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Given that standards-based education has been commonplace since the early 1980ʹs, most practicing education professionals cannot remember a time where standards did not exist. Standards have historically served as a mechanism for accountability and academic achievement. In physical education, while not required in initial educational reforms, the development of standards was seen as a way to combat the marginalization of our subject. Despite this, we lack evidence demonstrating the impact of standards on physical education programming and student learning. Further, we rarely take the time to consider why standards are commonplace in education, and how they are developed. This paper brings to life the historical timeline of relevant educational reforms, offers a critical perspective of standards in physical education, and proposes several questions in order to challenge the status quo and encourage productive discourse around standards-based physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding on our previous work considering the impact of physical education policy on curriculum within the United States of America (U.S.), we undertake a critical reflection of the influence of policy work at the state level. Specifically, we focus on the impact of physical education policy (e.g. standards) within Ohio on curriculum, pedagogy, and state-mandated assessment. SB 210, signed into law in 2010, established the measurement of student success in attaining the benchmarks outlined in the Ohio Physical Education Academic Content Standards. We consider the impact of this legislation and resulting policy documents on the intra-active nature of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment in the current socio-political environment in Ohio. We highlight the tension between developing socially just physical education curriculum and practices at a time when the state legislature is passing more conservative legislation within education and beyond.

In this critical reflection, we consider physical education policy research in the United States (U.S.) using a sociocritical lens. Our aim is to extend the discussion and critiques of physical education policy research by exploring how it is conducted in the U.S. Instead of asking 'What is physical education policy research?', we are more concerned with the complex, imbalanced, and unpredictable affects of physical education policy research in the U.S. Thus, we ask questions like, 'How is physical education policy research working in different contexts?', 'What counts as policy research?' and 'Who is doing policy research?' We examine how physical education policy research is being taken up across the U.S. and the orientation -- or direction -- those studies take. As such, we conclude by considering what directions, people, and elements are not included in the current orientation.

As Physical Education Teacher Education and Health Education Teacher Education faculty members, it is essential to help our students acquire the skills to handle the traumas/stress in their lives. It is also important to provide appropriate pedagogical practices so they are prepared to support the P-12 students they will eventually teach as they will have their own adversities they are navigating. For those students in P-12 who are trying to survive and function in the world, because they have experienced trauma and toxic stress, learning can be challenging. Therefore, Physical Education Teacher Education and Health Education Teacher Education programs must prepare their students to be able to create pedagogical spaces that are trauma informed/trauma invested to meet the needs of today's P-12 students. Therefore, in this article, we provide resources, strategies, and activities to guide instructors about content and pedagogical practices related to trauma. Physical Education Teacher Education and Health Education Teacher Education will be presented separately, as their contexts and content are different, although information on trauma and toxic stress can be applied to both programs.

Becoming trauma invested across P-12 educational systems has become exceedingly necessary over the past few years with much focus placed on the whole child and, more recently, a global pandemic and national systemic and institutional racism. With more and more students experiencing trauma and being at a constant state of toxic stress, it is imperative that health and physical education teachers are not only knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms but can engage in preventative measures to minimize possible triggers of past or current traumatic experiences they encounter. Due to lack of funding, licensed counselors are limited within schools, leaving teachers to navigate students' mental, social, and emotional behaviors and experiences. Yet, teachers are not trauma informed or invested due to the lack of emphasis in our teacher preparation programs and professional development opportunities. Thus, the purpose of this article is to inform health and physical educators on issues related to trauma, traumatic stress, the social inequalities and injustices that these students may encounter, and strategies on how to foster resilient learners in physical education and health.

