| Effective curricular change in secondary physical education is necessary if programs are to meet contemporary objectives such as those found in the proposed National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE, 1995). The knowledge base on how to produce that change is not extensive, particularly in physical education.;The purpose of this study was to describe the change efforts of forty-one schools as a result of completing a year long in-service program to implement the mandated South Carolina High School Criteria for the required physical education unit. The in-service program was conducted by The High School Physical Education Institute of South Carolina. The program provided the impetus for schools to develop their own implementation plans and adjust their curriculum and scheduling procedures to enable their students to meet the four performance standards described in the criteria.;The change efforts studied included the changes made or proposed to be made to curriculum within the programs. Specific attention was concentrated on those factors which facilitated or inhibited change both within and outside the school. Data collected was analyzed primarily through qualitative methods. Twenty-five schools were randomly selected for in-depth study. These schools were studied through a series of document analyses, interviews, and observations. Site visits were conducted to collect this data. Follow-up phone interviews emphasized the teacher perceptions of what worked, what did not work, and why. The remaining sixteen schools were studied through an analysis of documents and surveys.;This research analyzed a top-down, systemic change process as it occurred at a macro level. Factors leading to successful and unsuccessful adoption and implementation were identified including the importance of institutional, administrative, and departmental commitment. Orchestration of various aspects of change initiatives was most effectively accomplished through frequent meetings and collaboration among teachers, guidance departments, administrators, and staff development personnel. Mandated criteria, student activity choices, and longer units of instruction facilitated change. Hindrances included the wide ranging initial student skill and fitness levels, large class sizes, and the difficulty in procuring support for change in a low stakes curricular area such as physical education. |
