Pedagogical Kinesiology Laboratory - Department of Kinesiology

All Labs

Lab Location

1510 Walker Ave., Room 403 and Room 411

Lab Contact

Overview

The purpose of the PK Lab is to provide space and resources for the faculty and graduate students to conduct research studies related to physical education curriculum, physical activity programming, and program evaluation. In the past 30 years, the Lab has been conducting several influential longitudinal research studies that have impacted the field of physical education. These studies include the Curriculum Value Orientation Study (1989-ongoing), Sport for Peace (1995-98), Science, PE, and Me! (2003-08), Science of Healthful Living (2011-16), and Learn for Life (2005-08). These studies were supported by research grants from National Institutes of Health or Department of Education. Currently, the Lab is conducting another five-year physical education curriculum study: Science of Essential Balance (funded by the NIH, PI: Chen, 2018-2023) and a one-year study Conflict Transformation through Health & Physical Education (funded by UNCG School of Health & Human Sciences, PI: Hemphill, 2019-2020) Major constructs of our studies have been knowledge acquisition, skill development, social-emotional development, children motivation for physical activity, and physical activity behavior change. The findings of these studies have been published in more than 150 research articles in kinesiology and education. The Lab is characterized by ample space that houses a graduate student office/conference room, a data work room, and secured data storage rooms.

The Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art research equipment for studying physical activity programs in schools and communities. There are video/audio recording devices, accelerometers and heart rate monitors to measure physiological intensity and physical activity, digital devices to make instructional materials, quite a few laptops for data collection and processing in the field, a centralized data computer that holds research data, and digital cameras and many kinds of supplies to make graduate students’ life easier. The Lab also holds a small collection of textbooks and journals for easy access.

The Lab is the central location for conducting research projects, offering graduate-level courses, and having research team meetings. Each graduate student has a desk in the Lab. The Lab is also home for visiting scholars, most of whom come from foreign countries across the world: Brazil, China, Finland, France, Greece, Japan, Korea, Norway, etc. In this environment, faculty members and graduate students all enjoy having unique opportunities to collaborate with international scholars around the world!

Current Lab Faculty

Dr. Ang Chen, a_chen@uncg.edu
Dr. Michael Hemphill, hemphill@uncg.edu

Recent Research Publications

(^G notates graduate students at time or work; ^Vnotates visiting scholar to the Lab)

Chen, A. (2017). Motivation research in physical education: Learn to become motivated. In C. D. Ennis (Ed.). The Routledge handbook of physical education pedagogies (pp. 567-580). London: Routledge.

Chen, A., & Wang^G, Y. (2017). The role of interest in physical education: A review of research evidence. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 36, 313-322. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2017-0033

Chen, A., Zhang^G, T., Wells^G, S., Schweighardt^G, R., & Ennis, C. D. (2017). Impact of teacher value orientations on student learning in physical education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 36, 152-161. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2016-0027

Ennis, C. D. (2017). Educating students for lifetime of physical activity: Enhancing mindfulness, motivation, and meaning. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 88, 241-250. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2017.1342495

Ennis, C. D., & Chen, A. (2017). Learning motor skills in physical education. In R. Mayer & P. Alexander (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Learning and Instruction (2nd ed) (pp. 154-174). New York: Routledge.

Ennis, C.D. (2017). Curriculum theory and development. In C. D. Ennis (Ed.). The Routledge handbook of physical education pedagogies (pp. 35-37). London: Routledge.

Hemphill, M. A. & Martinek, T. J. (2017). Community engagement through sport: University partnerships to promote youth development. Kinesiology Review, 6(4), 311-316. doi: 10.1123/kr.2017-0027

Zhang^G, T., & Chen, A. (2017). Developing a psychometric instrument to measure physical education teachers’ job demands and resources. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 21, 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1080/1091367X.2017.1308948

Chen, A., Shen, B., & Zhu, X. (2018). Curriculum intervention research as a source of knowledge of most worth. Kinesiology Review, 7, 240-250. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2018-0023

Hemphill, M. A., Janke, E. M., Gordon, B., & Farrar, H. (2018). Restorative youth sports: An appliedmodel for resolving conflicts and building positive relationships. Journal of Youth Development, 13(3),76-96. doi: 10.5195/jyd.2018.063.

Zhu, W., & Chen, A. (2018). Value Orientation Inventory: Development, application, and contributions. Kinesiology Review, 7, 206-210. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2018-0030

Ding^V, H., & Chen, A. (2019). Instructional and learning outcomes between China and the U.S. as policy implications. European Physical Education Review, 25, 21-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X17700165

Hemphill, M. A., Gordon, B. A., Wright, P. M. (2019). Sports as a passport to success: Life skill integration in a positive youth development program. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 24(4),390-401. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2019.1606901

Wang^G, Y., Chen A., Schweighardt^G, R., Zhang^G, T., Wells^G, S., & Ennis, C. D. (2019). The nature of learning tasks and knowledge achievement: The role of cognitive engagement in physical education. European Physical Education Review, 25(2), 293-310. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X17724173

Zhang^G, T., Chen, A., & Ennis, C. D. (2019). Elementary School Students’ Naïve Conceptions and Misconceptions about Energy in Physical Education Context. Sport, Education and Society, 24, 25-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2017.1292234

Chen, A. (2020). A Clash of Fundamental Assumptions: Can/Should We Measure the Physical Literacy? Journal of Health and Sport Sciences, 9(2), 149-151. DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2019.11.002

Hemphill, M. A. & Martinek, T. J. (2020). Using simple interactions to improve pedagogy in a cross-aged leadership program. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 39(1), 126–130.

