David Walsh
David Walsh completed his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2003. He is a Professor and currently the Associate Chair of the Kinesiology Department at SFSU, and has taken on a broad range of teaching, service, and scholarship endeavors. He specializes in physical activity-based youth development programs for youth in underserved urban communities. David has almost 30 years of experience with the development, implementation, and research on the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) Model. His research includes: innovative programs for helping youth envision positive possible futures, successful university-community collaborations, effective service-learning strategies, impact of physical activity-based youth development programs, and supporting LGBTQIA+ youth in sport and physical activity-based programs. David’s broader scholarship is related to teaching the TPSR Model to pre-service and in-service teachers.
New Publication
Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Through Physical Activity now enters its fourth edition, continuing the legacy of Don Hellison and his teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) model. This text is the only comprehensive resource covering the TPSR model through physical activity. With more than 50 years of use in gyms, playing fields, and classrooms, the TPSR model has withstood the test of time and continues to be used to teach transferable life skills to kids from all backgrounds to support positive social change.
Building on the foundation of research from the first three editions, this updated text connects TPSR to the recent emphasis on mental health, social and emotional learning (SEL), and trauma-informed practices. It also provides direction to teach affective and social goals, giving an in-depth look into teaching character development and values to help students develop personal and social responsibility.
Designed to enhance reader comprehension, Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Through Physical Activity, Fourth Edition, is a practical resource with proven and easy-to-implement ideas to support student growth in school, after school, and in alternative settings.
Selected Publications
- Hellison, D., Wright, P., Martinek, T. & Walsh, D. (2025). Teaching personal and social responsibility through physical activity (4th Ed). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
- Walsh, D.S. (2022). Teaching personal and social responsibility. Chapter 7. In K.A.R. Richards, & P.M. Wright (Eds). Social and emotional learning in physical education: Applications in school and community settings. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
- Wright, P.M., & Walsh, D.S. (2018). Teaching personal and social responsibility. In P. Ward & S. Sutherland (Eds). Curricular Models of Physical Education (pp. 140-160).
- Walsh, D.S., Veri, M.J., & Willard, J.J. (2015). The kinesiology career club: Undergraduate student mentor perspectives of a physical activity-based TPSR program. The Physical Educator, 72(2), 317-339.
- Buckle, M. & Walsh, D. (2013).Teaching gang affiliated youth responsibility: A developmental approach. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 84(2), 53-58.
- Walsh, D.S., Veri, M.J., & Scobie, D. (2012). Impact of the kinesiology career club: A TPSR-based possible futures program for youth in underserved communities. Agora for Physical Education and Sport, 14(2), 213-229.
- Veri, M. & Walsh, D. (2012). Intersections between sport management and youth development. Journal of Sport Management and Physical Education, 3(4), 50-55.
Teaching
- Kin 310: Youth Development Instructional Analysis 1
- Kin 312: Youth Development Instructional Analysis 2
- Kin 331: Peak Performance
- Kin 696: Kinesiology Community-Based Internship
- Kin 434/734: Sport-based Youth Development