Date of Award
Spring 4-10-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Kinesiology (EdD)
Department
Kinesiology
Abstract
Resistance training is a critical component of health-related fitness in secondary education, yet research has consistently demonstrated that physical education teachers and coaches lack sufficient content knowledge to effectively instruct and supervise these programs. This action research study evaluated resistance training content knowledge among physical education (PE) teachers, adapted physical education (APE) teachers, and sport coaches within a Louisiana school district and assessed the impact of a one-hour asynchronous professional development course delivered via school district email. Twenty-six participants completed pre- and post-assessments using a 20-item instrument developed through a modified Delphi process with an expert panel. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models with restricted maximum likelihood estimation. Results from the three-group model (48 observations) revealed that coaches demonstrated the largest gains (d = 1.99), improving from the Effective Emerging to the Effective Proficient range on the Louisiana Teacher Effectiveness Scale. APE teachers also showed substantial improvement (d = 0.97), while PE teacher results were limited by attrition. A supplementary four-group model (86 observations) provided directional evidence that coaching experience moderates knowledge gains (Time × Coach interaction, p = .053). These findings indicate that a brief, accessible professional development intervention can produce meaningful improvements in resistance training content knowledge among secondary educators and coaches, offering a practical and scalable model for addressing this widespread knowledge gap at the school district level.