An examination of Greek physical educators’ implementation and perceptions of Spectrum teaching styles

Abstract

The main purpose of the present study was to examine Greek physical education (PE) teachers’ self-reported use of the Spectrum of teaching styles and their perceptions of the benefits of adopting these styles for their students. An additional goal was to explore the teachers’ perceived ability to implement these teaching approaches. The participants of the study were 219 (132 males, 87 females) PE teachers. Using an adaptation of Kulinna and Cothran’s (2003) Spectrum of teaching styles questionnaire, the PE teachers reported greater implementation of the command, inclusion, and practice styles than the self-check, learner-initiated, and self-teaching styles in their teaching. The PE teachers also perceived that the reproduction and production clusters of teaching styles were equally effective in promoting fun, skill learning, and motivation for learning in their students. Results also revealed that the teachers’ self-perceived ability was highest for command style use and their perceived benefits of the styles for their students were highest for the practice approach. The findings of the present study reinforce that a variety of personal experience factors can influence PE teachers’ tendency to implement a specific teaching style.