Background: The Society for Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America has guided physical education curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the United States (US) for well over 100 years. We contend that in the US context for physical education, the "National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education" (Society of Health and Physical Educators America. 2014. "National Standards and Grade-level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education." Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics) and the "Initial Physical Education Teacher Education Standards" (Society of Health and Physical Educators America. 2017. "2017 National Standards for Initial Physical Education Teacher Education." Reston, VA: Author) are policy documents that strongly influence curriculum in physical education. While there has been forward movement in identifying and addressing diverse learning needs across these standards, we argue that a more explicit and overt focus on social justice education (SJE) is needed. Specifically, the SHAPE America standards need to be challenged and revised to become more equitable and socially just to meet the needs of all of our students, both at the higher education and K-12 levels.Purpose: We explore each standard and grade-level outcome in the standards to identify how social justice is currently being considered and expose the paucity of explicit and intentional focus on SJE. In this study, we draw on policy reform and network theory (Penney, D. 2016. "Policy and Possibilities." In "Routledge Handbook of Physical Education Pedagogies," edited by C. Ennis, 131-142. New York: Routledge; Ball, S. J. 2007. "Education Plc." "Understanding Private Sector Participation in Public Sector Education." Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge; 2015. "What is Policy? 21 Years Later: Reflections on the Possibilities of Policy Research." "Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education" 36 (2): 306--313) as frameworks for theorizing the data. Data collection and analysis: We utilized a document analysis qualitative research method to examine and evaluate how SJE is represented in the standards. The intent of document analysis is to examine and interpret data in order to elicit meaning, gain understanding, and develop empirical knowledge. Our process involved a 3-stage process, which included a superficial examination (skimming), thorough examination (reading), and concluded with an interpretation of our analysis. We utilized this process for the current and previous editions of the K-12 and PETE standards. Findings: Across the "Initial PETE Standards" (Society of Health and Physical Educators America. 2017. "2017 National Standards for Initial Physical Education Teacher Education." Reston, VA: Author) and the "National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education" (Society of Health and Physical Educators America. 2014. "National Standards and Grade-level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education." Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.) there was limited intentional and explicit emphasis on social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion in the current editions. This was consistent across previous editions in both sets of standards; however, there was more of an overt and intentional focus on SJE in the initial standards developed in 1995. 25 years ago, the K-12 national standards and student expectations had greater emphasis on SJE than we do today.

Although there has been forward movement in identifying and addressing diverse learning needs, social justice education is not a significant part of the current standards for beginning teachers or K-12 students in the U.S. Throughout our standards-based history, social justice has been more of a hidden curriculum. To attain the 50 Million Strong by 2029 goal, it is vital to acknowledge that physical education is a social justice issue. Without consideration of the historical, political, and social contexts that permeate and frame physical education, along with the social identities and lived experiences of our future teachers and students, it is unlikely that this goal will be sustained. While concerns have been voiced relative to the standards-based teaching movement, in a country that espouses standards-based education, a first step in moving any educational reform forward is to formalize its inclusion in the national standards that serve to guide our discipline. A philosophical shift may be what is needed for change to occur regarding social justice education in an attempt to enhance the learning opportunities for "all" students. A forward step in creating this change is to address the research and pedagogical practices of our current physical education teacher education and K-12 programs, along with the physical education standards and policies at the national and state levels. We specifically articulate connections between social justice education and four key, interconnected research areas related to (a) occupational socialization, (b) curriculum, instruction, and assessment, (c) technology, and (d) professional development.

It is imperative for schools to provide a safe and productive learning environment to the students they serve, but that may be difficult in today's society where trauma is widespread. Teachers need to be informed about trauma, how to identify students who have experienced it, and how to offer support. The purpose of this article is to provide physical education teachers an overview of trauma and the practical steps for implementing Trauma-Informed Practices (TIPs) within the daily program format of the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model. The TPSR model is specifically designed to help children learn to be responsible for their own and others' well-being. It provides opportunities to implement best practices that may potentially increase the resilience capacity of students dealing with trauma. Teachers of all experience levels can utilize the practical techniques provided in this article to establish a trauma-informed learning environment.

