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Providing Preservice Training and Professional 
Development for Teachers
Recommendation 5: Colleges and universities and continuing education 
programs should provide preservice training and ongoing professional 
development opportunities for K-12 classroom and physical education 
teachers to enable them to embrace and promote physical activity across 
the curriculum.
Teaching physical education effectively and safely to youth requires 
specific knowledge about their physical/mental development, body com-
position (morphology) and functions (physiology and biomechanics), and 
motor skills development and acquisition. Teaching physical education also 
requires substantial knowledge and skill in pedagogy, the science and art of 
teaching, which is required for any subject. In addition, because health is 
associated with academic performance, priority should be given to educat-
ing both classroom and physical education teachers about the importance 
of physical activity for the present and future physical and mental health of 
children.

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Summary
 
13
The current wave of effort to curb childhood physical inactivity has 
begun to influence teacher education programs. Data appear to suggest that 
training programs for physical education teachers are beginning to evolve 
from a traditionally sport- and skill-centered model to a more comprehen-
sive physical activity– and health-centered model. However, education pro-
grams for physical education teachers are facing a dramatic decrease in the 
number of kinesiology doctoral programs offering training to future teacher 
educators, in the number of doctoral students receiving this training, and 
in the number of professors (including part-time) offering the training. 
Additional data suggest a shortage of educators in higher education institu-
tions equipped to train future physical education teachers. With unfilled 
positions, these teacher education programs are subject to assuming a mar-
ginal status in higher education and even to being eliminated. 
Professional development—including credit and noncredit courses, 
classroom and online venues, workshops, seminars, teleconferences, and 
webinars—improves classroom instruction and student achievement, 
and data suggest a strong link among professional development, teacher 
learning and practice, and student achievement. The most impactful 
statement of government policy on the preparation and professional 
devel opment of teachers was the 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act. Although Title I of the act places highly 
qualified teachers in the classroom, Title II addresses the same goal by 
funding professional development for teachers. According to the No Child 
Left Behind Act, professional development should be offered to improve 
teachers’ knowledge of the subject matter they teach, strengthen their 
classroom management skills, advance their understanding and imple-
mentation of effective teaching strategies, and build their capabilities to 
address disparities in education. This professional development should be 
extended to include physical education instructors as well.