The ‘Perfect’ Senior (VCE) Secondary Physical Education Teacher: Student Perceptions of Teacher-related Factors that Influence Academic Performance

Sep 20, 2026

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Improving student academic performance in senior secondary education expands employment, training, and further education opportunities. This research identified students’ perceptions of teacher-related factors influencing subject-specific academic performance in Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Physical Education. Unit 3 and 4 VCE Physical Education students (n=23) from three government and one independent Victorian secondary school completed poster annotations about the “perfect” VCE teacher. De-identified poster data were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using NVivo. Emergent themes highlighted knowledge of subject matter, verbal ability, caring, enthusiasm, and teacher accessibility.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

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Introduction

Teacher-related Factors

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 40 | Issue 8 | Article 1 | | --- | --- | 2015 The ‘Perfect’ Senior (VCE) Secondary Physical Education Teacher: Student Perceptions of Teacher-related Factors that Influence Academic Performance Rachael J. Whittle RMIT University, [rachael.whittle@rmit.edu.au](rachael.whittle@rmit.edu.au) Amanda Telford RMIT University, [amanda.telford@rmit.edu.au](amanda.telford@rmit.edu.au) Amanda C. Benson RMIT University, [amanda.benson@rmit.edu.au](amanda.benson@rmit.edu.au) Recommended Citation Whittle, R. J., Telford, A., & Benson, A. C. (2015). The ‘Perfect’ Senior (VCE) Secondary Physical Education Teacher: Student Perceptions of Teacher-related Factors that Influence Academic Performance. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (8). [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n8.1](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n8.1) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss8/1](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss8/1) Australian Journal of Teacher Education The ‘Perfect’ Senior (VCE) Secondary Physical Education Teacher: Student Perceptions of Teacher-related Factors that Influence Academic Performance Rachael J. Whittle Amanda Telford Amanda C. Benson Discipline of Exercise Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, RMIT University, Abstract: Improving student academic performance in senior secondary education increases student opportunities for employment, training and further education. The aim of this research was to identify students’, completing the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Physical Education, perceptions of teacher-related factors that influence subject specific academic performance. Unit 3 and 4 VCE Physical Education students (n = 23) from three government secondary schools and one independent secondary school in Victoria, Australia completed poster annotations identifying their perception of the ‘perfect’ VCE Physical Education teacher. The de-identified data from the posters were transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed using NVivo software to explore student perceptions of teacher related factors that influence academic performance. Emergent themes from the poster annotations suggested that student’s perceptions of the ‘perfect’ VCE Physical Education teacher included the teacher-related factors of knowledge (of subject matter), verbal ability, caring, enthusiasm and teacher accessibility. Introduction An understanding of the teacher-related factors that affect student academic performance in senior-secondary physical education may lead to improved academic outcomes for students in senior-secondary physical education courses. Research into seniorsecondary physical education is limited, and that which has been conducted has focussed on the analysis of the senior-secondary physical education curriculum documentation, it’s implementation (Thorburn & Collins, 2006a; MacPhail, 2007; Bowes & Bruce, 2011; SueSee & Edwards, 2011; Brown & Penney, 2012) and assessment (Thorburn & Collins, 2006b; Penney, Jones, Newhouse, & Cambell, 2012) . What remains unclear is the specific teacherrelated factors that influence student achievement in senior-secondary physical education. Successful performance in senior-secondary education, as demonstrated in the assessment of learning for certification, is a key enabler for young people to transition into further education, training or employment (Curtain, 2001; Pinquart, Juang, & Silbereisen, 2003) . The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), administered by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), is one of three post-compulsory pathways available to students in their final two years of secondary schooling in Victoria, Australia; with the majority, 83%(VCAA, 2013a) of students selecting this course for their senior-secondary certificate. Senior-secondary education is characterised by greater subject specia

FAQs

What is the study’s main purpose regarding senior secondary academic performance?

The research aims to identify students’ perceptions of teacher-related factors that influence subject-specific academic performance in VCE Physical Education.

How were participants and data collected?

Unit 3 and 4 VCE Physical Education students (n=23) from four Victorian schools completed poster annotations about the “perfect” teacher, and the de-identified responses were transcribed, coded, and analyzed with NVivo.

Which teacher-related factors did students associate with the “perfect” VCE Physical Education teacher?

Students’ emergent themes included knowledge of subject matter, verbal ability, caring, enthusiasm, and teacher accessibility.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Putri