Background: Physical education (PE) and physical education teacher education (PETE) have a substantial literature base that advocates for students to develop a critical consciousness, appreciate multiple perspectives, and engage in actions to enhance social justice [Tinning, R. 2016. "Transformative Pedagogies and Physical Education." In "The Routledge Handbook of Physical Education Pedagogies," edited by C. Ennis, 281-294. New York: Routledge]. Analysing sociocultural issues, critically reflecting on beliefs, knowledge, biography, and values, and developing a sense of agency to enact change, have been recognised as an integral part of the PETE knowledge base for some time [Fernández-Balboa, J. M. 1997. "Physical Education Teacher Preparation in the Postmodern era: Toward a Critical Pedagogy." In "Critical Postmodernism in Human Movement, Physical Education, and Sport," edited by J. M. Fernández-Balboa, 121-138. Albany: State University of New York Press]. However, there remain differences in how social justice itself is conceptualised and enacted. Social justice is aligned heavily with critical and 'post' theories where taking action for justice, democracy, and power is central; but social justice is also found in humanist beliefs in student-centredness and equality and has been co-opted by neoliberal forces that promote individual responsibility. While a lack of consensus is not in itself a problem [Bialystok, L. 2014. "Politics Without 'Brainwashing': A Philosophical Defence of Social Justice Education." "Curriculum Inquiry" 44 (3): 413-440], diverse definitions might contribute to confusion and lead to uncertainty over what and how to teach for social justice. Purpose: In order to work towards greater certainty around concepts of social justice in the PETE community, this project sought to map variations in definition and conceptualisation of social justice and sociocultural issues among physical education teacher educators (PETEs) and physical education and sport pedagogy (PESP) educators, as part of a wider project on social justice and sociocultural perspectives and practices in PETE. Methods: PETE and PESP faculty (n = 72) in North America, Europe, and Australasia engaged in an in-depth interview, during which they were asked how they define social justice and sociocultural issues. Additional information about participants' social identity was collected. A constant comparative method of analysing participants' definitions mapped a range of concepts building on the theoretical framework of neoliberal, humanist, critical, and 'post' approaches to social justice. Findings: The data demonstrate that there are a range of understandings about sociocultural issues and social justice. Most commonly, some participants articulated a humanist approach to social justice by encouraging their pre-service teachers (PSTs) to have awareness of equality of opportunity in relation to gender, sexuality, and/or racism. Less prevalent, but strongly stated by those who conceptualised social justice in these terms, was the importance to take action for democracy, empowerment, or critical reflection. The terms diversity and equality, framed in neoliberal and humanist discourses, were most commonly used within the United States (US), while critical pedagogy and alignment with critical and 'post' theories were more prevalent in Australia and New Zealand. Conclusion: Differences exist in the ways social justice is conceptualised in PETE. While this can be attributed to the influence of local issues, it is also reflective of what intellectual tools, such as humanism or critical theory, are available for problematising social issues. The range of non-critical concepts found raises concern that PSTs are not getting the tools to enact social justice or tackle sociocultural issues.

