Early Field Experience in an Elementary Physical Education Methods Course: Creating and Implementing a Field Day for Homeschoolers

Authors

  • YuChun Chen Western Kentucky University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/TPE-2026-V83-I3-12909

Abstract

An early field experience (EFE) is a platform for pre-service teachers (PTs) to put theory into practice. It is typically conducted in a K-12 school setting. Over the years, several scholars have experimented the effectiveness of EFEs that were carried out virtually, over a summer term, with homeschoolers, or at a juvenile delinquent facility. This study examined another atypical EFE where the PTs in an elementary physical education (PE) methods course planned and implemented a field day for a group of homeschoolers. Field day instruction document and two sets of reflection assignments were collected and analyzed using the standard interpretive methods of analytic induction and constantcomparison in three stages. Findings indicated that the PTs’ field day experience as elementary school students had an influence on how they carried out the homeschool field day. Along with the event itself, the unexpected weather condition helped them acquire many skills that they could use in teaching PE and run their own field day in the future. This EFE has given them profound perspectives about the value of organized field day and elementary PE teachers. Practical implications and study limitations are discussed.

Downloads

Published

2026-04-21

Issue

Vol. 83 No. 3 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Sagamore Publishing LLC (hereinafter the “Copyright Owner”)

Journal Publishing Copyright Agreement for Authors

PLEASE REVIEW OUR POLICIES AND THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT, AND INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS BY CHECKING THE ‘AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS COPYRIGHT NOTICE’ CHECKBOX BELOW.

I understand that by submitting an article to The Physical Educator, I am granting the copyright to the article submitted for consideration for publication in The Physical Educator to the Copyright Owner. If after consideration of the Editor of the The Physical Educator, the article is not accepted for publication, all copyright covered under this agreement will be automatically returned to the Author(s).

THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT

Assignment of Copyright

I hereby assign to the Copyright Owner the copyright in the manuscript I am submitting in this online procedure and any tables, illustrations or other material submitted for publication as part of the manuscript in all forms and media (whether now known or later developed), throughout the world, in all languages, for the full term of copyright, effective when the article is accepted for publication.

Reversion of Rights

Articles may sometimes be accepted for publication but later be rejected in the publication process, even in some cases after public posting in “Articles in Press” form, in which case all rights will revert to the Author.

Retention of Rights for Scholarly Purposes

I understand that I retain or am hereby granted the Retained Rights. The Retained Rights include the right to use the Preprint, Accepted Manuscript, and the Published Journal Article for Personal Use and Internal Institutional Use.

All journal material is under a 12 month embargo. Authors who would like to have their articles available as open access should contact Sagamore-Venture for further information.

In the case of the Accepted Manuscript and the Published Journal Article, the Retained Rights exclude Commercial Use, other than use by the author in a subsequent compilation of the author’s works or to extend the Article to book length form or re-use by the author of portions or excerpts in other works.

Published Journal Article: the author may share a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI.

Author Representations

  • The Article I have submitted to the journal for review is original, has been written by the stated author(s) and has not been published elsewhere.
  • The Article was not submitted for review to another journal while under review by this journal and will not be submitted to any other journal.
  • The Article contains no libelous or other unlawful statements and does not contain any materials that violate any personal or proprietary rights of any other person or entity.
  • I have obtained written permission from copyright owners for any excerpts from copyrighted works that are included and have credited the sources in the Article.
  • If the Article was prepared jointly with other authors, I have informed the co-author(s) of the terms of this Journal Publishing Agreement and that I am signing on their behalf as their agent, and I am authorized to do so.