Fitness instructor behaviour: triangulation of participant perceptions, instructor self-perception and observed behaviour

Abstract

The aim of this study is to relate observed pedagogical behaviour, the self-perception of fitness instructors and participant perceptions of the said behaviour in order to verify whether they coincide or not. For this purpose, 62 instructors of resistance training group fitness classes were observed, and their behaviours were coded using the SOCIF observation system. The instructors and the 442 participants of the classes answered a ques- tionnaire regarding their self-perception or perception of the instructors’ pedagogical behaviour. A comparison of the results corroborates the findings of other authors (Chelladurai and Riemer, 1998; De Marco Jr. and Mancini, 1997; Gutiérrez et al., 2011; Hanke, 1993; Smith et al., 1978, 1979; Tjeerdsma, 1997; Wandzilak et al., 1988), since significant positive links and a coincidence in the results could only be found for part of the pedagogical behaviours, participant perceptions, instructors’ self-perceptions and observed behaviour. A larger number of significant positive associations could be made between observed behaviour and the instructors’ self-perceptions than between observed behaviour and participant perceptions. A lower number of significant positive associations were identified between the instructors’ self-perceptions and participant perceptions.