Background: For many years, scholars in Physical Education Teacher Educator (PETE) have argued for the importance of educating pre-service teachers (PSTs) about equality (e.g. Evans, J. 1990. "Defining a Subject: The Rise and Rise of the New Physical Education?" "British Journal of Sociology of Education" 11: 155-169), sociocultural perspectives and issues (e.g. Cliff, K., J. Wright, and D. Clarke. 2009. "What Does a Sociocultural Perspective Mean in Health and Physical Education?" In "Health and Physical Education: Issues for Curriculum in Australia and New Zealand", edited by M. Dinan-Thomson, 165-182. Melbourne: Oxford University Press; Flory, S. B., Tischler, A., and Sanders, S. 2014. "Sociocultural issues in physical education: Case studies for teachers". New York: Rowman & Littlefield), and critical pedagogy (e.g. Fernandez-Balboa, J. M. 1997. "Physical Education Teacher Preparation in the Postmodern Era: Toward a Critical Pedagogy." In "Critical Postmodernism in Human Movement, Physical Education, and Sport", edited by J. M. Fernandez-Balboa, 121-138. Albany: State University of New York Press; Philpot, R (2015) Critical pedagogies in PETE: An Antipodean perspective. "Journal of Teaching in Physical Education" 34(2): 316-332). Despite this advocacy, we would argue that there are significant differences in how faculty teach about sociocultural issues, and for, social justice. The pedagogical actions through which PETEs do this work is the focus of this paper. Purpose: We investigated the pedagogical approaches and strategies used by PETE faculty to address and educate PSTs about social justice and sociocultural issues related to gender, race, sexuality, (dis)ability, socioeconomic status and religion in their individual PETE programs. In this study, we draw on transformational pedagogy (Ukpokodu, O. 2009. "Pedagogies that Foster Transformative Learning in a Multicultural Education Course: A Reflection." "Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education" 4 (1), Article 4; Ovens, A. 2017. "Transformative Aspirations and Realities in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE)." In "The Routledge Handbook of Physical Education Pedagogies", edited by C. Ennis, 295-306. New York: Taylor and Francis) as a framework for theorizing the data. Through this study, we highlight the pedagogical practices espoused as those that engender transformative learning. Data collection and analysis: Data for this interpretive qualitative research study was collected primarily through in-depth semi-structured interviews with over 70 PETEs who work in 48 PETE programs across Australia, Canada, England, Ireland New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States. Furthermore, an informational survey was used to gather demographic data of the participants. The participants, all current PETEs, had a wide range of professional experiences, which included the length of time in the profession, the type of institution employed, educational backgrounds and courses taught. Data analysis was completed using the processes of content analysis and the constant comparative method (Corbin, J., and A. Strauss. 2008. "Basics of Qualitative Research". London: Sage). Findings: Three major themes represent the findings. In the first theme, 'Intentional and Explicit Pedagogies,' we provide descriptions of the approaches and strategies used by PETEs in this study that were planned in advance of the learning experiences. In the second theme, 'Teachable Moments,' we provide examples of how PETEs utilized 'teachable moments' in implicit and explicit ways to educate PSTs about sociocultural issues. The third theme, 'Resistance and Constraints' captures the individual challenges PETE faculty faced within their courses if, and when, they teach for equity and social justice. The findings suggest that social justice struggles to find an explicit presence within many PETE programs and that educating PSTs about sociocultural issues and social justice is lacking in many PETE programs.

Social justice has been steadily gaining traction in physical education (PE) and physical education teacher education (PETE) for more than 40 years. During that time, scholars have argued for the importance of explicating the hidden curriculum, educating pre-service teachers (PSTs) about equality, sociocultural perspectives and issues, and most recently, taking action through social justice initiatives. A growing body of PETE literature has highlighted issues such as racism, gender, and motor elitism, however limited research has focused specifically on how social justice education (SJE) is enacted in PETE programs around the globe, particularly within the current neoliberal culture. The aim of this special issue is to explore how sociocultural and social justice issues are addressed and implemented in PETE programs internationally. In particular, emphasis has been placed on the similarities and differences across a global teacher education context related to multiple socio-political networks and assemblages (e.g. national, program, and individual) and the influence they have on best practices in PETE related to social justice.

