FACULTY & STAFF DIRECTORY
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Melinda A. Solmon
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Dr. Solmon's research focus centers on achievement motivation in physical activity settings. To gain a better understanding of how individuals are motivated to learn, she has investigated students' goals in physical education classes, as well as their perceptions of teachers' actions. She is involved in research projects with teachers in schools with the intent of discovering ways to increase student motivation through the creation of an appropriate learning environment. Melinda is active professionally, as demonstrated by numerous presentations at national conferences, including annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). She has served as a Pedagogy Section Editor for Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. She has also represented the National Association for Sport and Physical Education on the New Professional Teacher Standards Development Project directed by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and completed terms as the Chair and the Program Chair for the Special Interest Group/Research on Learning and Instruction in Physical Education for AERA and as Secretary of the Research Consortium of AAHPERD. She has served on the editorial board for the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education since 1995 and recently completed a four-year term as co-editor. She has also served as a referee for a number of journals such as Journal of Applied Social Psychology, the International Journal of Sport Psychology, Medicine and Science in Exercise and Sport, and the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Melinda received the 2003 Scholar Award from the Southern District of AAHPERD, and was selected as the 2007 Scholar for the Special Interest Group/Research on Learning and Instruction in Physical Education for AERA. She is an active Fellow in the Research Consortium AAHPERD and was elected as a Fellow in the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education in 2006.
EDUCATION:
PhD, Louisiana State University, 1991
AREAS OF INTEREST:
Achievement Motivation
Student and Teacher Perception in Physical Education Classes
Cognitive Mediation of Instruction
RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
Bryan, C.L., & Solmon, M.A. (2007). Self-determination in physical education: Designing class environments to promote active lifestyles. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 26, 260-278.
Lee, A.M., & Solmon, M.A. (2007). School programs to increase physical activity. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 7(5), 22-24, 28.
Li, W., Solmon, M.A., Lee, A.M., Purvis, G., & Chu, H. (2007). Examining the relationships between students’ implicit theories of ability, goal orientations and the preferred type of augmented feedback. Journal of Sport Behavior, 30, 280-291.
Li, W., Lee, A.M., & Solmon, M.A. (2007). The role of perceptions of task difficulty in relation to self-perceptions of ability, intrinsic value, attainment value, and performance. European Physical Education Review,13, 301-318.
Parks, M.A., Solmon, M.A., & Lee, A.M. (2007). Understanding classroom teachers’ perceptions of integrating physical activity: A collective efficacy perspective. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 21, 316-328.
Solmon, M.A. (in press). Cognitive mediation as a framework for studying student cognition. In L. Housner, M. Metzler, P. Schempp, & T. Templin, (Eds.). Historic traditions and future directions of research on teaching and teacher education in physical education. Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology.
Domangue, E. A., & Solmon, M. A. (in press). A feminist poststructuralist examination into the President’s Challenge Physical Fitness Awards Program. Gender and Education.
Azzarito, L., Solmon, M. A. (in press). An Investigation of students’ embodied discourses in physical education: A gender project. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.
Solmon, M.A., & Lee, A.M. (2008). Social development and its relationship to human movement. In G. Payne (Ed.). An introduction to human motor development. People’s Education Press.
Landry, J. B., Crook, E. D., & Solmon, M. A. (2008). African American women’s perceptions of health and exercise behavior: A qualitative investigation. In N. T. Ileweng & E. B. Parsons (Eds.) Female African Americans and Health Research. Nova Science Publishers
Solmon, M. A. & Lee, A. M.. (2008). Research on social issues in elementary school physical education. Elementary School Journal, 108, 229-240.
Graber, K.C., Locke, L. F., Lamdin, D., & Solmon, M.A. (2008). The landscape of elementary school physical education. Elementary School Journal, 108, 151-159.
Li, W., Lee, A. M., & Solmon, M. A. (2008). Effects of dispositional ability conceptions, situational ability conceptions, and intrinsic motivation on persistence and performance: An interaction approach. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 79, 51-61.
Lee, A. M., & Solmon, M.A. (2007). School programs to increase physical activity. Journal of physical Education, Recreation, & Dance, 7 (5), 22-24, 28.
Parks, M. A., Solmon, M. A., & Lee, A. M. (2007). Understanding classroom teachers’ perceptions of integrating physical activity: A collective efficacy perspective. Journal of Research in Childhood Education.
Li, W., Lee, A. M., & Solmon, M.A. (2007). The role of perceptions of task difficulty in relation to self-perceptions of ability, intrinsic value, attainment value, and performance. European Physical Education Review.13, 301-318
Li, W., Solmon, M. A., Lee, A.M., Purvis, G., & Chu, H. (2007). Examining the relationships between students’ implicit theories of ability, goal orientations and the preferred type of augmented feedback. Journal of Sport Behavior,30, 280-291.
Bryan, C. L., & Solmon, M. A. (2007). Self-determination in physical education: Designing class environments to promote active lifestyles. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 26, 260-278.
RECENT PRESENTATIONS:
Solmon, M.A. (2007, September). Fostering motivation in instructional settings: Creating an environment that promotes physical activity. Clifford Gray Lewis Lecture, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
Gao, Z., Lee, A., Solmon, M., Kosma, M., Carson, R., Zhang, T., Domangue, E., & Moore, D. (2007, June). Comparison of objective measures of in-class activity levels among middle school students. Poster presentation at the annual conference of the American College of Sports Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Moore, D., Solmon, M., Tuuri, G., Silverman, L., Zanovec, M., Guarino, A., Roy H., & Murphy, M. (2007, June). A comparison of children’s physical activity levels during school and out-of-school activities. Poster presentation at the annual conference of the American College of Sports Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Azzarito, L., & Solmon, M.A. (2007, April). An investigation of discursive constructs in physical education: Gendered physical activity choices. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois.
