Biomedical subjects

Ron E McBride

Publications and source records attributed to Ron E McBride.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Teachers' and students' conceptions of ability in elementary physical education.

Using Nicholl's (1989) and Dweck 's (1999, 2002) theories on ability as conceptual frameworks, this study explored teachers' and students' conceptions of ability in elementary physical education. Participants were 8 physical education specialists from five public schools and 160 students from their second- and fourth-grade classes. Teacher and student interviews and questionnaires were used for data collection. When asked to describe the "best" and "poorest" students in their physical education classes, teachers defined or referenced student status solely in terms of class behavior and effort, such as participation and working hard. In contrast, students primarily used ability-related indicators, such as task mastery and social comparison along with class behavior as criteria of their own ability. Overall, teachers and students had different views of "good" students in elementary physical education. In an era of standards-based learning and accountability in education, teachers may need to focus more on a task-involved climate by taking into account student learning and achievement.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Fourth-grade students' motivational changes in an elementary physical education running program.

Achievement goal theory and the expectancy-value model of achievement choice were used to examine fourth-grade students' motivational changes in an elementary physical education running program. In fall and spring of the school year, participants (N = 113; 66 boys, 47 girls) completed questionnaires assessing achievement goals, expectancy beliefs, subjective task values, and intention for future running participation. They also completed a timed 1-mile (1.6 km) run. The number of laps they ran/walked during the school year was used to assess students' persistence/effort. Results indicated the students improved their run but became less motivated about running while participating in a year-long running program. Children's beliefs about how good they were in the running program (i.e., expectancy beliefs) and their perceptions of how interesting and fun it was (i.e., interest) emerged as the strongest positive predictors of their motivation for running over time. These findings provide strong empirical evidence that expectancy beliefs and interest are essential to children's motivation in elementary physical education.

Achievement↗

PubMed2004

Using Achievement Goal Theory to assess an elementary physical education running program.

Using Achievement Goal Theory as a theoretical framework, this study examined an elementary physical education running program called Roadrunners and assessed relationships among achievement goals, perceived motivational climate, and student achievement behavior. Roadrunners promotes cardiovascular health, physical active lifestyles, and mastery behaviors such as persistence and effort. Students were required to run/walk once a week during the school year in their regularly scheduled physical education classes. Participants included 116 fourth graders (67 boys, 49 girls), who participated in Roadrunners since kindergarten. Near the end of spring semester, students completed a 36-item questionnaire assessing achievement goals and perceived motivational climate of Roadrunners. Student persistence/effort was assessed by the number of run/walk laps over the year-long program. Performance was measured by a timed, one-mile run. Results revealed the mastery goal related positively to student persistence/effort for Roadrunners and to their one-mile run performance. Interaction between the mastery goal and perception of a mastery-focused climate emerged as a positive predictor of student one-mile run performance. Results provided additional empirical support for mastery goals and perceptions of a mastery-focused climate as beneficial to student motivation and learning.

Female↗