Date
11-13-2025
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Lindsay Egli
Keywords
personal trainer, personal training, periodization, education, learning, social cognitive theory
Disciplines
Education | Kinesiology
Recommended Citation
Malone, Brittany J., "The Knowledge-To-Practice Gap in Personal Trainers: The Usage of Periodization" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7638.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7638
Abstract
The purpose of this grounded theory study was to understand the knowledge-to-practice gap in personal trainers regarding periodization. The theory that guided this study was the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) by Albert Bandura as it reflects the triadic reciprocity between personal, behavioral, and environmental interactions. Self-efficacy also interacts with the three influences and impacts an individual’s effort, task choice, and persistency. Human behavior is motivated by self-influence and purposeful fore-thought, thus personal goals lead to specific courses of action to elicit a desired outcome such as in learning. Thirteen personal trainers in the United States were recruited for this study and data collection consisted of interviews conducted via TEAMs. Data analysis began once the transcripts were imported to MAXQDA and the data was analyzed through codes, memo-writing, constant comparison, and an independent reviewer. Six themes emerged related to the efficacy of the certified personal trainer course, formal education, learning methods, and the participant’s environment, and a theory was generated around a central phenomenon. The findings of this study supported the theoretical framework and showed that continued research needs to focus on personal trainers and the general population, educated and experienced instructors are necessary for knowledge transmission, and learning methods should include vicarious experiences.
