National Board Certified Physical Education Teachers: A descriptive analysis

The Carnegie Task Force on Teaching as a Profession in 1986 released "A Nation Prepared". This seminal document was produced in an effort to improve instruction within the United States. Among its recommendations, the Carnegie foundation called for the establishment of a National Board that would certify highly qualified teachers. Subsequently, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was established in 1987 to develop high and rigorous standards for public school teachers within the US. In 1995 the NBPTS began certifying teachers as National Board Certified (NBC). However, physical education was not originally among the disciplines eligible for NBC. It was not until 2001 that physical education teachers were offered certification by the NBPTS. National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) have been the subject of many investigations since the beginning of certifications by the NBPTS. Surprisingly, few studies have examined National Board Certified Physical Education Teachers (NBCPETs). This study examined NBCPET's task presentations, learning environments, efficacy, attitudes, dispositions, and participation in collaborative learning. Six NBCPETs were recruited from three school districts in South Carolina. The Qualitative Measures Teaching Performance Scale (QMTPS), Academic Learn Time-Physical Education (ALT-PE), Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES), open ended interviews, document analysis, and observations were utilized for data collection. Two site visits were conducted during November 2009 and January 2010. Community of Practice Theory was used as a theoretical framework for this investigation. Data were deductive analyzed to develop emergent themes, and then deductively analyzed to compare results with theory. Themes iii that emerged were: reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action; instructional collaboration with other physical education professionals; perception of own quality instruction, and the perceived change in professional practices as a result of NBC. Participants exhibited high scores on QMTPS, ALT-PE, and TES. Further, results from observational instruments were supported by qualitative data. Participants demonstrated competency in task presentation, and usage of class time. Participants also exhibited a high degree of both general as well as personal teacher efficacy. Finally, data indicated that the NBPTS could be fostering a Community of Practice among its certified teachers