpha) for 10 of the 22 purposes were less than .70. Follow-up field tests with physical educators in Study 3 indicated that only one category, joy of movement, had a coefficient above .70. In this research internal consistency coefficients were too low to make a claim for the reliability of the concept scales of the instrument. The multidimensionality of the purpose concepts raised questions regarding the validity of the PPCF and prohibited the use of the framework as a theoretical basis for instrument development.

Curriculum↗

PubMed1990

The influence of teacher value orientations on curriculum planning within the parameters of a theoretical framework.

The study examined the extent to which teachers' value orientations mediate their responses to inservice training in a particular framework as measured by changes in their lesson planning skills. Twenty-five elementary physical educators' value orientations were classified using the Values Orientation Inventory (VOI). Teachers completed seven inservice sessions based on the Logsdon theoretical approach to children's physical education. Data were analyzed using three univariate ANOVAs. The .05 alpha level was adjusted using an experiment-wise error rate of less than .017. Results indicated that weak disciplinary mastery and strong social reconstruction teachers included more opportunities for shared decision making than did other teachers. Most teachers changed their planning to include more opportunities for cognitive involvement. Thus, while some concepts appeared to be acceptable to most value orientations, others were value sensitive.

Analysis of Variance↗