Teaching outdoor and adventure activities: an investigation of a primary school physical education professional development p

Physical Best Day
. Due to the exploratory purpose of this study, measures 
associated with a physical best day were considered relevant. Children from first class 
(year 3) to sixth class (year 8) completed tests, administered by a trained team of third 
level students, of aerobic fitness, muscular strength, flexibility and endurance. The tests 
included a 20m shuttle run, sit and reach test, curl up and trunk lift which have been 
approved and validated for use with children (Tomkinson, Leger, Olds & Cazorla, 
2003). Anthropometric data including height, weight and BMI were measured using 
standard methods (Cole, Bellizzi, Flegal & Dietz, 2000)
.
Results were stratified 
according to age and gender and compared to previously established normative values 
(Tritschler, 2000).
SOFIT.
All eight years, junior infants to sixth class were observed three times 
during the professional development programme facilitation giving a total of 24 
observed classes. Student activity levels, lesson context (management, knowledge, 
skills, fitness and games) and teacher instruction were quantified using a validated 
direct observation instrument, SOFIT (System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time) 
(McKenzie, 2005). Gold Standard reliability was achieved prior to and during data 
collection (94% and 96% respectively)
Self-efficacy questionnaire.
Self-efficacy is part of the Social Cognitive Theory 
(SCT) (Bandura, 1986). SCT suggests that social, cognitive and behavioural factors 
play an important part in an individual’s choice to adhere to, or to avoid situations.
Within SCT, self-efficacy can be described as an individual’s belief in his or her ability 
to perform a particular behaviour in a variety of circumstances (Bandura, 1997). Self-
efficacy beliefs are highly correlated with whether teachers will enact curricular reform 
(McCaughtry, Martin, Hodges Kulinna & Cothran, 2006). Professional development 
programmes that successfully influence self-efficacy beliefs include a focus on new 
subject content, active learning for teachers, follow-up support and an emphasis on 

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teachers’ needs (Ingvarson, Meiers & Beavis, 2005). Teacher self-efficacy emerged as 
an influencer of teaching performance at stage 1 of the PDP. Hence, a researcher-
developed self-efficacy questionnaire was administered to teachers prior to and post 
their teaching of the O&AA strand at stage 2 (Appendix U). Its purpose was to assess 
any change in teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs as a result of the PDP. Teachers were 
asked to rate their level of perceived confidence in their ability to teach a specific 
domain of the PDP on a scale from 1-10, where 1 rated as ‘not at all confident’ to ‘10’ 
indicating ‘extremely confident’. All eight domains of the PDP were included, on 
methodologies such as planning, equipment organisation and class management of an 
O&AA lesson and on content knowledge of warm up games, stretching, challenges, 
orienteering and walking activities specific to O&AA. The data was analysed 
descriptively using means and standard deviations. In order to test differences between 
time 1 and time 2, either a paired samples t-test, or a Wilcoxin signed ranks (for non-
parametric data) was employed, using SPSS 17.0.