Department of Kinesiology

West Chester University

Dr. Frank Fry
206 Sturzebecker Health Sciences Center
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: (610) 436-2260 or 2261
Fax: (610) 436-2860


Undergraduate Teacher Certification

The Teacher Certification Program in Health and Physical Education is designed to prepare students to teach health and physical education in schools. The program requirements are intended to equip students with the prerequisites for pursuing mastery in teacher education and permanent teaching certification for grades K-12. The program is arranged sequentially to help students acquire and gradually refine the planning, managerial, instructional, and interactive skills needed for teaching in today’s schools.

The main goal of the program is for each student to be able to:

  • Develop personal competence in a variety of activities including team sports, aquatics, dance, gymnastics, individual-dual sports, racquet sports, and adventure based education activities, Adapted Physical Education;
  • Develop a competence in designing instructional programs that foster cultural and learning diversity;
  • Develop competence in establishing and maintaining an effective learning environment;
  • Develop competence in curriculum, unit, and lesson planning, and implementing instruction that achieves the objectives of the lesson and program;
  • Develop competence in assessing and evaluating instructional programs, teaching skills and strategies, and learning outcomes;
  • Develop high academic competence and mastery of subject matter for teaching.

We also hope to develop our students so that they advance the attitude that:

  • Physical education is physically active motor play;
  • Personal fitness is critical and the ability to model the subject matter accurately is a crucial ingredient to effective teaching;

A final goal is that our students develop the skills to develop and flourish during the early years of teaching/coaching in schools (in a positive and effective manner). This is crucial to future personal satisfaction.

Program Assumptions

A number of assumptions provide the conceptual basis for the organization of the Physical Education Teacher Certification program. The program includes a required sequence of courses in pedagogy, a professional core, performance courses, and other related requirements necessary for certification in Health and Physical K-12. The following are some assumptions that provide the conceptual basis for the required sequences of courses in the teacher preparation program.

  1. Personal performance in active motor play is critical, and the subject matter of and enjoyment of professional practice;
  2. Teaching skills and strategies are developed through a series of sequential, increasingly complex, and intense teaching-practice experiences;
  3. Frequent assessment and feedback during teaching practices are essential to quality teaching practice;
  4. Foundation knowledge is necessary for a thorough understanding of the field of physical education.

Program Curriculum

Please click here for the most recent program advising sheet with the entire curriculum listed:

Teacher Certificate Advising Sheet

Pre Professional Guideline Sheet HERE