Domangue, E., Solmon, M., & Carson, R. (2007, April). “My backyard is the 17th Street Canal”: Investigating the perspectives of preservice elementary teachers during a service-learning experience. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois.
Garn, A.C., Chen, A., Solmon, M., Xiang, P., & Shen, B. (2007, April). Motivational theories. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, Chicago, Illinois.
Solmon, M.A. (2007, April). Negotiating barriers and crossing borders: Toward a broader view of physical education pedagogy. American Educational Research Association/SIG Research on Learning and Instruction Scholar Lecture, Chicago, Illinois.
Bryan, C.L., & Solmon, M.A. (2007, March). Relationships between children’s engagement in physical activity and health-related fitness indicators: Exploring the link between engagement and health. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Baltimore, Maryland.
Bryan, C.L., & Solmon, M.A. (2007, March). Self-determination theory and engagement in physical education: A structural equation modeling approach. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Baltimore, Maryland.
Domangue, E., Solmon, M., Stone, D., & Johnson, L. (2007, March). Relationship between self-determination, an autonomy supportive climate, and improvement in cardiovascular fitness. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Baltimore, Maryland.
Grodesky, J.M., Solmon, M.A., & Lee, A.M. (2007, March). Physical activity levels of older adults: The influence of self-determination. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Baltimore, Maryland.
Johnson, L.G., Tuuri, G., Solmon, M.A., & Zanovec, M. (2007, March). Examining the relationship between perceptions of the physical environment and percentage of body fat estimated from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Baltimore, Maryland.
Zhang, T., Solmon, M.A., Johnson, L.G., & Gao, Z. (2007, March). Examining environmental influences on college students’ participation in physical activity. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Baltimore, Maryland.
Zhang, T., Solmon, M.A., Johnson, L.G., & Gao, Z. (2007, March). Relative contributions of psychosocial factors in predicting college students’ physical activity. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Baltimore, Maryland.
Solmon, M. A. (2008, September). How do doctoral candidates learn to be researchers?
Developing research training programs in kinesiology departments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Chicago, IL.
Zhang, T., Solmon, M.A., Kosma, M., Carson, R.L., & Gu, X. (2008, March). Need support, need satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, and physical activity participation among middle school students. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York City, NY.
Domangue, E. A., Solmon, M.A., & Gao, Z. (2008, March). Middle school students’ perceptions and physical activity levels in same-gender and coeducational physical education classes. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York City, NY.
Bryan, C. L., & Solmon, M.A. (2008, April). Body composition measures as educational tools: A comparison by race. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Fort Worth, TX.
Gill, J. F., & Solmon, M.A. (2008, April). Effect of controllability on efficacy and attributions in physical activity. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Fort Worth, TX.
Zhang, T., Solmon, M.A., Domangue, E. Gao, Z., Gu, X. (2008, April). School children’s physical activity: Individual, social, and physical environmental correlates. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Fort Worth, TX.
Zhang, T., Solmon, M., Lee, A., & Gao, Z. (2008, May). Students’ situational motivation, perceived effort, and physical activity levels in physical education. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, Indianapolis,IN.
Gao, Z., Lee, A., M., Kosma, M., & Solmon, M. A. (2008, May). Understanding studetns’ motivation in physical education: Examining the mediating role of self-efficacy on physical activity. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
Solmon, M. A. (2007, April). Negotiating barriers and crossing borders: Toward a broader view of physical education pedagogy. American Educational Research Association/SIG Research on Learning and Instruction Scholar Lecture. Chicago, IL.
Bryan, C. L., & Solmon, M. A. (2007, March). Relationships between children’s engagement in physical activity and health-related fitness indicators: Exploring the link between engagement and health. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Baltimore, MD.
Bryan, C. L., & Solmon, M. A. (2007, March). Self-determination theory and engagement in physical education: A structural equation modeling approach.. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Baltimore, MD.
Domangue, E., Solmon, M., Stone, D., & Johnson, L. (2007, March). Relationship between self-determination, an autonomy supportive climate, and improvement in cardiovascular fitness. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Baltimore, MD.
Grodesky, J. M., Solmon, M.A., & Lee, A. M. (2007, March). Physical activity levels of older adults: The influence of self-determination. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Baltimore, MD.
Johnson, L. G., Tuuri, G., Solmon, M. A., & Zanovec, M. (2007, March). Examing the relationship between perceptions of the physical environment and percentage of body fat estimated from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Baltimore, MD.
Zhang, T., Solmon, M. A., Johnson, L. G., & Gao, Z. (2007, March). Examining environmental influences on college students’ participation in physical activity. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Baltimore, MD.
Zhang, T., Solmon, M. A., Johnson, L. G., & Gao, Z. (2007, March). Relative contributions of psychosocial factors in predicting colleges students’ physical activity. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Baltimore, MD.
Azzarito, L., & Solmon, M. A. (2007, April). An investigation of discursive constructs in physical education: Gendered physical activity choices. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
Domangue, E., Solmon, M., & Carson, R. (2007, April). “My backyard is the 17th street canal”: Investigating the perspectives of preservice elementary teachers during a service-learning experience. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
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In the news
Retirement of Kinesiology Chair Amelia Lee
College of Education Faculty Present at the 2008 AERA Conference in NY
LSU College of Education Hosts Honors Convocation
College of Education Hosts Professorship Brunch
American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education Elects Kinesiology Faculty as Active Fellow
** Note: For a more complete listing of faculty publications, presentations, awards, and outreach, please visit our annual reports page.
