Occupation · SOC 25-1193
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses pertaining to recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, including exercise physiology and facilities management. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Median wage
$75,890
$44,150–$158,240
Projected growth
+1.9%
Slower than average
Annual openings
40
per year
Employed (US)
12,680
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
800 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingInstructingActive ListeningWritingReading ComprehensionLearning StrategiesCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision Making
Knowledge areas
Education and TrainingEnglish LanguageComputers and ElectronicsPsychologyBiology
Technology & tools
Computer based training softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareWord processing softwareVideo creation and editing softwareInformation retrieval or search software
Representative tasks
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as anatomy, therapeutic recreation, and conditioning theory.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.Participate in campus and community events.Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department heads.Prepare students to act as sports coaches.Act as advisers to student organizations.Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Course syllabi and homework assignments — draft and format under faculty mentorship for undergraduate recreation or fitness studies courses.Student attendance records and grade logs — maintain accurately using institutional learning management systems with supervisor guidance.Classroom discussions on recreation and fitness topics — facilitate introductory sessions under the direction of a supervising professor.Assigned readings and current literature in kinesiology or therapeutic recreation — review and summarize to support preparation for course delivery.Lectures on foundational topics such as anatomy or conditioning theory — deliver to small undergraduate sections using provided instructional materials.Multiple-choice and short-answer examinations — compile and administer following departmental templates and assessment protocols.Word processing and office suite software — use to produce course handouts, assignment sheets, and correspondence in a postsecondary academic environment.Student class work and written assignments — evaluate using provided rubrics and grading criteria under close faculty oversight.Professional conferences and departmental colloquia — attend and document key developments to build familiarity with the recreation and fitness field.Active listening and note-taking protocols — apply during instructional team meetings to support lesson planning in a university recreation studies program.
developing
Undergraduate lecture series on topics such as therapeutic recreation and sport conditioning — prepare and deliver with reduced oversight in a postsecondary classroom setting.Course materials including syllabi, handouts, and multimedia resources — revise and update each term to reflect current scholarship in recreation and fitness studies.Student performance data including grades and attendance — maintain and analyze using spreadsheet software to identify at-risk students in a postsecondary program.Seminar and laboratory discussions — facilitate and moderate with growing independence, applying active listening and social perceptiveness skills in a university context.Written examinations and practical assessments — compile, administer, and grade with limited supervisory review for recreation and fitness undergraduate courses.Learning management and calendar scheduling software — use proficiently to organize course timelines, post resources, and communicate with students.Current peer-reviewed literature in kinesiology, sport science, and counseling — read and integrate into course content to keep instruction current.Individual student writing assignments and research papers — evaluate with constructive written feedback using established rubrics in a university recreation program.Instructional strategies aligned to diverse learner needs — select and apply in familiar classroom and laboratory contexts within a postsecondary fitness studies department.Video creation and editing software — use to produce supplemental instructional content for hybrid or online recreation studies course sections.
proficient
Undergraduate and graduate lecture curricula on anatomy, sport psychology, and conditioning theory — design, deliver, and continuously refine autonomously across a full academic year.Course content, methods of instruction, and learning outcomes — plan, evaluate, and revise systematically using evidence-based curriculum review processes within a postsecondary recreation studies department.Complex non-routine student performance issues — diagnose and resolve through critical thinking and judgment, applying appropriate academic support strategies in a university setting.Scholarly literature, conference presentations, and professional networks — engage with regularly to sustain expertise and translate emerging developments in recreation and fitness into classroom instruction.Graduate-level research papers and thesis chapters — evaluate with sophisticated written and oral feedback that advances students' scholarly development in recreation and fitness studies.Comprehensive examination programs including written, oral, and practical components — compile, administer, grade, and analyze for validity and reliability across multiple course sections.Classroom discussions integrating multidisciplinary knowledge from biology, psychology, and counseling — initiate and moderate to promote higher-order thinking among advanced postsecondary students.Web-based course environments and information retrieval systems — manage and optimize to deliver effective online and hybrid instruction in recreation and fitness studies programs.Inductive and deductive reasoning frameworks — apply to guide students through systems analysis of fitness program design and therapeutic recreation planning in applied settings.Student learning outcomes and program-level assessment data — monitor, interpret, and act upon to improve instructional quality across recreation studies course offerings.
advanced
Departmental curriculum for recreation and fitness studies — lead comprehensive redesign initiatives that align program content with accreditation standards and emerging professional competencies.Faculty development initiatives and peer mentoring programs — design and lead to build instructional capacity across a postsecondary recreation, kinesiology, or sport science department.Strategic research agenda in recreation, fitness, or therapeutic recreation — set and direct, integrating findings into graduate program development at the institutional level.Institutional assessment and program evaluation frameworks — develop and champion to ensure continuous improvement of undergraduate and graduate recreation studies offerings.Interdisciplinary academic partnerships with health sciences, psychology, and community service sectors — cultivate and sustain to advance the department's scholarly and professional mission.Scholarly and professional discourse at national conferences and in peer-reviewed publications — lead through keynote presentations and high-impact research that shapes the recreation and fitness studies field.Graduate student dissertation and capstone committees — chair and guide, exercising expert judgment to develop the next generation of recreation and fitness scholars and practitioners.Departmental policies for grading, academic integrity, and student records management — author and oversee to ensure compliance and equity across all course sections.Institutional technology strategy for instructional innovation — influence by modeling advanced use of video, OCR, and web authoring tools in a postsecondary academic environment.Cross-institutional and community stakeholder relationships — forge and lead to position the recreation and fitness studies program as a regional and national leader in professional preparation.
Also known as
76 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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