Reform in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE): A Critical Inquiry for the Future

Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs should connect to reality of school life with collaborative and innovative efforts to improve quality of school physical education programs. Undergraduate physical education programs in the United States have changed considerably during the past two decades. One of the main changes was the expansion of non-teaching majors (Zeigler, 1988). The reform of undergraduate physical education programs from single track to multiple was a result of changing employment patterns of students in the programs. Thus, physical education programs in the United States have begun to prepare students in different careers (McBride, 1984). On the other hand, There is an argument over subject matter of physical education being closely aligned to sport, games, and fitness activities that physical education should focus on sub-disciplines (i.e. biomechanics, exercise physiology) (Corbin & Eckert, 1990). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze these different approaches in reforming PETE programs with a critical inquiry for the future.