"Spectrum of Teaching Styles: Attaining a Vast Array of Learning Outcomes"
In 2025, the Spectrum Institute will present a symposium titled "Spectrum of Teaching Styles: Attaining a Vast Array of Learning Outcomes" at the AIESEP St. Petersburg, FL conference. There board members and several colleagues will give five presentations on the Spectrum of Teaching Styles. Below is information about each of the presentations. After the conference, links will be added for presentation recordings which will be on our YouTube channel.
Abstract for this presentation: The Spectrum of Teaching Styles (Mosston & Ashworth, 2008), recognized worldwide, has been embraced in physical education for over 50 years as an instructional structure for teaching in schools, for designing and delivering courses in PETE programs, and for conducting research on teaching and learning. Over the past 50 years, much research has been conducted around the Spectrum and today the number of research studies published in peer-review journals continues to grow. It is an instructional framework receiving much attention worldwide.
The purpose of the Spectrum Institute for Teaching and Learning (SITL) is to promote, enhance, and disseminate the Spectrum of Teaching Styles with the primary goal of serving as a center for teachers, coaches, teacher educators, scholars, and curriculum developers from around the world. The SITL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving education.
The SITL has established multiple initiatives to promote Spectrum research and the application of its instructional styles of teaching. Annually, a Workshop Series is hosted during the winter-spring months to promote, enhance, and disseminate databased Spectrum research and practical applications of the Spectrum. Researchers and practitioners alike from around the world have presented their research findings and examples of Spectrum applications as part of this forum. A second initiative is the Research Grant Progam. This program began with the awarding of multiple $5,000 grants. In 2025, grants in the amount of $10,000, $15,000, and $25,000 will be added. The amounts of these research awards is unprecedented in the field of physical education teaching. The most recent initiative is the Spectrum Educational Curriculum, an online series of 112 courses/modules designed for individuals interested in learning about the Spectrum teaching styles and for faculty interested in using the modules to supplement their PETE program instruction. The first six modules are now available with six more being developed this year. Other initiatives include the Outstanding Journal Publication of the Year award, one for a databased or theoretical article and one for a practical/applied article, and two Mini-grant Programs, one dedicated to supporting the submission of exemplary videotaped Spectrum episodes and one supporting Spectrum-related research presentations at international conferences. Each of these initiatives will be briefly described in this presentation.
The recording for this presentation can be found on our YouTube page here:
Abstract for this presentation: Since the 1960s, Spectrum Theory has served as a steadfast, conceptual framework acting to guide the pedagogical decision-making of educators across the globe. Moreover, Spectrum theorists had long recognized the importance of the act of teaching in one’s pursuit of a free and full life and viewed the role of the educator as one that could unlock pupils’ development across various human channels, be it physical, social, cognitive, or moral, among others. The purpose of this presentation, therefore, is to unpack Mosston’s most fundamental discovery, “teaching is a chain of decision making,” through the lens of ancient knowledge. Altogether, I hope to describe, in straightforward terms, how teachers and teacher educators can mentor pre-service students and in-service teachers within and through The Spectrum of Teaching Styles and subsequently be encouraged to read the styles into existence.
This presentation will begin by reviewing how Mosston discovered and understood the concept of decision-making and unpacking, at length, the implications of this axiom for two groups of educators: (1) novice, pre- and in-service teachers, and (2) teacher educators and experienced in-service teachers. Thereafter, I will define and review four Spectrum complexities (Spectrum Alignment, Spectrum Scales, Hybrid Styles, and Betwixt Styles) before describing how some of these challenges can be overcome by shifting The Spectrum (slightly) from a “somewhat neutral” theory toward a more directed framework. Put another way, I argue that orienting The Spectrum toward specific objectives as informed by particular educational philosophies and case studies might provide pre-service teachers with tangible examples about how and what to teach and thus, come to understand and appreciate Spectrum-related concepts. Lastly, in preparation for the institute’s first international conference in Athens, I will draw from the ancient knowledge of Socrates (truth and wisdom), Plato (justice, service, and excellence) and Aristotle (virtue and flourishing) to provide three tangible examples of how The Spectrum can be oriented in such a way that enables inexperienced educators to better understand The Spectrum and how it can be leveraged to promote all kinds of educational outcomes in the modern era.
The recording for this presentation can be found on our YouTube page here:
Abstract for this presentation:
This research explores how three distinct teaching styles—reciprocal, learner-designed, and learner-initiated—affect the motivation, skill acquisition, and game performance of college students within a Sport Education (SE) model. By integrating these teaching styles in physical education (PE) contexts such as badminton, volleyball, and table tennis, the study seeks to identify how tailored pedagogical approaches can enhance both the physical and psychological outcomes of students.
A total of 40 students from a university in the U.S. Midwest are participating in the study. The eight-week intervention was meeting three times per week, 50-minute sessions in which participants engage in structured lessons that consist of direct instruction, peer-led team practices, and competitive games. Student coaches are assigned the responsibility of organizing and leading team practice sessions using reciprocal, learner-designed, and learner-initiated teaching styles.
Skill tests are conducted for badminton (forehand clear), volleyball (set and pass), and table tennis (forehand drive and attack), while game performance is assessed using the Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI). To measure psychological outcomes, participants complete a 29-item questionnaire evaluating their autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as well as an 18-item questionnaire assessing their motivation using the Sport Motivation Scale. GoPro cameras worn by student coaches capture verbal instructions to analyze the specific teaching styles employed during team practice sessions.
