Information source utilization and teachers' attributes in physical education: a preliminary test of a rational...

This study sought to provide empirical evidence concerning physical education information-seeking patterns of elementary teachers at the primary level. It also investigated the relationship between information use patterns and teachers' attributes. A model based on simple utilitarian concepts explaining information use patterns was developed and tested. The basic assumption of the model was that the use of information sources would increase as the perceived benefits of the information derived increased, and the costs of retrieving and using the information decreased. Subjects for the study were elementary school teachers from the Vancouver school system in British Columbia, Canada (N = 86). Simultaneous equation procedures employing limited information likelihood estimators were used to test the model. The results of the study indicated that sources of information internal to the school system dominated utilization patterns. Among these, curriculum support material and discussion with colleagues were highly favored, suggesting that teachers at these grade levels rely heavily upon the experience of others in the same system and the support of very specific resource materials about physical education activities. The research also showed that those who felt they knew more and claimed to enjoy teaching actively sought to acquire more knowledge from more sources than those who knew less. Finally, the study demonstrated that models based on simple assumptions of rationality can predict decisions concerning information utilization.