Background: For over four decades, there have been calls for physical education (PE) and physical education teacher education (PETE) to address social inequality and foster social justice. Yet, as numerous studies demonstrate, attempts to educate for social justice in PETE are infrequent and rarely comprehensive. This raises the question why it appears to be possible in some situations but not others, and for some students and not others. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the multiple socio-political networks or assemblages in which PETE is embedded and explore how these shape the possibilities for students to engage with the concept of social justice and sociocultural issues (SCI) when learning to teach PE. Two research questions guided this study: How does an orientation for social justice education (SJE) within education policy affect the standards for enacting PETE programs? How is SJE encouraged within PETE programs?Methodology: Drawing from a broader study of over 70 key personnel in more than 40 PETE programs, we examined how faculty in PETE understand their professional world, identify their subjective meanings of their experiences, and address SCI and SJE within PETE. Data sources included an initial survey, a semi-structured interview, and program artifacts. We analyze the ways that SJE/SCI was represented in three national settings (England, the United States, and New Zealand) and identified common themes. Results: Examination of each national setting reveals ways that SJE and SCI were enabled and constrained across the national, programmatic, and individual level in each of the countries. The coherence of explicit National policy and curricula, PETE program philosophies, and the presence of multiple individual interests in social justice served to reify a sociocultural agenda. Conversely, possibilities were nullified by narrow or general National Standards, programs that failed to acknowledge sociocultural interests, and the absence of a critical mass of actors with a socio-critical orientation. These differences in assemblage culminated in variations in curriculum time that served to restrict or enable the breadth, frequency, and consistency of the messages surrounding SCI in PETE. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of acknowledging socio-political networks where PETE operates. The agency of PETEs to enact pedagogies that foreground sociocultural interests is contingent on congruity of the networks. The authors caution that although the 'perfect storm' of conditions has a profound influence of the possibility of transformational learning of SCI in PETE, this arrangement is always temporary, fluid, and subject to changes in any of the three network levels. Additionally, the success of PETE in enabling graduating PE teachers to recognize the inequities that may be reinforced through the 'hidden curriculum' and to problematize the subject area is contingent on the expectations of the schools in which they teach.

Background: Throughout this mediated society, young people, in particular, are mass consumers of corporatized media. The mediation of sport has long been critically examined within sociology and physical cultural studies [(e.g. Mcdonald, M. G., and S. Birrell. 1999. "Reading Sport Critically: A Methodology for Interrogating Power." "Sociology of Sport Journal" 16: 283-300)]. Due to our society's media consumption, physical education (PE) teachers and students are mediated and socially constructed individuals, which influences one's ability to teach and learn within a school environment. Purpose: In this paper, we critically examine and analyze movie content of PE, primarily in the U.S. We explore the representations for what they tell us about the place of PE in society and compare them to best practices in regards to appropriate content and methods. Data collection and analysis: A critical analysis of 43 movies with PE content was conducted spanning the years 1939-2012. All PE scenes were transcribed verbatim for dialogue, action and sound. Using the constant comparative method [Corbin, J. M., and A. L. Strauss. 2008. "Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory." 3rd ed. London: Sage], a systematic analysis of the movie scenes and transcripts was implemented to examine them for themes. Trends were reviewed over time and across genres, offering a systematic analysis of all scenes related to PE. Findings: Two major themes represent the findings of the critical readings: (a) bullying in PE and (b) constructions of masculinity. Furthermore, a comparative analysis ensues on the depictions and representations of content and methods in PE and how those relate to best practices in the profession. Collectively, PE has changed over time from being depicted in romantic ways as a lighthearted space, to a space of discipline and fear, to an irrelevant and/or comedic space. Instances of physical educators being depicted as caring and competent within a plethora of less positive portrayals of physical educators as cruel, inept and/or inappropriate were also found. We argue that these public narratives of PE over time reflect collective feelings and imaginings of PE, which impact beliefs and attitudes about the profession, and therefore policy impacting PE offerings.

The authors argue for creating a context within education where teachers can utilize critical pedagogical practices to explicate the hidden curriculum, explore students' sense of self and embodied identities, and engage students to empower themselves to speak up and take action about issues of embodiment and their understanding of social inequalities within schools. They specifically explore how high school girls' mediated and embodied identities were translated, particularly as they engaged in participatory activist research by becoming co--meaning makers and co-interpreters during the research process. During the first phase of the study, data were collected from focus group interviews and descriptive field notes from observations. In the second phase, participants created their own activist-based project. Participants shed light on the social issues they encountered in high school and how these experiences influenced their embodied identities, which led them to develop Beautiful You and thus become agents of social change.

