Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance

Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
Title	Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
Abbreviation	JOPERD
Discipline	Physical activity studies
Language	English
Publisher	American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
History	1930–present
Frequency	Monthly

Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance is a peer-reviewed periodical published by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance that addresses practice, pedagogy, policy, and scholarship related to physical activity, leisure, and movement. The journal serves practitioners, scholars, and administrators associated with organizations, institutions, and programs in the United States and internationally, and it bridges applied programming with research literatures and professional standards. Contributors have included scholars and practitioners affiliated with universities, associations, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

History

The journal emerged during the interwar period alongside professionalization movements exemplified by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the National Recreation Association, and university departments at institutions such as Columbia University, Harvard University, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, University of Michigan, and Stanford University. Early editorial efforts reflected curriculum reforms contemporaneous with initiatives from Yale University faculty, municipal recreation programs in New York City, and public health campaigns linked to agencies like the United States Public Health Service and the American Red Cross. Throughout the mid-20th century, contributors cited standards from bodies such as the American College of Sports Medicine, policy debates connected to the National Education Association, and program models from the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA. During the postwar era the journal documented curricular innovations influenced by scholars at Teachers College, Columbia University, practitioners from the YMCA, and initiatives associated with the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the World Health Organization. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries it reflected shifts driven by research from University of California, Los Angeles, Pennsylvania State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and professional dialogues at conferences hosted by the Society of Health and Physical Educators.

Scope and Content

Coverage ranges from classroom pedagogy and coaching practice to recreation management, community programming, adaptive physical activity, and health-related fitness. Articles address curricular models influenced by theorists and programs linked to Jean Piaget, John Dewey, and Kirkpatrick, and cite legislative and institutional frameworks such as those associated with No Child Left Behind Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and municipal departments like the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Content includes case studies from K–12 districts such as Los Angeles Unified School District and Chicago Public Schools, program evaluations referencing grants from the National Institutes of Health and foundations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and practitioner guides informed by standards from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and certification pathways at institutions including University of Florida and Ohio State University. The journal publishes research summaries drawing on methodologies established at centers such as the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and the Cooper Institute.

Editorial Policies and Peer Review

Editorial governance aligns with standard practices used by professional associations and academic publishers, reflecting models from publishers like Sage Publications, Routledge, and Elsevier. The journal employs editorial boards composed of scholars and practitioners affiliated with entities including University of Texas at Austin, Auburn University, University of Ottawa, and University of Sydney. Submission guidelines stipulate original manuscripts, ethical compliance consonant with expectations articulated by organizations such as the Office for Human Research Protections and research reporting standards mirrored in guidance from the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials and the Equator Network. Peer review is single- or double-blind depending on section and mirrors procedures used at journals like Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, with reviewers sourced from networks tied to the American College of Sports Medicine and academic departments at Indiana University Bloomington and University of British Columbia.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is included in indexing services and abstracting platforms that catalog literature related to sport, health, and education, similar to coverage in ERIC, Scopus, and Education Resources Information Center. Metadata and article records are discoverable through library resources managed by institutions such as the Library of Congress, aggregated by databases used by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, and University of California. The journal’s inclusion in professional bibliographies aligns with indexing practices of entities like the American Psychological Association and regional catalogs maintained by the British Library and the National Library of Medicine.

Impact and Reception

The journal has influenced professional practice, certification curricula, and program design within school districts, municipal recreation departments, and community organizations. Its influence is evident in citations and curricular adoptions linked to teacher-preparation programs at Ball State University, University of Maryland, College Park, and Florida State University, and in practice briefs circulated by organizations including the National Recreation and Park Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scholarly reception parallels dialogues in venues such as the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity and conference symposia convened by the European College of Sport Science and the American Educational Research Association.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Noteworthy contributions include empirically oriented studies on youth physical activity patterns using surveillance systems developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, program evaluations referencing pilot initiatives funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and special issues focused on topics such as adaptive physical education, school wellness policies, and community recreation partnerships. Guest editors have included scholars affiliated with University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Minnesota, and Auburn University, and special collections have intersected with themes explored at symposia of the Society for Research in Child Development and policy forums hosted by the National Governors Association.

Category:Academic journals