Although data collection is ongoing, preliminary results show that integrating the three teaching styles positively influences students’ perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Students demonstrate significant improvements in both skill acquisition and game performance across the three sports. The roles student coaches assume are critical in fostering an environment that promotes both psychological and physical development, as they help shape a learning atmosphere conducive to enhanced engagement and mastery.
This study suggests that varied teaching styles within the SE model can significantly enhance motivation and performance in PE. By providing empirical evidence of the impact of these teaching strategies, the findings offer valuable insights for the future development of physical education curricula, highlighting the importance of student leadership in fostering effective learning environments.
The recording for this presentation can be found on our YouTube page here:
Abstract for this presentation:
The spectrum of teaching styles (Spectrum) is essential for physical education (PE) teachers to meet learner needs. Research suggests the Spectrum can enhance effectiveness, learning, and engagement in PE. However, our understanding of how pre-services teachers (PSTs) learn and use the styles is underdeveloped. Literature suggests that the Spectrum be used to reframe PSTs subjective theories and how Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs target mental models (i.e., what is teaching) through systematic programming and experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore how PST’s PETE program influenced their knowledge and use of the Spectrum across the final two years of their PETE program.
PSTs (N= 10; 6 Female and 4 male) from one U.S. university participated in this study. Using a mixed methods approach, PSTs participated in a survey measuring their perceived usefulness and ability in the styles at five time points. The survey included open-ended questions (i.e, advantages/disadvantages). A subsample of PSTs (n= 6) completed semi-structured interviews each semester. Survey data was checked for reliability and deduced to composite means and evaluated using Repeated Measures-ANOVA for change over time. Open and axial coding of open-ended questions and interviews was conducted.
The reproductive cluster for perceived usefulness showed significant changes over time. Specifically, styles A, B, D, and E showed that the final time point was statistically higher than times 1 and 2. Style C showed highest scores at time 4. For the production cluster, perceived usefulness showed progressive increases. However, the highest scores were reported at Time 4 as opposed to Time 5. For perceived ability, data showed significant changes overtime for the reproduction cluster. Styles D and E showed steady progressions, whereas styles A, B, and C showed high scores at Times 3 and 4. Lastly, perceived ability for productive cluster showed significant changes with statistical peaks happening at Times 3 and 4.
Following the first semester, PSTs expressed appreciation for the Spectrum and wanted added experiences. Semester two centered PSTs acknowledgement using Spectrum to meet student needs. The third semester, PSTs shared clear connections between the Spectrum and pedagogical models. Despite indicating comfort, they rarely used a “true” episode when it was not required. After student teaching, PSTs could transition between styles. PSTs felt that required reflections were highly influential in Spectrum use professionally.
PSTs made improvements in their perceived ability and usefulness of all styles. However, beliefs were highest when PSTs were required to utilize styles. PETE programs must intentionally embed the styles within pedagogical training. This is especially true during student teaching. PETE programs must include structured reflection to ensure subjective theory shifts in PSTs
The recording for this presentation can be found on our YouTube page here:
Abstract for this presentation: This study aims to examine the experiences of physical education (PE) student teachers with, beliefs of, and intention to use the Spectrum of teaching styles (Mosston & Ashworth, 2002) in the future. The participants were 175 (104 first- and 71 fourth-year) PE student teachers. They recalled their experiences with PE lesson and filled out a modified and translated version of the questionnaire developed by Cothran, Kulinna, and Ward (2000).
PE student teachers’ reports revealed that their PE teachers used the command, the practice, and the inclusion, teaching styles most frequently and the learner-designed individual program, the self-check, and the learner-initiated teaching styles infrequently. First-year PE student teachers reported that in the future they are willing to rely more on the command, the practice, and the inclusion whereas relying on the guided discovery, the learner-initiated, and self-teaching styles appears to be a less likely option. On the contrary, the fourth-year students reported being keener to implement the practice, the inclusion and the guided discovery and less keen on implementing the learner-initiated, the learner-designed individual program, and the self–teaching styles. PE student teachers of both years reported that they perceived the inclusion, the practice and the reciprocal teaching styles as more beneficial for students whereas they perceived the learner-initiated, the learner-designed individual program and the self-teaching styles as the less beneficial teaching styles for students.
The correlational analysis suggested that the experience of PE student teachers with the Spectrum of teaching styles was significantly related to their intention to implement these teaching styles as physical education teachers in the future. A correlational analysis also revealed that PE student teachers’ perceived overall benefits of teaching styles for students were related to their exposure to the Spectrum of teaching styles and their intention to implement these teaching styles. These findings confirmed the findings of previous studies (Lawson 1983a; 1983b; Syrmpas, Chen, Pasco,& Digelidis, 2019) which implies that PE student teachers’ prior beliefs influence their teaching preferences. Although the curriculum appears to influence fourth-year PE student teachers’ teaching preferences, however, this is a weak influence. A rational explanation for this could be that a short educational period is not enough to radically influence PE student teachers' prior robust beliefs to adopt a productive teaching approach.
The recording for this presentation can be found on our YouTube page here:
