A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of a School-based Physical Activity Intervention in At-risk Communities: The Activity and Motivation in Physical Education (AMPED) Project

This trial will test the effect of a professional development intervention (the Adolescent Motivation in Physical Education intervention), targeting PE teachers. The intervention is based on the self-determination theory and is designed to increase students’ opportunities to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during PE lessons and to enhance their motivation to not only be physically active during PE lessons, but also during their leisure-time. Over the main intervention period of 6 months, teachers will participate in 2 days of face-to-face workshops and complete two implementation tasks, involving self-reflection and feedback from a mentor. During the next 8 month follow-up period teachers will complete a half-day face-to-face workshop and complete an implementation task. Throughout the entire intervention period (main intervention plus follow-up period), teachers will also have access to online resources, including videos of best/poor practice and a discussion forum. The face-to-face workshops will include presentations by members of the research team, videos of best/poor practice examples, self-reflection, group discussion, and opportunities for teachers to implement taught principles in simulated scenarios. The first workshop will be given at the very beginning of the main intervention period. The second workshop will occur 3 months after the first workshop. A final half day workshop will be provided in the follow-up period, 5 months after the end of the intervention. From the beginning of the intervention to the end of the study, teachers in the intervention condition will have access to the project’s interactive website. The site will guide teachers through a series of three implementation tasks. The first task will require teachers to set an ‘action plan’ (i.e., goals) for implementation of strategies from the face-to-face training workshop into their lessons during the month following Workshop 1. During this period a video of a PE lesson taught by each teacher will be recorded and uploaded to the project website. Project staff will use an online coding system designed to identify specific instances of implementation attempts related to the action plan of principles taught during the face-to-face workshop. These instances will be condensed into a short video clip that will be uploaded to the project website. Teachers will use these clips to self-reflect on implementation. Following self-reflection, each teacher will meet with one of three senior mentor teachers employed by the project. Each mentor meeting will last 30-45 minutes. These mentors will have at least 5 years of experience teaching PE and will have completed training designed to ensure in-depth understanding of intervention principles. The mentor teacher will have reviewed the video recording of the lesson and will facilitate a feedback conversation based on his/her viewing and knowledge of the teacher’s self-reflection. This conversation is the final step in the first implementation task. Mentors will then help teachers to set a new action plan. These actions plans will be implemented over the remainder of the term and will be reviewed at the start of Workshop 2 (beginning Term 3 2013). Implementation Task 2 will follow Workshop 2, with similar procedures followed (i.e., self-reflection, mentor meeting and new action plan). In addition to facilitating teachers’ implementation tasks, the project website will provide teachers with resources designed to facilitate successful implantation of principles from the face-to-face workshops. The site will utilise a Web 2.0 platform that will allow for dynamic interaction between the teachers and the research team. Adherence to the program will be assessed by recording and analysing: attendance at workshops; use of the online resources (e.g. number and duration of log-ons); completion of self-reflection tasks; attendance at mentorship meetings; and video recordings of the teachers PE lessons to identify the use of strategies that are encouraged in the intervention.