Dr. Laura Jones Petranek is an Associate Professor with the Department of Kinesiology. Her research interests include: contextual interference and practice schedule design in applied settings; the gender differences observed in the overarm throwing pattern from a developmental perspective; the encouragement of lifelong learners and movers through the promotion of developmentally appropriate physical education; and to establish physical education mandates and standards that will promote physical activity for life.
Publications
The Overarm-Throwing Pattern Among U-14 ASA Female Softball Players: A Comparative Study of Gender, Culture, and Experience (with Gina V. Barton), Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (2011)
A developmental description of overarm-throwing characteristics of U-14 female ASA softball players is presented here....
Early Sport Specialization Versus Quality Physical Education (with Linda M. Petlichkoff), Chronicle of Kinesiology & Physical Education in Higher Education (2008)
The article looks at the debate over whether youths should specialize in particular sports or...
Effects of Contextual Interference on Acquisition and Retention of Three Volleyball Skills (with Karen E. French), Perceptual and Motor Skills (2007)
Manipulating the organization of practice conditions, through contextual interference, was identified as a method to...
Teacher Perceptions of a Physical Education Statewide Assessment Program (with Judith Rink, Kym Kirby, Murray Mitchell, and Panayiotis Doutis), Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (2007)
A statewide program assessment was established to make positive change in physical education school programs...
Presentations
Body Mass Index Prevalence Estimates of a Statewide Monitoring Initiative in Idaho (with David R. Paul, Philip Scruggs, Grace Goc Karp, Lynda Ransdell, Clay Robinson, Mike Lester, Helen Brown, Terry-Ann Gibson, Jane Shimon, Tyler Johnson, John Fitzpatrick, Kathy Browder, and Zambak Sahin), American Public Health Association (2010)
Given the significant health consequences associated with childhood obesity, many states have developed legislation to...
Gentile's Taxonomy: Developing and assessing appropriate skill progressions (with J. Hartman, B. Jackson, and A. Stanec), AAHPERD annual conference (2009)