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The purpose of this study was to review academic papers on the experiences of binary and non-binary trans people in physical education (PE), published between January 2000 and August 2022. The selection process yielded 16 articles from Brazil, the UK, Spain, Canada, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the USA. The discussion focuses on five themes for analysis: (a) school policies and control, (b) curriculum activities, (c) social environment, (d) transgendering while surviving, and (e) trans-positive experiences. The systematic review highlights the fact that heteronormativity is still present in schools and PE spaces, positioning, categorizing, and policing dissenting bodies and gender identities, which means that many trans students did not have good memories of PE classes. Many similar situations were faced by both binary and non-binary trans students, although with some notable differences. It is thus necessary to deconstruct the prevailing cis-heteronormativity during PE lessons to eradicate the discrimination that (re)produces a hostile environment for these students.

Obesity prevention and control have been identified as top public health priorities in modern societies. Sport and exercise science researchers from multiple perspectives (e.g. behavioral, pedagogical, psychological, and physiological) have been active contributors addressing this topic. This paper examines the importance of energy balance (EB) knowledge in enabling behaviors associated with weight management in youth (e.g. physical activity and dietary behaviors). Relevant research studies were searched using ERIC, Proquest, PubMed, and Scopus. A total of 48 articles that met the inclusion criteria were identified and retrieved. The research findings of the included articles were summarized after being thoroughly reviewed. The paper reveals mixed findings about the association between EB knowledge and behaviors, reinforcing the importance of developing knowledge through education. The literature review further identifies that there is inadequate knowledge about EB among youth, coinciding with a national call for action to enhance EB education in schools. The knowledge inadequacy is related to two plausible reasons: the science of EB is still evolving and systematic EB education is lacking in schools. In addition, while some school-based EB education programmes are available, many of these programmes are expensive and lack generalizability and sustainability over time. The paper concludes with a proposal to enhance EB education using concept-based physical education.

This paper provides a rationale for The Spectrum of Teaching Styles (The Spectrum) as a pedagogical model in teaching physical education (PE). Building on prior discussions/debates (SueSee et al., 2021), we will contest the view that the concept of teaching styles is different from that of a pedagogical model. In doing so, we highlight the most central aspects of The Spectrum and explain fundamental characteristics that warrant its representation with existing pedagogical models. The paper demonstrates for teachers how The Spectrum details the 'how', 'when' and 'why' of their pedagogical decisions, in understanding how they may meet educational outcomes for increased curriculum alignment, or successful enactment of models-based practices. The contention we present is The Spectrum is valuable to PE teachers in understanding the context-specific realities of teaching episodes and therefore improving teaching and learning practices in PE by helping teachers align their pedagogy with their desired learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health in physical education (PE) has in recent decades received growing public and political attention. PE is recognized as playing an important role in promoting health and well-being among children and adolescents. Critical PE scholars contest the prevalent biomedical perspective on health for its narrow conceptualization of health and its exclusive focus on physical activity and disease prevention. Instead, alternative (critical and/or salutogenic) perspectives that emphasize the holistic nature of health are advocated. Previous research has identified a lack of empirical research on the topic. The purpose of this scoping review was to contribute to knowledge about what characterizes empirical research literature with holistic perspectives on health and discuss the implications for teaching PE. Four databases (SportDiscus, ERIC, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched for peer-reviewed literature in academic journals between 2002 and 2021. Only 12 out of 3263 identified articles included empirical research with holistic perspectives on health. Using thematic analysis, two distinct themes were identified: (i) "teachers' philosophies and didactic considerations," exploring teachers' understanding and beliefs and implications for PE practice and (ii) "alternative ways to teach," where teachers engage in co-creating, enacting, and evaluating holistic health-related curricula. The findings indicate that although PE teachers may hold a narrow understanding of health, they are receptive to alternative perspectives and capable of critical reflections and renegotiations, if given appropriate support and opportunities for professional development. Challenging PE teachers' philosophies and empowering them in the co-creation and implementation of holistic, student-centered curricula can create sustainable opportunities to enhance students' well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to review academic papers on the experiences of binary and non-binary trans people in physical education (PE), published between January 2000 and August 2022. The selection process yielded 16 articles from Brazil, the UK, Spain, Canada, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the USA. The discussion focuses on five themes for analysis: (a) school policies and control, (b) curriculum activities, (c) social environment, (d) transgendering while surviving, and (e) trans-positive experiences. The systematic review highlights the fact that heteronormativity is still present in schools and PE spaces, positioning, categorizing, and policing dissenting bodies and gender identities, which means that many trans students did not have good memories of PE classes. Many similar situations were faced by both binary and non-binary trans students, although with some notable differences. It is thus necessary to deconstruct the prevailing cis-heteronormativity during PE lessons to eradicate the discrimination that (re)produces a hostile environment for these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given limited investigation into the state and status of physical education policy research internationally, we suggest there is a need for a more comprehensive empirical review of physical education policy