Preservice Physical Education Teacher Education: A Research Review

Katerina Zounhia

Faculty of Physical Education & Sport Science, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

Abstract

The three main factors that interact during the period of preservice Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) are: a) students b) teacher educators and c) teacher education program. The purpose of this review was the presentation and discussion of research papers concerning the above mentioned factors, that have been published during the last three decades, as well as the determination of the research areas on which special emphasis has been given in the literature. The studies reviewed were searched in electronic data bases as well as in scientific journals published in English and Greek language. The theoretical model prevailing in the studies was the model of occupational socialization. From the systematic review of researches it results that from the three factors of PETE the research area that has been searched extensively was teacher education programs and particularly issues that were related with teaching practice of students. The characteristics and beliefs of physical education stu- dents about their preparation program were investigated to a smaller extent, while the identity of teacher educa- tors was investigated the least.

Key words: Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE), physical education, occupational socialization, teacher educators, teaching practice