Phillip Ward

Headshot of Phillip Ward

Professor, Department of Human Sciences

Program Area: Kinesiology

(614) 688-8435
ward.116@osu.edu

Personal Website

Biography

Dr. Phillip Ward is a Professor of Physical Education Teacher Education in the Department of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University. Ward is passionate about physical education and teacher education. He spends part of his professional life working with teachers in formal and informal professional development contexts to improve instruction in physical education. His research has been defined by a series of research programs that began in the 1990’s focused on instructional interventions designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching in physical education. His research on peer assisted learning (1992-2005) in physical education has been widely used and cited beyond the boundaries of physical education in such areas as medicine and special education.  His ongoing work in the area professional development (1995-present) has been published in two monographs in the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education (JTPE, 1999, 2006). Since 2005 his work in teaching effectiveness has focused on content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in physical education. 

He is the director of the Learning to Teach Physical Education Research Program (http://u.osu.edu/ltpe/) that has as its central focus the development of content knowledge for teaching physical education. Collectively his projects in the Learning to Teach Physical Education Research Program are multi-methodological involving multi-institutional teams across the United States and internationally in Asia and in Europe. Dr. Ward was also part of an eight-member research team that published a review of doctoral education in physical education teacher education published as a monograph in JTPE (2011). Dr. Ward has authored or co-authored more than 160 research papers, book chapters and manuals.  He is the author or co-author of five books. He has presented over 150 papers at international, national and state conferences. He has served as an invited lecturer at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium); East China Normal University and the Hong Kong Institute of Education (China); Purdue University; Tsukuba University and Nippon Sports Science University-Nittaidai (Japan) University of West Virginia; Zinman College (Israel). He has delivered invited talks/keynotes in Belgium, Israel, Korea, Japan, Turkey, and in the USA. Dr. Ward is a board member of the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education and Quest

Education

  • PhD, Physical Education Teacher Education, The Ohio State University, 1993
  • MEd, Physical Education Teacher Education, Victoria College, Australia, 1991
  • Graduate Diploma in Sports Science, Victoria College, Australia, 1988
  • BEd, Deakin University, Australia, 1989

Research Interests

Experience

  • More than 150 workshops provided to teachers in the USA and in China
  • Consultant to Columbus City Schools
  • Editorial Board member Journal of Teaching in Physical Education and Quest
  • Ad hoc reviewer for 10+ journals

Teaching

Undergraduate

  • Introduction to Teaching Physical Education

Graduate

  • Research on Teaching
  • Doctoral seminar
  • Ethics for Coaches
  • Coaching Effectiveness

Honors

  • Journal of Teaching Physical Education Outstanding Reviewer Award 2019.
  • SHAPE 2018 America, Scholar Award 
  • 2015-2017 the status of High-end Foreign Expert by the Peoples Republic of China. In 
  • SHAPE  2017 America research council Distinguish Service Award. 
  • AERA 2015 SIG Research on Learning and Instruction in Physical Education Outstanding Scholar Award 
  • SHAPE 2014 Physical Education Teacher Education Honor Award (awarded to entire PETE faculty)
  • OSU College of Education and Human Ecology Distinguished Collaboration Award, 2005
  • OSU College of Education and Human Ecology Distinguished Scholarship Award, 2002
  • Fellow of the Research Consortium of the Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.
  • Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) Curriculum and Instruction Honor Award

Selected Grants

  • Co-Principal Investigator: National Heart Lung Blood Institute (NHLBI) grant 2008-2011. A $3,086,605 multi-site research grant designed to validate systematic observation of physical activity of park users in five sites in the USA. Validation of Systematic observations of play and recreation in communities (SOPARC) NIH R01 PAR-06-104 Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment
  • Co-author on Department of Education Carol M. White Physical Education for Progress Grant $350,000 contracted to Columbus City Schools.
  • $100,000 in internal instructional enhancement grants
  • $60,000 in research grants

Selected Publications

Books

  • Ward, P., & Snyder, S. (2022). Core Practices for Health Education. Human Kinetics.
  • Tsuda, E., Ward, P. & He, Y. (2021). Test Questions for Pre-service Teachers and Students in Physical Education Content. Biblio Publishing.
  • Meeks, L., Heit, P., Page, R. & Ward, P. (2020). Comprehensive School Health Education: Totally Awesome Strategies for Teaching Health (9th ed). McGraw Hill.
  • Ward, P., & Lehwald, H. (2018). Effective Physical Education Content and Instruction. Human Kinetics.
  • Li, W., Wang, X., Ward, P., and Sutherland, S. (2018). Curricular Models of Physical education. Beijing, P R China: Higher Education Publisher [Published in Chinese].
  • Ward, P., & Doutis, P. (Eds.). (2001). Physical Education in the 21st Century. University of Nebraska Printing Service.
  • Ward, P. (1997). Teaching Tumbling. Human Kinetics.

Articles

See vita at https://u.osu.edu/ward.116/