research internationally to inform a future research agenda. The purpose of this scoping review is to map the international peer-reviewed empirical literature detailing policy research in school-based physical education between 2010 and 2020 to understand and make recommendations for extension, where appropriate, of the conceptual boundaries of how to 'do' policy research in this field. We followed a three-phase approach to the scoping review: (i) identifying relevant sources; (ii) charting of sources; and (iii) reporting the findings from the charting of sources. Results were interpreted through two theoretical lenses: (a) Rizvi and Lingard's (2010) framework of policy issues and questions and (b) Diem et al.'s (2014) traditional and critical approaches to educational policy research. Findings are discussed in relation to the charting categories which included: journal; year; affiliations; country of work; funding acknowledgements; research question; policy definition; policy issues; and traditional and/or critical research. We hope this research can be useful to those looking to enter the physical education policy research space, as it introduces them to the research landscape, and to those already engaged in this space looking to fill gaps in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examinable physical education (i.e. physical education as a certificate subject in a high-stakes environment) has distinctive forms of practical and theoretical knowledge, and the concept of 'integration' has been identified as a means to bridge such forms of knowledge. This paper explores how teachers interpret, translate, and enact curriculum policy, particularly the notion of 'integrated learning experiences', and how students respond to 'integrated learning experiences' in the Irish examinable physical education curriculum. Figurational sociology was used to locate the teachers and students in a web of interdependent relationships and conceptualise them as 'policy actors'. Through analysing a year-long data set of teacher and student qualitative data, this paper sheds light on how teachers and students 'do' policy work which we explicitly argue is influenced by the independencies within their figurations in the multi-layered policy enactment context. This paper contributes to our understanding of the policy enactment process and how teachers and students engage (or not) with the enactment of curriculum policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, patterns of participation in sport are changing, with so-called 'informal' participation displacing club-based and other formally structured involvement in sport. This paper reports research that is investigating changing forms of participation from an educational perspective. It directs attention to what physical education can learn from informal sport and how physical education can align pedagogically with contemporary participation trends, to help grow and sustain young people's engagement in sport beyond schools. The paper presents findings from two sequential elements of an ongoing research project. The first is a systematic review of literature pertaining to informal participation that examined the skills, knowledge and understanding central to participation that occurs outside of traditional sport structures. Findings from this review highlight that social skills, cultural understandings, and knowledge relating to environment, alongside movement skills, are important in enabling participants to become engaged in, and maintain their involvement in, informal participation. The second element of the research involved documentary analysis to examine the alignment of contemporary curricula, and specifically, the Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education (AC HPE), with the learning identified as important for informal participation. Findings illustrate clear opportunities for the AC HPE to bring to the fore knowledge, skills and understandings that may extend young people's engagement with informal participation through their lives. The discussion addresses key issues for policy makers, teachers and teacher educators to consider in the light of this research, if they are to leverage the opportunities for teaching and learning that informal sport presents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there may be some broad agreement about the purposes of primary physical education, there is dramatic variance in how these purposes are prioritised and enacted. Primary physical education consequently focusses on multiple, often competing, priorities. To gain a better understanding of this issue we review how different stakeholders view the purposes of primary physical education. We analysed 95 qualitative studies published between 2000 and 2017 that focussed on the views of different stakeholders. Across all stakeholders, the main purposes of primary physical education were identified as being physically active and learning physical, social, and emotional skills. Teachers and pupils were the most represented stakeholders, while the limited representation of school principals and policy makers was noted. The review indicates a need to examine the perspectives of those underrepresented stakeholders, serving as an entry point for bridge-building to shape the future direction of primary physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents theoretical insights and empirical findings from research in Western Australia (WA) that explored the concept of 'integrated theory and practice' in the context of the introduction of a new examination physical education course. The lack of conceptual clarity associated with attempts to embed 'integration' into curriculum developments in examination physical education internationally provided a stimulus for this research. Focusing on a new Physical Education Studies course in WA, the research foregrounded the concept of policy enactment and used Arnold's framework of learning in, through and about movement as a critical frame to investigate the specific notions of integration that were embedded in the official curriculum text and expressed in pedagogical practices in schools implementing the new course. The paper reports findings from the investigation of the pedagogic meanings that four teachers gave to 'integrated theory and practice'. The data illustrate the varied meanings teachers gave to 'integration' and the differences consequently arising in their curriculum planning, teaching and assessment practices associated with the new Physical Education Studies course. Analysis of the data identified opportunistic, structured and investigative 'integrated' pedagogies. Data associated with each approach are presented and the expression of Arnold's dimensions within each approach explored. Discussion pursues the conditions enabling different pedagogical practices to emerge from the new Physical Education Studies course and the learning opportunities