Faculty & Research

Education:

• Ph.D. at University of Maryland, 1996
• M.A.E at Western Kentucky University, 1992
• B.A. at Georgetown College, 1984

Contact Information:

(812) 855-6430

[send e-mail]

HPER Building, Room 179

Background:

• Secretary/Treasurer, Special Interest Group on Physical Education, American Educational Research Association
• Editorial Board, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education
• Indiana University Teaching Excellence Recognition Award
• Indiana University Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant Winner
• Fellow of the Research Consortium of American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation

Research:

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My research focuses on teacher and student cognition and its impact on the teaching-learning process. I use the term "cognition" in its broadest sense to include an individual's knowledge and beliefs. Although researchers have investigated teacher cognition, and its importance is widely accepted, rarely have students, their experiences, and their perspectives on class events been the focus of research. I have attempted to help fill that void with my research. Understanding the student experience in class, however, is impossible without understanding the ecology of the class, for the teaching-learning process is, at its heart, an interactive event. For that reason, my research also at times examines the concurrent cognition of and interaction between teachers and students in diverse settings. Recent investigations have explored classroom management, mentoring, and physical activity interventions in at-risk populations.

Publications:

Cothran, D. J., & Kulinna, P. H. (in press) "Students' perspectives on direct, peer, and inquiry teaching strategies." Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.

Kulinna, P. H., Cothran, D. J., & Regualos, R. (in press). "Teachers' reports of student misbehavior in physical education." Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport.

Cothran, D. J., Kulinna, P. H., Banville, D., Choi, E., Amade-Escot, C., MacPhail, A., Macdonald, D., Richard, J. F., Sarmento, P., & Kirk, D. (2005). "A cross-cultural investigation of the use of teaching styles." Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 76, 193-201.

Garrahy, D. A., Cothran, D. J., & Kulinna, P. H. (2005). "Voices from the trenches: An exploration of teachers' management knowledge." Journal of Educational Research, 99, 56-63.

Cothran, D. J., Kulinna, P. H., & Garrahy, D. A. (2003). "'This is kind of giving a secret away...': Student's perspectives on effective classroom management." Teaching and Teacher Education, 19, 435-444.

Courses Recently Taught:

HPER P414 Professional Seminar in Physical Education

HPER P214 Basic Methods of Teaching Physical Education

HPER P447 Special Problems in Physical Education and Athletics