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EDUC 203: Learning Through Movement: Topics/Keywords

Project Objectives

Research Paper Objectives:
You will take a position on a current issue or topic in physical and/or health education. Requirements include:

  • A 3-5 pg. paper
  • At least 3 peer-reviewed sources as evidence to support your claims/positions made in the essay
  • Mention of standards, teacher interview, and key vocabulary/information from the textbooks

Current Topics in Physical Education or Health Education Research Paper Ideas

physical education word cloud

Possible example topics for this research paper include:

  • physical education participation
  • elementary school obesity and controlling it with physical education
  • student attitude toward physical activity
  • health content in physical education
  • healthy for life attitude through physical education
  • physical activity promotion
  • games-based physical activity

Keywords to Try When Searching


Place quotation marks around phrases of more than 1 word when searching. (EX: "physical education")

One of these keywords will need to be used with every search you do:

  • physical education
  • physical activity
  • health education
  • elementary education

The following keywords can be used in combination with one of the above:

  • participation OR involvement
  • obesity
  • attitude
  • healthy for life
  • promotion
  • games-based

Subject Headings to Try When Searching


When using an EBSCO database to search subject terms, change the "Select a Field" option to indicate "SU Subject Terms."  Place quotation marks around your subject terms as indicated above.

  • Attitude Change
  • Child Health
  • Elementary Secondary Education
  • Health Promotion
  • Obesity
  • Physical Activities
  • Physical Activity Level
  • Physical Health
  • Physical Education
  • Parent Participation
  • Student Attitudes
  • Student Participation

Finding and Narrowing a Topic

Find ideas in the syllabus, your text, class discussion, or Google News.

   Narrow down a broad topic by asking yourself
   the 5 W's: who? what? where? when? why?

   As you search the databases, looking at
   subject headings and abstracts can help you
                focus your topic.

Boolean Operators

Using Boolean operators (AND, OR, and NOT) with your keywords will help you narrow or expand your results.

The highlighted middle section represents the use of AND. Searching for poverty AND addiction will give you results with both words present. Therefore, your results are fewer.

Using OR between similar keywords will give you results that include both words. Therefore, your results are greater. A search for teenagers OR adolescents will retrieve either or both terms.

The NOT operator gives you results from only one of your words. Therefore, your results are fewer. Searching for addiction NOT alcohol will eliminate alcohol from the results.

Click images to enlarge