The purpose of this study was to examine how two teacher educators integrated sociocultural issues within their undergraduate physical education teacher education (PETE) programs. We engaged in self-study to examine challenges and barriers to teaching sociocultural issues to pre-service teachers (PSTs). After discussing social justice in PE at a research conference, we discussed future research to understand what and how we were explicitly addressing issues of social justice in programs, and how we were educating PSTs to teach K-12 students about social justice and social inequalities. A collaborative self-study over the course of one academic year allowed us to explore our teaching practices by investigating teaching materials and pedagogical methods during the teaching process. We identified three salient themes that were prevalent between both of our pedagogical approaches: using self as an example, responding to teachable moments and questioning whether we are doing enough. Barriers to incorporating sociocultural issues in courses are discussed, and a call to revitalize the social justice agenda in PETE is made.

In this paper, we argue for the importance of creating a context that allows students to explore their sense of "self" and their embodied identities, specifically within a physical education context. We specifically explore how students' mediated and embodied identities are "translated," particularly as they engaged in activist research by become co-meaning makers and co-interpreters throughout the research process. The purpose of this study was to engage high school girls in collaborative activist research to explore how they made meaning of their mediated identities, how they translated these identities to their embodied sense of self and how that influenced their schooling experiences. Participants were three ninth grade girls from a coeducational class in a suburban high school located in the Midwest region of the USA. During the first phase of the study, data were collected from focus group interviews, media consumption logs and descriptive field notes from observations. In the second phase, participants created their own activist-based project. The transcriptions and field notes were coded using content analysis and the constant comparative method. Participants shed light on their media consumption and how this consumption influenced their interactions with others and their own embodied identities. Their media consumption led the girls to take action by developing a survey that was based on the television show entitled, "If You Really Knew Me," to explore the challenges and issues the student body encountered that influence their mediated and embodied identities. Through this experience, the girls indicated that they felt a sense of empowerment by taking social action. Results offer insight into the girls' lived experiences in physical education and high school, the girls' experience and process in developing their projects, the outcomes of this school-wide action research project and how they translated their embodied identities.

Distance running is a popular form of physical activity within the United States and the world. Many distance runners experience some form of injury, causing them to seek treatment and advice from a variety of medical professionals. The authors explored how a small group of medical professionals advised and treated patients in regard to engaging in distance running. The authors found that with diverse personal experiences in running, medical professionals are clearly impacted by their own embodied experiences of, and personal beliefs about, distance running in how they treat and advise patients. Therefore, they draw from diverse medical epistemologies in their clinical judgments, including their own embodied experiences, clinical observations, evidenced-based research, narrative medicine, and intersectionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited research has been conducted on student voice with students in physical education. Accessing and responding to student voice are relevant for researchers and physical education teachers to develop physical education programs that are meaningful and have a sense of purpose to the students themselves. It is through listening to student voices that researchers and teachers might learn how students navigate power structures, formulated by adults, which typically dominate physical education curricula and exclude students from the process of curricular decision-making and implementation and, ultimately, ownership of their own learning and movement experiences. Purpose: This study explored how secondary-school girls, through their voices, identified and critiqued their self-identified barriers to their engagement in and enjoyment of physical education and navigated these barriers and the unequal power relations they encountered to thrive or survive in physical education. Participants and setting: Participants were seven 9th and 10th grade girls in a coeducational physical education class in a rural high school located in the northeast region of the USA. Data collection: Data were collected from the following sources: (a) focus group interviews, (b) formal interviews with the adolescent girls, (c) descriptive field notes of the girls' physical education classes, and (d) informal conversations with the physical education teachers. Data analysis: Data analysis was conducted simultaneously with the data collection process throughout this study. Field notes were word-processed into narratives and the focus group and formal interviews were transcribed verbatim. The transcriptions and field notes were coded using content analysis and the constant comparative method. Findings: Interpretations include the participants' self-identified barriers to their engagement in and enjoyment of physical education and their critique of these self-identified barriers and how they navigated these barriers and the unequal power relations they encountered within physical education. Girls' self-identified barriers included "Proving themselves to the boys," "Girls are supposed to do girly things and boys are supposed to do boy-ee things," and "There's a risk of being embarrassed." Through discourse and critical inquiry, the participants were able to voice their self-identified barriers and individual lived experiences. Although the participants experienced these barriers, they were able to embody their comfort and enjoyment by navigating their participation within particular contexts and situations to thrive or survive in physical education.

