The document summarizes two studies that examined how physical education teachers and undergraduate majors conceptualize success in teaching. The first study observed teachers' planning processes and found they prioritized student enjoyment, participation, and minimizing misbehavior. The second study used critical incident interviews and identified three categories of success: students being happy, learning occurring, and high participation. Together, the studies suggest teachers view success as related to immediate, observable factors like busy and happy students rather than measurable learning. The authors argue teacher education should promote concepts of success that include both student enjoyment and learning.

1. Placek, J. (1983). Conceptions of success
in teaching: Busy, happy, and good? In T.
Templin & J. Oslin (Eds.), Teaching in
Physical Education (pp. 45–56).
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics
Renee Brown & Annie Machamer

2. Type – Purpose - Background
• Type: Qualitative
• Purpose: To present the results of 2 studies that examined how pe
teachers and undergraduate majors think about success in teaching
• Background: Research focus on…
– Interactive Teaching
• “What strategies work best?” (pg. 46)
• Observable variable of student learning = Teacher effectiveness
• Product/Process focus to improve teaching an teacher prep.

3. Significance
What did it report to add?
• Research Focus:
– Cognitive information processing
• “Teachers thinking”
• How teachers behave/what they do = what they think
• First Study:
– Examined Teachers Planning
• Sparking the next study to occur
• Second Study:
– Directly investigated conceptions of success in teaching

4. Methods: Study 1
• Planning
– Placek 1982 Study
• Setting
– Natural Setting
– Gym & Teachers offices
• Participants / Length
– 4 physical educators
– 2 weeks
• Data Collected
– Observer field Notes
– Teachers written plans
– Interview w/teacher

5. Analysis Methods; Study 1
• Influence One:
– Student enjoyment
• Ex: *article
• Influence Two:
– Participation
• Ex: *article
• Influence Three:
– Student Misbehavior
• Ex: *article
• Main Statements:
1. What activities will students
enjoy?
2. What activities provide the most
participation?
3. What activities have few
discipline problems?

6. Methods: Study 2
• Conceptions of Success
– Obtained indirectly as parts
of larger studies
– Critical incident technique
(Flanangan, 1954)
• Asked to identify a
specific instance of
success/non-success in
teaching
• Setting
– Questionnaire completed
during class. (volunteer)
• Participants
– Junior/Senior college
– PE Majors in specific content
– N=47
• Study Participants
– Teaching K-12
– N=29
– F=15, M=14

7. Analysis Methods; Study 2
• Instances of success in the
questionnaire were examined and
listed.
• Success Categories:
– Similar instances were grouped
– See to right
• Non-success Categories:
– Cause of the problem
– Behavior and consequences
– Some did not distinguish (so
categories were developed)
• Three categories of success:
1. If students demonstrated being
“happy”
– Ex: *article
1. If student learning occurred
– Ex: *article
1. Higher participation levels
– Ex: *article

8. Findings/Main arguments
• Placek argues that PE teachers are more concerned with student behaviour rather
than promoting learning.
• The findings about teaching and learning were obtained indirectly as parts of
larger studies
• Success Factors
– Student Enjoyment
– Student Participation
– Student Learning
• Non-success factors
– No control (external)
– Blamed themselves
– Discipline Problems
• Absence of “successful” events does no make an experience unsuccessful.
– Different Definitions of what constitutes success and non-success in teaching
– Experience and inexperience teachers view success the same way

9. Conclusions/implications for practice
and/or future research
• Teachers view success differently than researchers.
– Researchers designs studies to tease out variables of effective
teaching
– Teachers believe success is related to the immediate, observable
happenings. Participation (busy) Enjoying themselves (happy) and
doing what the teacher directs (Good)
– Problems may arise
• The goal is to produce teachers who are concerned with both student
learning and student enjoyment
– This may be fantasy

10. Take Away
• Renee: Teachers need to focus on student
enjoyment and student learning
simultaneously.
• Annie: Personal Experience, I saw the benefits
of focusing on learning and student
enjoyment.

11. Questions?
• In your opinion, what is it in the schools,
teaching situation, college education or
background of the teachers that causes them
to view learning as relatively unimportant?
• Can you relate your physical education
experience to the article?