 What student entry characteristics influence instruction and students’ willingness to participate in Physical Education?  Teaching does not automatically result in learning  The student is an active agent in the process Entry Characteristics Cognition

 Low skilled students attended to instruction but did not have quality practice opportunities  High skilled student did not attend to instruction but maximized their practice time  High skilled students were able to detect errors, correct them, and had high levels of motivation  More appropriate definitions of success may help lower skilled students find motivation

 While article pertains to urban settings the same questions might be worth asking in all settings  Examine the situational and personal contextual variables that increase or decrease student engagement  Context: dynamic relationship among variables

 Students identified negative feelings about the content and class environment  Fear and alienation fueled disengagement  Reports that pe was embarrassing, boring, or irrelevant  Teachers suggested that laziness and lack of interest sports other than basketball were the reasons students were disengaged

 Teachers believed that disengagement and dislike for physical activity led to student misbehavior and retaliated with punitive measures  Both Students and Teachers felt fear and isolation, and alienation due to an increase in violence in the school  When teachers began to create learning and teaching environments that were meaningful to students, students became more engaged

 Examines the feelings and actions of “alienated” students  Alienation is the persistent negative feelings some student associate with physical education (relevance, powerlessness, isolation)  Bottom line: students must feel a sense of meaning, have some control, and must feel a sense of belonging

 Student responses to alienation: Hiding disillusions Being a spectator Becoming Wallflowers Faking Self-Banishment

 How can you combat alienation? Help students find personal meaning in activities Helps students create a climate where all students feel as though they belong and feel successful Provide students with substantive choices that foster a feeling of empowerment

 You are only one part of the equation that leads to student learning  Focus your definition of success on what students find meaningful and on task mastery rather than on proficiency  Continually check in with students to find out what is important to them- sometimes they are your best resources for making changes