Physical self-concepts of student teachers of primary physical education

Physical Education (PE) has been implemented in Hong Kong as a primary as well as a secondary school subject in the past few decades. It is, thus, very natural to see student teachers of PE bearing attributes that are shaped by the existing PE system. At present, quality of PE programmes varies largely across schools. Secondary school graduates are very different in their physical fitness, sport competence, and life style. In spite of this, it makes sense to expect student teachers of PE to be active, confident, and capable in exercise and sport performance. However, this can hardly be the case, given the constraints put forth by the academic-oriented admission procedures of teacher education programmes. In this study, 213 student teachers of primary PE from the Hong Kong Institute of Education were investigated. The study assessed physical self-concepts of year 1 and year 2/3 student teachers of primary physical education. Implications of the findings were discussed and recommendations for improving existing PE teacher education programme were made. Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.