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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.

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Recommendations
 
375
Rationale
Teaching physical education effectively and safely requires spe-
cific knowledge about physical/mental development, body composition 
( 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 regarding the impor-
tance of physical activity for the present and future physical and mental 
health of children.
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 skills-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 achieve-
ment, and data suggest a strong link among professional development, 
teacher learning and practice, and student achievement. The most impact-
ful statement of government policy on the preparation and professional 
development 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 class-
room management skills, advance their understanding and implementation 
of effective teaching strategies, and build their capabilities to address dis-
parities in education. This professional development should be extended to 
include physical education instructors as well.

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
376