School-based youth physical activity promotion: Thoughts and beliefs of pre-service physical education teachers

Physical education teachers are central to the facilitation of school-based physical activity promotion. However, teachers have self-reported a lack of knowledge, skills, understanding, and competence to successfully implement these strategies. The aim of this investigation was to explore the beliefs and perceptions of pre-service physical education teachers, concerning their potential roles in future school-based programs designed to promote student physical activity. Fifty-seven pre-service physical education teachers (21 males and 36 females) had complete data and were included in the analysis. Participants responded positively, and did not reveal concerns about their capacity to facilitate school-based physical activity promotion during practicum, and prospectively as practising teachers. This may indicate that either this particular tertiary institution provides curriculum which adequately prepared participants; or participants had misconceptions about their ability and preparedness to fulfill this role. This investigation provides important empirical evidence for preparing pre-service physical education teachers in their potential future roles.