Two forms of assessment, summative and formative, are the primary means by which teachers determine student progress and achievement. Summative assessments help teachers determine what students have learned at the end of a unit of instruction. They are often used to help teachers determine whether their instruction was effective or to grade students. Unlike summative assessments, formative assessments are primarily used to inform teachers about what students know before a unit of instruction or what they are learning as a unit progresses. They are critical for informing teachers and students of their progress toward achieving the national standards, and they need to be an integral component of the instructional process in today's schools. This article informs teachers about formative assessment and provides examples of how K-12 teachers can integrate PE Metrics into instruction in order to determine progress toward student learning.

Background: Educating adolescent girls about their bodies provides girls with the opportunity to make meaning of their embodied identities for themselves. Knowledge of, and understanding of, embodiment has the potential for adolescent girls to be empowered within the physical education context. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how adolescent girls articulate their embodiment and navigate their embodied identities within the public and private physical education context. Two research questions were addressed: (1) how do adolescent girls articulate their embodiment within the physical education context?; and (2) how do adolescent girls navigate and negotiate their socially constructed embodied identities within the public and private physical education context? Participants and setting: Participants were eight seventh grade girls in a same-gender and coeducational physical education class in a suburban middle school located in the Northeast, United States. Multiple data sources were used to explore adolescent girls' embodiment in physical education. Data collection: Data sources included: (1) critical incidents forms; (2) formal interviews with the adolescent girls; (3) journals; and (4) descriptive field notes of the girls' physical education classes. Data analysis: Data analysis was ongoing throughout the data collection process. Field notes were word-processed into narratives and interviews were transcribed verbatim. Critical incidents forms, transcriptions, journals, and field notes were coded using content analysis and the constant comparative method. Findings: Results indicated that participants' embodied identities in physical education focused primarily on the socially constructed idealized female body. Two major sections will represent the findings of the data: (1) meaning making of the body: the outer shell; and (2) public display of physical body: "all eyes on me". A central category is used to summarize the findings at the end of the results section. First, most participants' thoughts, feelings, and perceptions focused on the physical aspect of their bodies. Physical appearance, specifically body size and dress attire, was a repeated topic when participants provided descriptions of their own bodies. Second, aspects of physical education that publicized participants' bodies were changing clothes in the locker room, exposing the body based on clothing attire, and comparing self to others within activities. These eight girls were able to articulate their embodiment based on their current understanding of who they are, who they believe they ought to be, and how they believe others perceive them. Based on participants' own sense of self and concern about how others may survey and judge them, they created strategies (individually and collaboratively) to feel comfortable, safe, and trusting of others within the physical education environment.

In addition to validity and reliability evidence, other psychometric qualities of the PE Metrics assessments needed to be examined. This article describes how those critical psychometric issues were addressed during the PE Metrics assessment bank construction. Specifically, issues included (a) number of items or assessments needed, (b) training protocol for required intra- and inter-rater objectivity, and (c) the development of a score scale. First, using a subsample of data from the PE Metrics study, in which students were assessed using four assessments, the impact of the number of assessments was examined. It was found that at least two assessments are needed when applying PE Metrics for the purpose of high stakes testing. Single individual assessments can still be used in teaching practice, but the results must be interpreted with caution. Second, with the training protocol developed for PE Metrics, satisfactory intra-rater objectivity can be achieved. When two or more raters are involved in rating, however, an additional monitoring protocol should be employed so that inter-rater objectivity can be monitored and controlled. Third, to help allow for a consistent interpretation and reporting of PE Metrics results, a score scale was developed. Other related issues, such as test fairness and setting performance standards, were discussed, and future directions concerning PE Metrics maintenance and continuing development were outlined. (Contains 11 tables.)

