Associate Professor of Physical Education, Dr. Lisa Pleban, recently traveled the American Northwest to conduct research on physical education programs in rural areas as part of her fall 2013 sabbatical research project.
Focusing on the inner workings of quality PE programs, Pleban visited rural K-12 schools throughout the country including South Carolina, Montana, Idaho, Maine, and Wyoming.
“I wanted to investigate how the best schools in rural areas are delivering quality physical education,” said Pleban, “There has been virtually no research done on this topic.”
Also serving as the Executive Director of the Vermont Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, working to improve the overall quality of health education throughout the state of Vermont has been a long-term goal for Pleban.
Her research included observing successful aspects of thriving PE programs, researching effective techniques for rural areas, and monitoring how each school makes the most of their available resources. By observing teachers and students in action, Pleban was able to compile beneficial tools for creating prosperous physical education teaching standards.
Since returning from sabbatical, Pleban has presented her research at various community events and conferences around the state. She plans to apply her findings to current Castleton College physical education programs and hopes to continue with further research on the topic in the near future.
“This research was incredibly helpful to me as a teacher and educator,” said Pleban. “We are always looking at how to improve our teaching and program standards.”