Fuller & Bown (1975) suggested that preservice and inservice teachers move through stages of development centered on dominant concerns. Maturation occurs based on experience that enables teachers to move through these developmental stages as governing concerns are addressed and resolved. The purpose of this study was to examine the concerns of preservice teachers at all levels in a Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program over the course of three years at a University in the United States.   

Participants included 237 PETE students from freshman to student teachers over a three year period.  The data source was an open-ended survey administered yearly to PETE students regarding their concerns about teaching. Inductive measures were used to analyze the data. The answers were transcribed and organized by course. Once organized, a broad and holistic, approach was taken to examine trends of concerns. First the data were analyzed for general themes, followed by breaking down the general themes into subthemes. Then the data were looked at holistically over the course of PETE program to discover if areas of concerns peaked.

Analysis/Results:  

Data analysis identified three broad themes, each with subthemes, representing 72% of the student concerns.. These themes include management, content and instruction, and relationships. Management constituted 39% of the concerns and was comprised of classroom and behavior management as well as time management.  Feeling adequately prepared on some level to teach physical education content was reported on 21% of the surveys. Three subthemes presented themselves within this broader theme: planning, knowledge, and effective delivery. Interactions with faculty and staff and parents constituted the third theme, relationships. Interestingly there were increases at particular points within the PETE program that showed when each type of relationships became more of a concern.

Conclusions:  

Students expressed several concerns. Some, like classroom management, was initially present, seemed to ebb, then become prominent again, and once again ebb as student matriculated through the program. Others, like relationships, emerged at a certain point during the program and remained relatively consistent. With concerns diminishing and reappearing as prominent or remaining consistent, it cannot be shown that the students moved through developmental the phases suggested in Fuller’s theory (1975). Knowing, however, what concerns students have and when, PETE programs are able to address issues before they become concerns, especially the self (or survival) concerns, so that task and impact concerns can be managed.