Martinek, T. J. & Hemphill, M. A. (2020). The evolution of Hellison’s TPSR model in out-of-school contexts. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 39(3), 331-336.

Parkes, C. & Hemphill, M. A. (2020). What occupational socialization factors influence preservice teachers to possess fitness orientations. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, (aop), 1-8. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2019-0178.

Richards, K. A. R., Hemphill, M. A., Shiver, V. N., Gaudreault, K. L., Ramsey, V. (2020). Teaching physical education in an urban intensive environment. Urban Education, (aop), 1-27. doi: 10.1177/0042085920923019.

Shiver, V. N., R. Richards, K. A. R., & Hemphill, M. A. (2020). Preservice teachers’ learning to implement culturally relevant physical education with the teaching personal and social responsibility model. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 25(3), 303-315.

Wang^G & Chen, A. (2020). Two Pathways Underlying the Effects of Physical Education on Out-of-School Physical Activity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and sport, 91:2, 197-208. DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2019.1656325 https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2019.1656325

Chen, S., Sun, H., Zhu, X., Chen, A., & Ennis, C. D. (posthumous) (in press). Learners’ Motivational Response to the Science, PE, & Me Curriculum: A Situational Interest Perspective. Journal of Sport and Health Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2019.11.001

Wang^G & Chen, A. (in press, accepted 7/23/2019). Effects of a concept-based physical education on middle-school students’ knowledge, motivation, and out-of-school physical activity. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2019-0067

Wang^G, Y., Zhang^G, T., & Chen, A. (in press). Does cardiorespiratory fitness knowledge carry over in middle school students? Learning and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2019.101762

Zhang, T., Deng^G, A., & Chen, A. (in press, accepted 7/9/2020). A Missing Link? Middle School Students’ Procedural Knowledge on Fitness. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.

Zhang, T., Wang^G, Y., Yii-Piipari, S. & Chen, A. (in press, accepted 12/30/2019). Power of the Curriculum: Content, Context and Learning in Physical Education. Research Quarterly in Exercise and Sport. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2020.1768202

Zhu^V, Q., & Chen, A. (accepted, 4/29/2020). Can Act of Teaching Change Pre-Service Teacher Value Orientations? Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.

Zhu^V, Q., Shen, H., & Chen, A. (accepted, 2/8/2020). Learning to teach physical education for health: Breaking the curriculum safety zone. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport.

Equipment

Equipment device name or image	Purpose(s)
Accelerometers	Objectively measuring physical intensity in field settings
Digital video recorders	Recording physical activity episodes in field settings
Online and paper-based inventories, scales,…	Measuring a variety of socio-psycho attributes from after-school PA to value orientations
Laptop computers	Collecting a variety of data from the fields
Data computer	Storing and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data/evidence
LED Projector	Lab presentations/conference presentations
Laminating machine	Creating program documents/PA activity cards

Current Faculty and Students

Name	Degree Seeking / Position	Prior Degrees	Research Interests	Lab
Donal Howley	PhD	2012 B.S. University of Limerick, Ireland, 2017 M.S. University of Limerick, Ireland	Student Voices Negotiated Curriculum	Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory
Yanhua Shen	PhD	2007 B.S. Henan Normal University, China, 2010 M.S. Henan Normal University, China	Coopertative Learning	Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory
Alex Moss	PhD	MS in Exercise Physiology, University of Kentucky	Learner motivation issues as associated with gender in physical education	Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory
Chaojie Shang	PhD	MS in Sport Management, Delaware State University; BS in Physical Education, Henan Teachers University, China	Expectancy-value motivation and learning in physical education	Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory
Jihyun Song	PhD	MS in Physical Education Curriculum, BS in Philosophy and Physical Education, Keimyeong University, Korea	Curriculum theory, learning task design, and learning in physical education	Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory
Dr. Ang Chen	Professor, Lab Director	1982 B.Ed. Nanjing Normal University, China, 1988 M.Ed. Shanghai University of Sport, 1993 Ph.D. University of Maryland-College Park	Curriculum/program evaluation, Motivation for physical activity, Learning in physical education	Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory
Dr. Ben Dyson	Associate Professor	1987 B.Ed. University of Otago, New Zealand, 1990 M.A. University of Victoria, Canada, 1994 Ph.D. Ohio State University	Physical education teacher perceptions, Cooperative learning, Adventure-based learning	Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory
Dr. Michael Hemphill	Assistant Professor	2006 B.S. Wingate University, 2011 Ph.D. Purdue University	sport-based youth development, sport pedagogy, professional development, physical education pedagogy, teaching personal and social responsibility	Pedagogical Kinesiology Research Laboratory

The graduate students are supported by the Department of Kinesiology and research grants to work as teaching/research assistants. They are working on various research projects including cognitive load and physical activity, student social-emotional perspectives in relation to health-related physical activity, and adolescents’ motivation for physical activity. The graduate students work together as a team, but each leads one or more projects as the primary researcher with the support of other students and guidance of their academic advisor. The current projects include:

Lead Researcher: Deng, A.

The impact of continuing professional development on student learning
Learning science-based physical education and health lifestyles
Cognitive load in physical education and learning fitness concepts
The impact of a concept-based physical education curriculum on in-class physical activity

Lead Researcher: Lee, Y.S

Understanding student’s perception of conflicts in physical education
Examining potential factors for promoting social emotional learning in physical education
Exploring students’ experience in life skills development through physical education

Department of Kinesiology

School of Health and Human Sciences