provided to students by the different pedagogical approaches. The paper presents a case for further engagement with the pedagogical expression of Arnold's framework by curriculum developers, researchers, teacher educators and teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussions on educational policy are shaped by current societal transformations associated with diversity. At the same time, the most recent reform of the Austrian National Curriculum for Physical Education (NCPE) was driven by the desire to stipulate standardised learning outcomes. Building upon Bernstein's framework, this paper explores to what extent issues of diversity are addressed in curricular documents, which inform and structure teaching and learning processes. Based on a qualitative content analysis, the General National Curriculum (GNC) and the latest NCPE were investigated. In a two-stage process, combining predetermined and emerging coding, significant themes were developed throughout the data analysis process. The findings demonstrate differing understandings of what diversity means and how it should be taken into consideration, indicating a less comprehensive way in the NCPE compared to the GNC. Since a uniform understanding of diversity is missing, this ambiguity fails to comply with a NC's function to act as a systematic framework for teachers. There is friction at the level of education policy, as the NCPE should both reflect generally acknowledged societal transformations associated with diversity and be standardised at the same time. The paper concludes that future curriculum reforms should specifically address diversity-sensitive teaching and learning within the subject in a more comprehensive way, interlink the GNC and NCPE precisely and rethink the tension between diversity and standardisation in the NCPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the view that Lesson Study has the potential to make a significant contribution to future developments in primary physical education. To set the paper in context, we explore the concerns that have long been voiced about primary physical education, particularly the nature of the professional development experiences of generalist primary class teachers. Contemporary approaches to teachers' professional development, one of which is Lesson Study, are presented as having some potential in addressing these concerns as they are focused on teacher collaboration, autonomy and agency. Building on this background, the paper reports on a longitudinal physical education Lesson Study investigation that took place in one primary school in Japan: a country where Lesson Study has been a key feature of teachers' professional development for more than a century. Working with 30 teachers over a three-year period, the findings highlight how the long-term, collaborative and situated nature of the Lesson Study experience helped create a positive context for the teachers' professional development in physical education. Specifically, the findings reveal that the shared planning, observation and reflective experiences over time helped the teachers develop a more positive and detailed view of physical education. The paper concludes by proposing that Lesson Study, as a long-term, collaborative and situated endeavour, has the potential to foster productive developments in generalist teachers' enactment of the primary physical education curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on critical discourse analysis to examine how health and physical education (HPE) curricula from Sweden, Norway, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand may influence possibilities for the enactment of social justice in schools. The findings highlight the presence of social justice intentions across the five curricula as related to embodied movement experiences, social cohesion, and activism. That said, the findings simultaneously suggest that the language used to orient teaching towards social justice objectives is often elusive. In this paper, we contend that despite the presence of social justice intentions in these five HPE curricula, the articulation and function of the language within the curriculum documents do not necessarily support the enactment of this in practice. To conclude, we therefore suggest that more work is needed to ensure that curricula and other supporting artefacts and resources can better support both teachers’ practice and students’ learning in raising awareness of, and addressing, social justice outcomes in HPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been some exploration of the conceptualisation of teachers as change agents within educational change literature. While this body of work does consider how teachers understand, harness and influence the process of curriculum change, within the policy rhetoric and educational change literature there is limited reference made to how the change agent role is translated into practice. To illustrate the complex nature of the change process this paper explores the experiences of generalist primary teachers at the ‘chalk face’ as they initiate physical education curriculum change within their school contexts. This paper reports on the findings of a study investigating how five Scottish primary teachers with a postgraduate qualification in primary physical education construed and took forward curriculum change. A qualitative and interpretivist approach to the research was taken to analyse how the knowledge and skills the teachers gained from the professional development they had undertaken contributed to their agency to initiate curriculum change within their school contexts. Drawing on the work of Fullan, the concept of change agentry is used to analyse the experiences of the individual teachers as they exercised their agency to enact curriculum change. The paper concludes by reflecting on the findings of the study to suggest factors that may support and constrain teachers acting as change agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body image disturbance in children and adolescents has negative implications for psychological and physical well-being. To positively impact well-being, it is important to explore factors that influence body image and to identify strategies that can be used to reduce body image disturbance. The school curriculum can play a significant role in shaping how children and adolescents experience their bodies. Within this school curriculum, physical education lessons represent one of the only school subjects in which the body is a focus of curricular outcomes. In physical education, the body is judged for physical ability but is also situated in a space that provides the potential for social comparisons and body judgements. Significant attention has been paid to the development of classroom-based interventions that aim at reducing body image disturbance, yet physical education has largely been ignored as a context in which one