The physical education predisposition scale: Preliminary tests of reliability and validity in Australian students.

The main aim of this study was to psychometrically test the Physical Education Predisposition Scale (PEPS) with a cohort of Australian students, to assess secondary school students' perceived PE ability and PE worth. Secondary aims were to explore how the two variables were related and to investigate age and gender differences. Altogether, 266 Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students (aged 12-16 years), from four schools within the South Eastern region of Melbourne, completed the PEPS at both time points. Principal components analysis revealed the presence of a simple two-factor structure explaining 66.9% of the variance. Factor 1 (labelled perceived PE worth) reflected enjoyment and attitude (α = .91), and factor 2 (labelled perceived PE ability) represented perceptions of competence and self-efficacy (α = .92). Significant positive correlations were observed between the two factors (r = .50-.82, P < .001). Boys scored significantly higher than girls on perceived PE ability (P = .01), and year 7 students scored significantly higher compared to Year 9 students (P = .002). Our results support the potential of the PEPS as a concise measurement tool for use in the PE setting, for both teachers and researchers.

Instrumentation and Motivations for Organised Cycling: The Development of the Cyclist Motivation Instrument (CMI).

'Serious leisure' cycling has developed as a reinterpretation of the traditional form of the sport. This short term, informal, unstructured and unconventional conceptualisation represents a challenge to participant numbers in the mainstream sport. The purpose of this study was twofold: (i) to ascertain the cultural, subcultural and ecological factors of participation in this new conceptualised form enabling clubs, associations and governments to a deeper understanding about participants practices and (ii) as an ongoing validation to previous qualitative work (see O'Connor and Brown, 2005). This study reports on the development and psychometric properties (principal components analysis, confirmatory factor analysis) of the Cyclists' Motivation Instrument. Four hundred and twenty two cyclists (371 males, 51 females) who were registered members of the state competitive cycling body completed a fifty-one item instrument. Five factors were identified: social, embodiment, self-presentation, exploring environments and physical health outcomes and these accounted for 47.2% of the variance. Factor alpha coefficients ranged from .63 to .88, overall scale reliability was .92, suggesting moderate to high reliability for each of the factors and the overall scale. Key pointsSerious leisure' cyclists' are fitness seeking enthusiasts that attach different meanings to the act of cycling and participate in different physical, social and natural environments in comparison to other cyclists.This study develops and validates a new tool, the Cyclists Motivation Instrument (CMI), and presents the initial psychometric properties (principal components analysis, confirmatory factor analysis).FIVE FACTORS WERE IDENTIFIED: social, embodiment, self-presentation, exploring environments and physical health outcomes.The scale demonstrates adequate reliability (total scale, α = 0.92) and validity.

Test-retest reliability of the self-assessed physical activity checklist.

To estimate the test-retest reliability of a modified version of the Self-assessed Physical Activity Checklist two administrations separated by 5 days were conducted for 52 boys and 51 girls in Grade 6 in Australia. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the reliability. Similar test-retest reliabilities were found between boys and girls for light, moderate, and total physical activity, with the largest difference for vigorous physical activity (.44 vs .12). The results suggest that the checklist is a more appropriate measure of boys' physical and sedentary activity as boys reported higher reliability coefficients on all categories except for light physical activity and TV/Video watching.

Riding with the sharks: serious leisure cyclist's perceptions of sharing the road with motorists.

As serious leisure cyclists increase their presence on Australian public roads, there have been reports within the popular and mainstream literature of a growing tension between these cyclists and other road users. Until now, there has been limited research exploring the relationship between serious leisure cyclists and other road users as it pertains to issues of safety and motivations to cycle for leisure. This mixed methods research provides insights into a particular cohort of serious leisure cyclists and their experiences of sharing the roads with motorists. Analysis reveals a range of concerns amongst this sub-group, mediated by factors such as age, experience and environment. The paper calls for a differential focus on sub-groups of cyclists when considering policy formation, regulation and safe provision for cyclists on roads.