Exploring the Influence of a Physical Education Listserv on K-12 Physical Educators

USPE-L (recently renamed NASPE-L) is an e-mail listserv that provides a forum for physical educators to discuss their teaching and programs–and offer collegial support that may not be immediately available in a local community. This study used two sources of data collection including an e-mail survey (N=113) and follow-up phone interviews (N=10) to explore the influence of participation on the USPE-L listserv on the self-described teaching practices of K-12 physical education teachers. Benefits and limiting factors of participating on the listserv were analyzed. Findings indicated that participation on the listserv was reported to be a valued resource leading subscribers to new teaching activities, curricular materials, and reduced feelings of isolation. Findings also indicated a need for listserv etiquette as teachers new to this electronic forum reported a reluctance to share ideas when their postings appeared to be harshly criticized or questioned. ********** Good teachers, regardless of the subject or grade level taught, search for fresh, innovative lesson and curricular ideas. The recent advent of electronic communications makes this continuing search for new information easier than ever before. A byproduct of searching for innovative lessons and projects is that teachers report better connections with other teachers as they exchange ideas and apparently feel less isolated (Ruopp, Pfister, Drayton, & Gal, 1993; Tannehill, Berkowitz, & LaMaster, 1995). Research on the use of telecommunications networks in education is a fairly recent topic of study. This study focused on an e-mail network (or listserv) for physical educators. Teachers seeking information to improve their teaching and programs often use traditional resources, for example, joining professional associations, attending professional conferences, subscribing to relevant journals, attending inservice trainings, and pursuing advanced degrees (Doolittle & Schwager, 1989; Housner, 1996; Stroot, 1996; Templin, 1989). These resources are referred to as professional development, defined as “the knowledge, skills, abilities, and necessary conditions for teacher learning on the job” (Lieberman & Miller, 1992, p. 1045). Physical educators face significant challenges when it comes to learning on the job, comparable to those faced by other subject area teachers. One of these challenges is a lack of time. They must often take a “personal day” to participate in professional development activities (Lambdin, 1986; Templin, 1989). All too often the system set up by administrators for teachers to receive funding for professional development activities is a time-consuming hassle that seems to discourage, rather than encourage, teachers from developing professionally (Templin, 1989). Teachers’ workloads also limit the time they can spend in professional development (Lawson, 1989; O’Sullivan, 1989; Stroot, 1996; Stroot, Collier, O’Sullivan, & England, 1994; Stroot, Faucette, & Schwager, 1993; Templin, 1989). Secondary physical educators often teach all day and then coach in the afternoons and evenings. (Stroot, 1996; Stroot et al., 1993, 1994; Templin, 1989). This type of workload affects their job performance (Stroot et al., 1994) often leaving minimal time and energy for planning and professional development activities (Templin, 1989). Elementary physical educators often have additional nonteaching duties such as lunchroom, bus, or recess duty along with teaching six to nine classes a day-and some also have coaching responsibilities for part of the school year (Stroot, 1996). The rapidly growing popularity of the Internet may be an alternative source of professional development for many teachers. It is quick and available whenever the teacher has a few minutes to spend on professional development. In addition to increasing usage of web sites, e-mail listservs (electronic discussion groups) also appear to be popular with some teachers.