can effectively intervene. This paper reviews current knowledge on the relationship between physical education and body image disturbance by using the cognitive-behavioural model of body image developments as a guiding framework. It also considers the contribution that physical education could make to wider school-based interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artefacts are an important part of policy work, and a means of representation, translation, re-negotiation, and resistance of policy. While research has established their integral role in policy enactment, little research has examined the production and/or dissemination of artefacts by teacher educators. This paper reports and analyses the production and re-production of a specific set of artefacts, arising from the policy work of four teacher educators seeking to influence the interpretation and enactment of the Australian Curriculum in Health and Physical Education (AC HPE). Analysis and discussion pursue: the rationale for producing a set of artefacts focusing on a particular feature of the AC HPE; the processes of artefact production; actions designed to activate and re-present the artefacts; and emerging evidence of uptake and impact. The relationship of artefacts to policy work is shown to be strategically significant for teacher educators, teachers and others invested in new curriculum developments, and is characterised as both fluid and generative. We argue that artefacts have important performative policy potential and play a key role in supporting and shaping curriculum policy enactment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity prevention and control have been identified as top public health priorities in modern societies. Sport and exercise science researchers from multiple perspectives (e.g. behavioral, pedagogical, psychological, and physiological) have been active contributors addressing this topic. This paper examines the importance of energy balance (EB) knowledge in enabling behaviors associated with weight management in youth (e.g. physical activity and dietary behaviors). Relevant research studies were searched using ERIC, Proquest, PubMed, and Scopus. A total of 48 articles that met the inclusion criteria were identified and retrieved. The research findings of the included articles were summarized after being thoroughly reviewed. The paper reveals mixed findings about the association between EB knowledge and behaviors, reinforcing the importance of developing knowledge through education. The literature review further identifies that there is inadequate knowledge about EB among youth, coinciding with a national call for action to enhance EB education in schools. The knowledge inadequacy is related to two plausible reasons: the science of EB is still evolving and systematic EB education is lacking in schools. In addition, while some school-based EB education programmes are available, many of these programmes are expensive and lack generalizability and sustainability over time. The paper concludes with a proposal to enhance EB education using concept-based physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research sought to uncover challenges that arose in the implementation of the Reflective Educational Approach to Character and Health (REACH) after-school programme in a low-income public school in New York City. Additionally, we wanted to find and share some of the lessons learned, to help others avoid our pitfalls when implementing quality after-school programming. At the conclusion of the year-long REACH programme that was preceded by a year-long pilot, the lead researcher interviewed six key stakeholders: (a) the coach; (b) an academic tutor; (c) the director of REACH; (d) two after-school teachers/leaders within the school; and (e) the assistant principal of P.S. 780 (pseudonym). We employed a qualitative case study approach. Field notes from observations, researcher journals, emails, and multiple interviews were used to triangulate data. Two coders first independently coded and analyzed the data using the constant comparison method, followed by a peer reviewer to further establish credibility and trustworthiness. Three themes are presented from the data analysis: (a) bridging community dynamics and REACH; (b) needing community involvement; and (c) role modeling through cultural competence. These three themes are analyzed through a lens of culturally responsive pedagogy and a new theory of positive youth development through sport. These data present a detailed account of the implementation of a sport-based after-school programme in an urban environment. The paper presents the challenges faced in the implementation of such programmes as well as lessons learned in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have long questioned the impact of teacher education programmes. Persistent claims are that pre-service teachers have fixed ideas about pedagogy when they enter training and that they become enculturated once in the profession. Within physical education (PE), similar concerns have been raised with respect to ball games. Research suggests that pre-service PE teachers typically have substantial experience of ball sports and find it difficult to implement non-traditional ball games pedagogies when they enter schools. Against this background, the aim of the study is to explore how pre-service teachers recontextualise ball games as pedagogic discourse in their transitions from university to school placement. Bernstein's pedagogic device and pedagogic discourse are employed as the theoretical framework. The investigation focuses on a Swedish PETE programme and the participants are six pre-service teachers. The empirical material consists of written assessments, observations of the pre-service teachers' lessons during school placements, and individual interviews. Findings suggest that the pedagogic discourse of ball games at the university was aligned with course learning outcomes and included the need to communicate goals, adapt and modify teaching, and combine different approaches. The pedagogic discourse at school placement involved traditional ball games, minimal curriculum references, progression in two or three lessons, and inclusive, enjoyable lessons. Factors that regulated the discourse were: familiarity with the pupils; the conceptualizing of inclusive teaching; norms regarding ball games in PE; expectations of the pre-service teachers; and the framing of ball games education in PETE. Recontextualising rules highlight challenges in transitions related to ball games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The data for this paper were generated during a three-year, Participatory Action Research project, with 41 15—19-year-old female co-researchers and activists, within and beyond the walls of a secondary school. The purpose of the larger study was to work with these students to understand and transform their self-identified