Assessing Student Ratings of Developmental Experiences in a High School Physical Education Leadership Program

Purpose: Although physical education (PE) leadership programs are widespread, little research has examined the PE leaders’ perceptions of these experiences. The purpose of this study was to assess student ratings of developmental experiences in a PE leadership program compared with ratings of the typical PE student experience. Method: A matched case-control study design was used to assess high school students’ (n = 186) subscale scores on the Youth Experience Survey 2.0. Data were analyzed using matched-pairs t tests, and Cohen’s d was used as a measure of effect size. Results: As hypothesized, PE leaders reported significantly higher levels of positive experiences and no significant differences on negative experiences. Discussion/Conclusions: Little is known about what happens in most PE leadership programs. Results presented here support claims that PE can support meaningful leadership development. Implications for practice and research are discussed.