| dc.description.abstract | Background: The Daily Physical Activity (DPA) policy in Ontario states that elementary
students should receive at least 20 minutes of physical activity (PA) daily during instructional
time. Yet, studies show that this goal is rarely achieved. Given the pressures teachers experience
regarding the coverage of academic curricula, coupled with low confidence and training for
delivering DPA, innovative strategies to promote PA-related teaching skills are needed. In the
context of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the satisfaction of a teacher’s Basic Psychological
Needs (BPN; autonomy, competence, relatedness) has been deemed valuable for implementing
and sustaining school-based PA-programs. University students studying kinesiology are
inherently equipped to assist with the delivery of PA initiatives. In light of the known benefits of
mentorship models applied in educational contexts, combined with the utility of interventions
grounded in theory, a collaborative kinesiology student-teacher-based program could be a viable
health promotion strategy to combat low (D)PA rates. To date, no studies exploring the BPN in
the context of a mentorship-based DPA program exist.
Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the utility of a 6-week mentorship
program designed to assist early career teachers with DPA delivery using Ontario Physical and
Health Education Association (OPHEA) curricula. Administered by a MSc kinesiology student,
this involved assessing: I) the participants’ DPA engagement, practices and program-based
experiences through the lens of SDT’s BPN; II) the utility of the 6-week program from
structural, logistical, and experiential perspectives; and III) participants’ recommendations for
future DPA mentorship studies. | en_US |