barriers to physical education (PE) engagement and physical activity participation. The focus of this paper is on one of the transformation sites, the students’ formal PE curriculum. Participatory Action Research (PAR) constituted the theoretical, pedagogical and methodological framework for this study. The specific questions we seek to address in this paper are what does a negotiated PE curriculum process look like, and how does students’ increased involvement in curricular decision-making impact on their engagement with physical education. Data for this paper were generated through individual and group conversations with five student researchers and curriculum designers during the first year of the study. These conversations were guided by participatory research artefacts (e.g. photographs, posters). Findings suggest that participatory approaches to research and curriculum-making can serve to promote students’ meaningful engagement in the critique and the reimagining of their PE and physical activity experiences. The girls in this study, when provided with guidance and encouragement, rose to the challenge and took ownership of their learning, and doing so was a positive, energizing and exciting experience for them and one in which deep learning occurred and deep insights were produced. Negotiating the curriculum was not without challenge however, and both students and adult allies needed support in persevering beyond the transition and the novelty of initial excitement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of European Physical Education Review is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Drawing on data from a broader study which investigated the place of sport and physical activity in the lives of 15-16 year olds in England and Wales, this paper examines a relatively neglected dimension of research in physical education, namely, young people's participation in sport and physical activity through National Curriculum Physical Education (NCPE). The paper reports upon data generated by questionnaires completed by 1010 15-16 year olds who attended six secondary schools in the North-West of England and one secondary school in the North-East of Wales during 2003 and 2004. The study revealed strong inter-school variations in the mixes of sports that pupils experienced within NCPE. More specifically, the findings revealed that NCPE was largely dominated by competitive team-based sports that tend to be gender-stereotyped, alongside more individualized and less-competitive physical activities, It was also clear, however that the reported levels and forms of participation in different sports and physical activities in NCPE during Years 10 and 11 varied significantly and differentially according to gender, social class, the school which young people attended, specialist sports college status and whether youngsters studied GCSE PE. The paper concludes by suggesting that inter-school variations are probably explainable in terms of a combination of traditions, facilities and the enthusiasms and perceptions of PE teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increased focus on standardized testing of students has had the unintended effect of eroding curriculum time allocated to physical education (PE). The empirical literature on increasing the proportion of total curriculum time allocated to PE was reviewed and a series of meta-analyses conducted to estimate the mean effect of doing so on student learning. After combining results across six studies that were absent of additional intervention, we found pooled effect sizes of 0.41 standard deviations on student learning across cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning outcomes. The evidence for the meta-analyses came from PE programmes implemented in primary and secondary schools from four Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Although findings affirmed that increasing the proportion of curriculum allocation to PE had no detrimental effect on student learning, further analyses illustrated the disparity of learning effects across the three learning domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the usage of ‘race’ in high school physical education textbooks in Australia. In particular, it examines the concept of biological ‘race’ in connection with human performance in sport. DNA studies do not indicate that separate classifiable subspecies (races) exist within modern humans. A content analysis of physical education textbooks in Australia suggests that they are sites that continue to perpetuate myths of ‘race’ and the ‘science’ related to it. As such the utilization of biological ‘race’ as a variable for athletic performance naturalizes embedded biases, is anti-scientific and is potentially indicative of other racist practices within education. Further this commonsense understanding of biological ‘race’ continues to develop uncritically and unchecked. University students in the fields of exercise science and physical education generally develop from students who excelled in high school physical education (PE). The power of curriculum and pedagogy result in the reproduction of biological ‘race’ that has become reified in the field of physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade amidst the development and implementation of new official curriculum texts and associated assessment requirements, there has been considerable international interest in senior physical education. Arnold’s three dimensions of movement have been prominent in curriculum developments and academic debates. In the state of Victoria, Australia, a new official text for the Victorian Certificate of Education Physical Education (VCEPE) was introduced in 2011. This paper re-articulates Arnold’s dimensions of movement as a framework for inquiry, centring on this development. The framework is utilised to critically examine the pedagogical intent inherent in the new VCEPE text and examine the prospective ‘slippage’ that may feature in teachers’ interpretation and implementation of the new text. Specifically, the analysis firstly draws on Arnold’s (1979) three dimensions of movement to explore ways in which different ‘ways of knowing’ in physical education have been represented in the official text, and secondly considers the prospective and potential expression of Arnold’s dimensions in teachers’ interpretation and implementation of the new text. The potential for either conservative or progressive readings of the official text is articulated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of European Physical Education Review is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper sets out to provide further insight as to the reasons why many schools within the primary sector continue to find it difficult to ensure quality provision for physical education (PE) and school sport. It examines why class teachers, including the subject coordinator, possess concerns about