Download Alternatives to Using Exercise as Punishment: Using exercise as

Alternatives to Using Exercise as
Punishment: Using exercise as
punishment remains common in sports
and physical education despite efforts
to end the practice
By Jake Elliott
Exercise as Punishment
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In the past teachers have always used
exercise as a punishment.
It is a short term method to manage a
classroom, focus students’ attention, stop bad
behavior, stop bad attitudes.
Individuals in authority might benefit from
reflecting on the consequences of using
exercise as punishment or behavior
management
Purpose of Article
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This article examines participants'
beliefs about the outcomes of using
exercise as punishment in an effort to
better understand why individuals
engage in this practice and how future
teachers and coaches might be
educated to not use this practice.
Survey of Future P.E. Teachers
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Burak, Rosenthal, and Richardson (2010) explored the use of
exercise as punishment or behavior management in a recent
survey of 273 undergraduate physical education majors and 65
nonmajors, many of whom have multiple career goals including
coaching (68.8 %), teaching physical education (42.4 %), or
becoming a fitness professional (71.1 %). The participants
included 31 first-year students, 57 sophomores, 91 juniors, 138
seniors, and 21 post-baccalaureate students. Females made up
42.5 percent and males made up 57.5 percent of the
participants. The majority of students (96%) reported being
athletes, 68.4 percent of them had participated in sports for
more than 10 years. More than half of all the students reported
that they would likely use exercise as punishment in their
teaching, coaching, or fitness careers
Reasoning Behind the Survey
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The survey instrument was developed according to
the theory-of-reasoned-action guidelines (Ajzen &
Fishbein, 1980) to determine the predictors of
intentions to use exercise as punishment. According
to the theory, a person's beliefs determine his or her
attitudes and norms, which in turn predict intentions
and behaviors. Beliefs about the outcomes or
consequences of behavior are, therefore,
foundational in the development of attitudes and
intentions.
Developing Survey
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To develop the belief-based survey items,
Burak et al. (2010) asked 10 individuals who
were representative of the student population
to identify what they believed to be the
positive and negative outcomes of using
exercise as punishment. The lists of
outcomes were analyzed and compiled into a
list of seven possible outcome beliefs:
exercise as punishment
Possible Outcome beliefs
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1. Improves Attitudes
2. Increases Injuries
3. Improves Fitness
Levels
4. Leads to Exercise
Avoidance
5.
6.
7.
Increases Mental
Toughness
Establishes the
Authority of the Coach
or Teacher
Teaches Athletes or
Students that there
are Consequences to
Their Actions
Student Reports
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91 percent reported that their coaches used exercise
as punishment in sport
42.7 percent reported that their physical education
teachers used exercise as punishment in school.
staff in 32.3 percent of a representative sample of
United States schools were allowed to use physical
activity as punishment.
Staff were actively discouraged from using exercise
as punishment in only 8.9 percent of schools
staff were allowed to exclude students from physical
education for bad behavior in 22.6 percent of schools
Participants’ Beliefs
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Participants' outcome beliefs about
using exercise as punishment were
grouped into three thematic categories:
1. Teaching and Leadership
2. Fitness Training
3. Mental Toughness and Attitude.
Suggested Alternatives to
Using Exercise as Punishment
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1. Create a task-involved, student-centered
environment.
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2. Adapt the FITT principle (Frequency,
intensity, type, time)
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This takes away from off-task behavior
Keeps students on task by keeping them active
3. Adapt the fitness plan in response to
schedule and fatigue
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Know common times in the year that students are
under pressure from other classes
Suggested Alternatives Cont.
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4. Use positive, detailed, timely feedback to
increase desired behaviors
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Feedback can make the students work harder to
obtain a goal they are given
5. Teach for social and personal
responsibility, empower students with
decision making
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Students that make good decisions while working
with each other instead of against each other will
have better interactions and fewer disruptions
Suggested Alternatives Cont.
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6. Focus on the positives
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7. Reflect on coaching, class, and team
performance.
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Who works well when all they hear about is the
negatives?
Reflecting on performance can help to understand
how and what is and is not working.
8. Foster mutual respect between teacher &
student and coach & athlete
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People work better for someone who they respect.
If there is no respect, then performance can
hinder.
Teaching and Leadership
Student-Identified Outcome Beliefs Related to
Teaching and Leadership
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1. The use of exercise as punishment can
teach students or athletes that there are
consequences to their actions.
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2. Using exercise as punishment can
establish the authority of the coach or teacher
over the students or athletes.
Problems
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If exercise is used as punishment often in a
classroom the students know that if they
participate in off-task behavior they will be
forced into unwanted physical activity.
Athletes who are punished with exercise do
not gain insight for their next competition.
Teachers who use these techniques to
establish authority have a harder time gaining
the students attention and respect.
Alternatives in Classroom
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Proximity Control
Have the students help in the
demonstration
Deliver timely feedback to keep
students on task.
Acknowledge other students who are on
task.
Alternatives in Coaching
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Take time after game to discuss the
positives, and negatives, to find where
improvements can be made.
Use the next practice to focus on the
items such as skills, strategies, and
tactics the team discussed instead of
using it for punishment such as running
sprints.
Alternatives to Establishing
Authority
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Create a mutual respect with the
students or athletes.
When students have a positive attitude
toward a teacher they are more likely to
follow directions the first time and
staying on-task.
Fitness Training
Fitness-Related Outcome
Beliefs
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Exercise as punishment can
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Improve fitness levels
Discourage students from exercise
Cause injuries
Alternatives to Exercise as
Punishment
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Increasing fitness should be thoughtfully
planned
Can handle minor infractions, such as
talking, by waiting to speak until all
students are quiet
Exercise as punishment can cause
embarrassment and reduced class time
Mental Toughness and
Attitude
Teachers and Coaches
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Develop climate in the classroom or on
the field that affect student attitudes
Feedback, rewards, and punishment
contribute to the motivational climate
Using exercise as punishment can lead
to negative feelings about exercise
Affect on Students
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Exercise as punishment can:
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Increase mental toughness
Improve attitudes
Can decrease mental toughness and
attitudes as well
Increasing Mental Toughness
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Help students develop positive attitudes
Create task-involving climates that
include positive instructional feedback
These tasks can increase intrinsic
motivation and self-esteem
Leads to positive attitudes towards
exercise
Alternatives to Exercise as
Punishment
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Proximity control
Positive feedback (increase motivation)
Task-involvement can decrease off task
behavior
Preparing to be Teachers
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Need to learn that exercise as
punishment can cause opportunities for
the development skills, strategies, and
fitness may be lost
Can help students through:
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Self-reflection of their beliefs and values
Exploration of alternate ways to achieve
important outcomes of physical education