Physical Education (BSPE)

DePaul University

The Physical Education program will prepare you to pursue a career in teaching Physical Education in schools for grades pre-K through high school. Graduates earn the Bachelor of Science degree and are prepared for K-12 school licensure process.

Students entering the program must be able and willing to devote themselves to a program requiring a minimum of 110 hours of daytime field experiences in schools. These school-based clinical hours are completed in conjunction with methodology courses. In addition, the student must spend a minimum of 10 weeks in full-time student teaching during their last quarter in the program.

The program includes five distinctive features: 1) Becoming a teacher is viewed as a developmental process continuing at least through the first year of teaching; 2) Multiculturalism is infused throughout the curriculum; 3) Field experiences are an integral part of the curriculum; 4) Students are exposed to a variety of educational theories; 5) The program includes a research component as a basis for further professional development.

The program in K-12 education prepares students to teach children in a variety of urban and suburban educational settings, including public and private elementary and high schools. In all cases, appropriate field experience plays an integral role.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of common and specialized content, and scientific and theoretical foundations for the delivery of an effective Pre K-12 physical education program.
• Use physical literacy to demonstrate skillful performance in physical education content and areas, and health-enhancing levels of fitness.
• Apply content and foundational knowledge to plan and implement developmentally appropriate learning experiences aligned with local, state, and/or SHAPE America National Standards and grade-level outcomes for K-12 Physical Education through an effective use of resources, accommodations and/or modifications, technology, and metacognitive strategies to address the diverse needs of students.
• Engage students in meaningful learning experiences through effective use of pedagogical skills.
• Select and implement appropriate assessments to monitor students' progress and guide decision making related to instruction and learning.
• Demonstrate behaviors essential to becoming effective professionals.