teaching PE. It asks the question of who is actually best placed for teaching primary school PE and looks at how working together in partnership can support primary and subsequently secondary school PE curricula. Results from this study reinforce existing research in this area, namely that lack of personal subject knowledge and availability of training opportunities still affect quality of provision. Findings indicate that the majority of class teachers within schools sampled wish to retain a prominent role in providing quality PE experiences. While external specialist support is welcomed many primary sector teachers would resent being placed on the periphery of teaching PE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Based upon focus groups with 12 secondary school physical education (PE) teachers working in north-west England, this paper examines: (i) how young disabled people and pupils with special educational needs (SEN) were assessed in National Curriculum Physical Education (NCPE) 2000; and (ii) how teachers managed the constraints on them to assess these pupils in the same manner as other young people. The findings indicate that the NCPE assessment criteria were often perceived as inappropriate, inadequate and attainable by only a few pupils. Although teachers were constrained to use these criteria because of their statutory nature, the assessment of pupils was very much a matter of personal judgement and guess work that resulted in pupils being awarded grades that were not necessarily accurate or sufficiently indicative of their abilities. It is concluded that the competing pressures on teachers to include young disabled people and those with SEN in mainstream lessons resulted in a series of unplanned outcomes that were not intended nor desired by government, and which came to limit the extent to which pupils’ abilities could be assessed, in any meaningful way, within the NCPE 2000 statutory assessment arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of European Physical Education Review is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of European Physical Education Review is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines Slovenian physical education (PE) teachers' (n = 85) estimations of their own actual and desired professional competencies with the aim of diagnosing the main needs of practising PE teachers and resolving them within a revised Slovenian Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) curricula and through continued professional development programmes. Results show that PE teachers realistically acknowledge their own deficiencies within certain areas of practice, that during their training they are required to develop knowledge that is not directly applicable in PE classes, thus further detracting from the development of more relevant practically orientated knowledge, and that the reorganization of the Slovenian educational system during the last 15 years presented widespread demands that were not accompanied by appropriate professional institutional support. Their relative disinterest in the competencies developed through the subdisciplinary studies indicates that the mode and contents of the subdisciplinary subjects in the present PETE curriculum should be reviewed and refocused on the contents of the revised primary and secondary school curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study of one pre-service teachers implementation of the sport education (SE) model in a post-primary school in Ireland. The study sought to identify and understand the mechanisms that facilitate or inhibit learning to teach the model from the perspective of a pre-service teacher. Occupational socialization was used to examine how past teaching experiences, physical education teacher education (PETE) and school culture influenced and impacted on the experience of learning to teach the SE model. Qualitative data are reported from interviews and diary entries. Findings reveal that professional socialisation occurring in PETE had the most influence on the pre-service teacher's experience of learning to teach the model. A number of recommendations are made for teacher education and for professional development specialists attempting to improve professional development opportunities and facilitate curricular change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper brings a speculative, sociological perspective to the nature of ‘ability’ in physical education (PE) and asks why this aspect of embodiment, with notable exceptions, has received so little critical attention in the professional discourse of PE and associated research in recent years. It is suggested that thinking about ‘ability’ has become a taken for granted absent presence in the discursive practices of PE in the UK that variously helps configure attitudes towards the body, a sense of status, value, distinction, inclusion/exclusion and embodied self. Drawing on ideas from the theoretical work of Bernstein and Bourdieu the paper raises a number of issues about the ways in which ‘ability’ is constructed within the discipline that feed the various subcultures of the PE profession, influencing teaching in schools and teacher education. The paper suggests that unless greater attention is given to ‘physical education’, rather than the interest of sport and health, the profession is unlikely to make an impact either on the ‘abilities’ or other culturally informed differences that children and young people bring to schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body image has implications for child and adolescent well-being. Schools have been positioned as a suitable site to provide body image education and support the development of body image; however, little is known about the role of physical education in body image education. The aim of this study was to systematically review the evidence on the content and effectiveness of physical education-based body image or body-focused programmes published between 2000 and 2021. Using seven databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, EBSCO, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Science Direct, and SportDiscus), a total of 1185 non-duplicated articles were retrieved. The articles were selected using the following inclusion criteria: (a) intervention, programme or curriculum based in physical education that explores body image or related phenomena, (b) focused on children or young people, aged 18 years or younger, (c) conducted between 2000 and 2021, (d) quantitative and/or qualitative methods: and (e) published in English. Following the screening process, a total of 19 articles were included in this review. Results showed that most programmes reported successful outcomes, yet there was no consistent approach to the programme design and delivery. Physical activity and fitness-based programmes were the most frequently used intervention type, followed by critical sociocultural