New testing theories, concepts, and psychometric methods (e.g., item response theory, test equating, and item bank) developed during the past several decades have many advantages over previous theories and methods. In spite of their introduction to the field, they have not been fully accepted by physical educators. Further, the manner in which many assessments are developed and used in physical education has limitations, including isolated test development, weak or poor psychometric quality control, lack of evaluation frameworks, and failure to measure change or growth. To eliminate these shortcomings and meet the needs of standard-based assessment, a major national effort was undertaken to develop an item or assessment bank, called "PE Metrics," for assessing the national content standards for physical education. After providing a brief introduction to the background of PE Metrics, this article will describe the nature of the testing theory, psychometric methods, and how they were used in the construction of PE Metrics. Constraints of developing such a system are acknowledged, and future directions in physical education assessments are outlined. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

The purpose of this study was to develop and calibrate an assessment system, or bank, using the latest measurement theories and methods to promote valid and reliable student assessment in physical education. Using an anchor-test equating design, a total of 30 items or assessments were administered to 5,021 (2,568 boys and 2,453 girls) students in Kindergarten and Grades 2 and 5. Their performances were video-taped and rated using 4-point scoring rubrics. The coded data were analyzed using the many-faceted Rasch model, with three defined facets: items, rubrics, and students. Data from Grade 2 were analyzed first, followed by Kindergarten and Grade 5, with the later two anchored on the scale of Grade 2. It was found that the model-data fit well and item difficulties were well spread (Kindergarten: -1.52 to -0.13, Grade 2: -1.22 to 1.29, and Grade 5: -1.26 to 0.44 logits). As a result, an assessment bank was established. An anchor-test equating design allows comparison of students' performance across grades using different items. The development and calibration of the bank serves as a good example for future test/assessment development and application in physical education. (Contains 9 tables.)

Although teaching games for understanding has been increasingly incorporated into physical education curricula around the world, many physical education teachers find it challenging to provide students with learning opportunities that foster critical thinking. Specifically, teachers have difficulty identifying problems in and potential solutions for students' performance during game play. To aid them, this article provides frameworks for diagnosing student performance problems in striking/fielding and target games and a sample lesson on how to implement the problem-diagnosis frameworks during instruction. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

This is the fourth and final article in the "PE Metrics" series that focuses on assessing the National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE) for Standard 1. The first article focused on assessment of student learning. The second described formative and summative assessments and provided considerations on how to implement assessment within standards-based units and lessons. The third article discussed the benefits and advantages of using the text "PE Metrics: Assessing the National Standards, Standard 1: Elementary". This final article of the "PE Metrics" series focuses on informational products and applications currently being developed by NASPE, which includes: (1) "PE Metrics: Assessing the National Standards, Standard 1: Secondary"; (2) "PE Metrics: Assessing the National Standards, Standards 2-6"; and (3) "PE Metrics" Web Application. [For Part 3, see EJ900548.]

This article is the third of four articles in the PE Metrics series related to the value of using national assessments to inform teachers, students, parents, and administrators about student progress at the elementary level toward achieving the National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE, 2004) for Standard 1. The first article focused on the importance of assessing student learning. The second explained formative and summative assessment processes and instructional considerations when implementing the standards. This third article discusses the benefits and advantages of using the assessments that appear in "PE Metrics: Assessing the National Standards, Standard 1: Elementary" (NASPE, 2008). These benefits and advantages of implementing nationally tested assessments will provide teachers, students, parents, and administrators with valuable information on student learning. [For Part 2, see EJ900541.]