PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER EDUCATION (PETE)
Become a physical education teacher educator.
Welcome
The Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) is a concentration within the Kinesiology PhD program. Within the PETE Ph.D. concentration, students can specialize in adapted physical education and general physical education pedagogy. Students gain critical research experience and develop independent research skills in many different areas such as but not limited to adapted physical education, disability sport, sport or exercise psychology, school staff wellness, and online teaching and pedagogy; extensive teaching experience and professional service to successfully assume positions as an assistant professor or clinical instructor teaching at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels in health and physical education programs in institutions of higher education.
Uniqueness of the Ph.D. in PETE
The Ph.D. program in Kinesiology, with a concentration in physical education teacher education, prepares students with the research skills and teaching experiences required to excel as a faculty member in higher education. The foundation of our strong pedagogical curriculum is instructional models.
Research Opportunities. Course work is paired with leadership opportunities to help students develop an independent line of expertise and research in areas related to the use of digital technology in physical education, school health and wellness, or adapted physical education and disability sport. Each experience is carefully designed to ensure graduates are well prepared to be highly competitive in the job market.
Community Partnerships. We pride ourselves on the diversity of opportunities available to our students through our many connections with local schools and non-profit disability sport organizations in Atlanta. The city and surrounding metro region are ripe with enriching field experiences and research opportunities.
Graduate Assistantship Opportunities. Our program is full-time and funding is available to offset tuition and cover living expenses for four years. Qualified students may receive a research assistantship through direct involvement with HPE faculty research initiatives, and teaching assistantship opportunities are available to support those who teach undergraduate and graduate health and physical education courses. Additional funding is available for students interested in adapted physical education focusing on the PETE Ph.D. degree. For more information, download the Graduate Assistantship Opportunities in the PETE document.
Time to Degree Completion. Our program is designed to take four years. Students are engaged in research and/or teaching starting their first semester in the program. While research expectations are ongoing, the first two years are primarily spent completing coursework within HPE, statistics and measurement, and a cognate area of the student’s interest. Upon completion of the coursework, students will present and submit two original student-initiated research papers for their qualifying exams for peer review. The dissertation concludes the program.
Graduate Student Success. Our graduates work as faculty in Universities across the country and as researchers with non-profit health promotion organizations.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION RESEARCH FACULTY
Deborah Shapiro
Professor; undergraduate program coordinator Health and Physical Education program
- Serves on the board of directors of disability sport organizations
- On advisory and academic councils related to disability sport
Research Focus:
- Psychosocial factors of sport participation among youth athletes with disabilities
Publications & Articles:
- Written on issues related to professional preparation
- Published in leading peer-reviewed journals in adapted physical education, recreation and sport management
Awards:
- Hollis Fait Scholarly Contribution Award,
- William A. Hillman Distinguished Service Award
- ASPIRE award for advocacy
Xiaolu Liu, Ph.D.
Xiaolu Liu
Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education
Research Focus:
- Physical education teacher preparation for assessment through computational thinking (CT) and technology integration
- Fitness education in K-12 physical education
- Health-related fitness self-testing
- Incorporating CT in teacher preparation
- Examinations of pre-service physical education teachers’ CT learning and intentions of using CT in their teaching practices
- Seeking funding to support physical education teachers to incorporate CT and technology in instruction through collaboration with scholars across disciplines including learning technology and computer science
Pubications & Articles:
- Journal of Teaching in Physical Education
- Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy
Rachel Gurvitch, PH.D.
Rachel Gurvitch
Associate Professor
Graduate program coordinator of the Health and Physical Education program
Research Focus:
- Teaching effectiveness across different instructional modalities
- Examinations of instructors’ intentions and students’ perceptions towards learning within online instructional settings
- Examination of LMS design and implementation data
- The implication of Cognitive Load Theory on the instructional and learning process
- Examines the impact of teachers’ wellness programs on their instructional effectiveness in school
PETE Doctoral Students
Training Leaders to Improve Education and Health Outcomes of Individuals served by IDEA: A Multi-Institution Mentorship Consortium
Email: [email protected]
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE OSERS 325H Grant)
This Ph.D. training grant in adapted physical education is designed to prepare doctoral-level scholars who have the necessary knowledge, experiences and skills to serve as effective teachers, researchers and advocates for children and youth with disabilities. Ph.D. students in adapted physical education will benefit from collaboration, involvement in, and the dissemination of high-quality research and scholarly work with faculty at Georgia State University and a consortium of universities across the country to advance knowledge in the adapted physical activity to the maximum benefit of children and youth with disabilities.
Contact Us
Deborah Shapiro, Ph.D.
Rachel Gurvitch Ed.D
Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE)
Georgia State University Sports Arena
125 Decatur St. SE, Suite 137
Atlanta, GA 30303