perspectives and programmes focused on movement experiences and body functionality. Whilst fitness-based programmes were generally effective in improving body image and related phenomena, future research should explore the mechanisms associated with these changes and further consider how sociocultural perspectives can be used to support body image programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of what knowledge a student of Physical Education (PE) needs to develop during PE teacher education (PETE) was recently discussed. One form of knowledge is the movement practices that students must meet during their education. Given the limited time, a delicate matter is whether to prioritize movement knowledge and consider it as subject matter knowledge (e.g. performance of the freestyle stroke) or as pedagogical content knowledge (e.g. teaching how to perform the freestyle stroke). The aim is to investigate Swedish PE teacher educators’ views on the meaning of movement skills for future PE teachers and to analyse the learning cultures made visible in the ways the meaning of movement is expressed. We conducted interviews with 12 teacher-educators and collected documents with tasks for assessment from five PETE universities in Sweden. Inspired by Bourdieu’s field metaphor, and particularly its use by Hodkinson et al. on learning cultures, we then analysed the collected material. In the results, different views on the meaning of movement skills are made visible. The PE teacher can be seen as an instructor, as well as a facilitator of movements. Movement skills can be seen as essential for a teacher in PE, as well as valuable but not essential. Movement quality can also be viewed as universal, as well as contextual. Swedish teacher educators in PE appear to ascribe value to all the positions made visible in this study. These results are discussed from the perspectives of epistemology, assessment and learning cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Set within the context of a longitudinal project that seeks to engage physical education teachers from the four countries of the UK in cross-border curriculum analysis, dialogue and learning, the current study lays the foundation by mapping and comparing curriculum discourses that currently shape how physical education is conceptualised in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. As a team of researchers with affiliations to each of the four nations of the UK, we identified those curriculum documents from each context that were written to directly inform physical education teachers' curriculum planning and enactment. We firstly identified those discourses evident in each document to understand how physical education is conceptualised within each curriculum, before engaging in a dialogical process that converged around how physical education is constructed similarly or differently within and across curricula. We found some variation in relation to how the concept of health is articulated. With the exception of the curriculum in Wales, we also found that performance discourses related to developing motor competencies for sports continue to dominate as the main purpose of physical education. Finally, there are several points of divergence in relation to how much agency or guidance teachers are afforded within each curriculum. The intention of this research is to initiate dialogue across each of the four nations, creating opportunities for learning so that, collectively, teachers can build capacity to contribute to future curricula and pedagogies in physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many students participate autonomously in physical education (PE), research shows that students who do not participate in leisure sport are less likely to perceive PE positively. Attempting to optimise the reciprocal student (↔) PE relationship and secure equal opportunities for learning in PE, schools in a Norwegian county developed an 'Interest-based PE' programme offering students a choice of two PE approaches: a sports approach (SA), focused on sports activities, and an explorative approach (EA), focused on alternative movement activities. Based on a process-relational understanding of adolescent development and learning, this study seeks a deeper understanding of changes in the PE experiences of students in the programme. Sixteen students (ages 17–18 years) who had participated in Interest-based PE for 18 months participated in qualitative semi-structured one-on-one interviews where they reflected on their relationship with PE prior to and during the programme. Data were subject to inductive interpretive thematic analysis showing that 'the role of sports in PE' framed student ↔ PE relations and that this sports discourse regulated the relations, also within the Interest-based PE programme. The separation of students into an EA and a SA accentuated the sports discourse and students' sports competencies, contributing to segregation on the basis of students' confidence, competence and ability in sports. Based on this study, we question the assumption that differentiation programmes, such as Interest-based PE, will optimise student ↔ subject relations if these relations remain governed by the sports discourse, rather than the PE curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of two effective and expert physical education (PE) teachers' value orientations on the curricula they delivered and the pedagogies they employed. The specific research questions we attempted to answer were: (a) What were the teachers' current value orientations? (b) How had these value orientations influenced their curricula and pedagogies? and (c) How had the teachers' value orientations, curricula, and pedagogies evolved during the course of their careers? Data were collected from PE teachers Hudson and Garrett with the short form of the value orientation inventory and six interpretive techniques (i.e. formal, informal, and stimulated recall interviews; non-participant observations; document analysis; and reflective journaling). Value orientation profiles were graphed. Qualitative data were analyzed by employing analytic induction and constant comparison. Key findings were that the two PE teachers prioritized the disciplinary mastery and social responsibility orientations and they employed curricular models and pedagogies that were congruent with these perspectives. Data also indicated that the self-actualization perspective had a minor influence on Hudson and the learning process orientation had a similar influence on Garrett. Both PE teachers began teaching with a primary focus on disciplinary mastery and expanded their views to include social responsibility later in their careers. The study highlights the importance of exposing preservice and in-service teachers to different value orientations, curricular models, and pedagogies and requiring them to consider the congruence between their goals and objectives