Effects of the PE Teacher Knowing and Using Student Names in PE Class: A Qualitative Investigation

We have each been given a name. With this given name, we are known among our families, friends, and other associates. Our name becomes an integral part of our identity. A common and important place where a person is addressed by name is the educational setting, more specifically a school setting, including physical education (PE) classes. The PE setting offers many opportunities for teachers and students to use student names. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of PE teachers using each student’s given name, along with the effect of this use on students. For this study, 278 junior high school students (165 males, 113 females) were surveyed regarding teachers using student names in PE class. This study found that junior high PE students liked when their PE teacher knew and used their name in PE class. From these results, it is hoped that PE teachers seriously consider this aspect of pedagogy of using student names as they interact with their students.