The Elementary Physical Education Program. Washington State University.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper describes the Elementary Physical Education Program (EPE) at Washington State University, which represents a field-centered, competency-based approach to the preparation of physical education teachers. General program objectives include the following: (a) to prepare elementary physical education specialists to work effectively in a school setting; (b) to formulate a physical education program that the districts will be able to maintain; (c) to train interns to assess educational needs of a community and to adapt this ability to the needs of another country; (d) to train the specialists to work with other teachers in administering a physical education program; (e) to train interns to work effectively in community projects; (f) to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the program in developing competent specialists; (g) to develop a competency-based teacher education program in elementary physical education, and (h) to train interns to act as resource people in areas of school curriculum other than physical education. Teacher interns who have previously earned baccalaureate degrees participate in a 12-month program of three phases: (a) preservice, which stresses preparation for teaching, mastering of subject matter, and the gaining of awareness and sensitivity to community needs; (b) inservice, which includes teaching in the school districts and on-site graduate course work; and (c) postservice, which includes thesis proposal approval and additional course work to develop administrative skills and to learn to conduct inservice training programs for other teachers. (PD)