and the models and methods they employ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current cutting-edge research conveys that pedagogical change using models-based practice and integration of digital technology (DT) to enable teaching and learning is most successful when supported by a learning community. Overall, the research literature acknowledges that empowering teachers to believe in themselves and their ability to tackle these new curricular and pedagogical practices is key for successful implementation. Nevertheless, enactment of a new curriculum models (CMs)-based framework, supported by DT, has not yet been researched. Six physical education teachers with different teaching backgrounds and experience using DT for teaching and learning agreed to participate. Four phases were designed to develop teachers' CMs pedagogical knowledge and technological pedagogical content knowledge as part of a collaborative, inquiry-oriented learning community. Individual and focus group interviews, and weekly critical friend discussions were used to gather teachers' and students' perceptions of their experience. Four themes reflecting phases one and two of the data appeared and evolved 18 months later and included planning, community, student learning, and the Phyz (app). The key take home message from this research highlights the power of a well-planned and structured inquiry-oriented learning community, its impact on empowering teachers to enact a new CMs-based framework, and the student learning that emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport Australia released the Australian Physical Literacy Framework (APLF) in 2019 to advance a national agenda for physical literacy (PL) and specifically, clarify and promote the development of PL in Australian sport and education sectors. For teachers, this policy initiative followed a period of curriculum development guided by the Australian Curriculum for Health and Physical Education (AC: HPE). The AC: HPE makes no explicit reference to PL, but nevertheless seeks to support young people to lead active healthy lives. This study acknowledged that HPE teachers are now challenged to navigate the divide between the APLF and AC: HPE and find ways to appropriately integrate the APLF into HPE programmes. The premise for the study was that investigating conceptual 'common ground' between the APLF and AC: HPE in relation to PL could provide an important foundation for coherent policy enactment. Accordingly, Whitehead's (2001) foundational conceptualisation of PL was employed as an analytic framework for examination of both policy texts. The purpose was to identify points of conceptual connection between the APLF, AC: HPE and Whitehead's conceptualisation of PL, and thereby strategically extend the PL discourses 'at play' across the Australian sport and education sectors. Findings suggest that while the AC: HPE and the APLF reflect differing policy agendas, the two texts both have some points of alignment with dimensions of Whitehead's framework. Discussion pursues the significance of distinctions and commonalities identified and addresses issues that HPE teachers and other stakeholders need to consider to promote a coherent approach to PL in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport Education is a curriculum model designed to provide all students with authentic sport experiences, regardless of their individual characteristics. Research showing the effectiveness of the model in promoting physical activity (PA) levels is still scant. In addition, interventions have mostly included invasion games as the main content, thus suggesting the need for exploring alternative game classifications. This study aimed to objectively analyze PA levels (sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA)), counts, and metabolic equivalent of task (MET) amongst seventh-grade students after having participated in a Sport Education season (18 lessons) of games from around the world. A total of 71 seventh-grade students (mean age = 12.3 ± 0.50; boys, n = 38; girls, n = 33) from a secondary school in northern Spain participated in the study. ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers were utilized to measure PA, counts, and METS. Likewise, height and weight were measured, and body mass index was calculated. Across the entire season students averaged just over 64% of lesson time engaged in MVPA. Significant differences in relation to gender were only found in counts (higher in boys). In relation to the phases, preseason was shown to be the most active phase, significantly contributing to MVPA levels, as well as to counts, and METS. The programme could be considered to be an effective resource for the promotion of more equitable participation, since both girls and boys displayed similar MVPA levels, exceeding the recommended minimum levels for PE lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though students can learn a great deal about ethics as they play sport, the authors of this article ask what, exactly, they learn from playing dodgeball. As they look beyond the usual arguments offered for and against the teaching of the game, they view it through three ethical lenses: the ethic of care, the ethic of anti-oppressive education, and the ethics of virtue. They conclude that in terms of modelling, confirming, and practising caring behaviours, or offering opportunities to discuss and process what might be considered fair, dodgeball can be considered miseducative. They further argue that the hidden curriculum of dodgeball reinforces the five faces of oppression defined by the feminist theorist Iris Young as marginalization, powerlessness, and the helplessness of those perceived as weaker individuals through the exercise of violence and dominance by those who are considered more powerful. They conclude that the playing of dodgeball habituates the practice of aggression and fails to contribute positively to an ethical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to examine pre-service teachers' articulation of their learning through the development of a shared professional language of teaching practice focused on meaningful physical education. Qualitative data gathered from 90 pre-service teachers over four years in Canada and Ireland were analysed. Framed by a didactical research framework, pre-service teachers used elements of the shared language to articulate why they would promote meaningful experiences in physical education, what the features of meaningful experiences tend to consist of, and how they would use particular strategies to promote meaningful experiences. This research demonstrates how a shared language that reflects a coherent approach in physical education teacher education can support pre-service teachers to access, interpret, and articulate their learning about teaching in ways that support meaningful experiences for pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]