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There is an extensive international literature on different forms of ability grouping in schools, much of which describes their impact on students' academic achievement, motivation, self‐concept and/or attitudes towards learning. Comparatively little research has focused on students' perspectives of these practices, while the research that has been conducted has primarily focused on mathematics, English and science. There is a conspicuous and arguably significant absence of research that explores students' perspectives on different forms of ability grouping in other areas of the school curriculum, including physical education (PE). In contrast to the relative privacy of classroom‐based subjects, students' bodies, physical competencies and performances are very openly on display in PE, which potentially accentuates the importance of grouping strategies from students' perspectives. This study sought to extend current grouping and ability research by generating large‐scale data relating to students' preferences for setting, mixed‐ability grouping or a combination of these approaches in secondary school PE. Data were collected through an online survey administered to 4908 students in 48 mainstream state‐funded secondary schools located in all nine regions of England. The responses showed that overall, most students preferred setting to mixed‐ability grouping or a combination of these approaches. Variations in preferences are discussed in relation to demographic and situational factors, including gender, self‐identified ability, school year group, previous experiences and the nature of the learning environment. Implications of the findings for policy, practice and future research are discussed, and the need for ability to be problematised and further explored in PE research and practice is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore elementary physical education teachers' perceptions toward prominent socializing agents (e.g. students, administrators, and parents/guardians) and related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 15 elementary physical education teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Using conventional qualitative content analysis techniques, these themes were identified: (a) teachers' perceptions of working through the pandemic, (b) teachers' perceptions of parental/guardian support through the pandemic, (c) teachers' perceptions of parental/guardian support through the pandemic, and (d) thinking beyond the pandemic. Participant data highlights that the pandemic's impact on elementary physical education teachers was not uniform across all experiences. Instead, teachers' experiences through the pandemic were distilled across a continuum. This study offers additional evidence on key socializing agents' impact on physical educators and discusses future practical and research-based considerations for the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how students understand physical education (PE) as a subject in the Danish upper secondary school (USS) and discusses the role of the subject after the Danish USS reform of 2017. The paper presents a 6 months' field study of PE lessons in 2 Danish upper secondary schools. Both schools were located in the Danish capital area. A total of 42 Lessons in 4 PE-classes [N = 240] were observed throughout the 6 months and 8 focus group interviews were conducted with students [N = 54] at the end of the field study. We are inspired by the theoretical contribution of Hartmut Rosa to analyse how students understand physical education (PE) and critically discuss and reflect upon the how this understanding relates to the structure of PE as a USS subject in the light of the political development in the Danish upper secondary schools for the past decades. The study has shown that most students value the subject because it represents a place of resonance during an otherwise accelerated everyday life. At the same time, the USS reform of 2017 gives PE a smaller role in the overall curriculum. However, PE is now, for the first time, an exam subject after the third year of USS. Therefore, the article contributes to a debate regarding the consequences the increased focus on achievement may have on the subject as a place of resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify the the factors that influenced pre-service teachers' perceptions of their abilities to solve structured physics problems. 1185 pre-service teachers from different disciplines, enrolled in physics courses in one Turkish University from 2008 to 2017 participated in a descriptive survey. The factors influencing the pre-service r physics problem-solving abilities, ranking from most to least, were as follows: personal characteristics; quality of secondary or university physics teaching; secondary school physics education, and physics learning environment. The study implies the need for: (i) equal opportunities; (ii) knowledge integration; and (iii) learning affordances, which are relevant not only to Turkey but also to worldwide physics education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the research exploring the benefits of using cooperative learning in secondary physical education, several research gaps still remain, namely, limited research on its effects on prosocial behaviours, the impact on adolescents as they grow up, and the lack of assessment of differently structured cooperative learning frameworks. The goal of this study was to compare high- versus low-structured cooperative learning frameworks and assess their impact on adolescents' prosocial behaviours at different ages. The study followed a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design. Two hundred and eighty-six students (150 girls) participated and were distributed into four groups: Control 1 (year-8 students), Control 2 (year-10 students), Experimental 1 (year-9 students) and Experimental 2 (year-11 students). All groups experienced the same Acrosport unit, but the control groups were within a low-structured cooperative learning context and the experimental groups were within a high-structured cooperative learning framework. Cooperative learning and prosocial behaviours were measured before and after the intervention. Results showed that students who experienced a high-structured framework at a younger age significantly increased their scores on the five variables that mediate the effectiveness of cooperative learning, and their prosocial behaviours. The older the adolescents, the fewer the changes in cooperative learning, and with no changes in prosocial behaviours. Students who experienced a low-structured framework did not improve their cooperative learning and decreased their empathy, social relations, and leadership at younger ages. In conclusion, cooperative learning must be properly structured to produce a positive impact using heterogeneous working groups, teachers' feedback and shared regulation. However, older adolescents need specifically designed cooperative learning contexts with longer learning units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The form of Physical Education (PE) teacher selection matters in that, as a system of rules (i.e. institution), it shapes the practices of Initial Teacher Education (ITE), including pre-service PE teachers' daily preparation for teaching qualification and employment. This article examines the secondary PE teacher selection examination as one of the locations of teacher socialisation and identity (re)formulation. Focusing on South Korea's National Secondary Teacher Selection and Employment Examination (STSEE), the paper addresses two main research questions: (a) how does the STSEE structure everyday practices of pre-service PE teachers who prepare for the exam for a year at least; and (b) what does this intensive year-long routine of commitment bring to the social and professional identities of the applicants? Drawing on a micro-sociological concept of 'reinventive institutions' (Scott, 2010, 2011), this study analyses qualitative data from a number of documents and in-depth interviews with 11 pre- and in-service PE teachers. Our analysis reveals two main findings. First, the STSEE features key attributes of reinventive institutions, including total commitment to exam preparation, deference to gurus and communities of comradeship, all of which operate on the basis of individuals' aspirations to success in the STSEE. Second, distinguished from the stereotype of physical educators in previous generations (e.g. incompetent, violent and unprofessional), PE teachers who have passed the exam acquire reinvented identities as smart, passionate and professional PE teachers who can enjoy 'permanent job security' with their advanced social positionality. The paper concludes by discussing the significance of teacher employment examinations in studying PE teachers' socialisation into the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United Kingdom (UK) particularly, grouping strategies in secondary education have attracted considerable political attention. While setting students by ability is frequently adopted in mathematics, English and science, mixed-ability grouping is common in other subjects, including physical education (PE). Educational research exploring grouping has highlighted the need for research to extend understanding of the pedagogical assumptions, challenges and/or opportunities associated with the use of mixed-ability grouping in various subject and school settings. This case study research sought to examine mixed-ability grouping with a particular focus on how this grouping strategy was enacted in Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) PE lessons in a secondary school in England, and how issues of ability and inclusion are expressed in the enactment of this grouping strategy. Data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven PE teachers is reported. The findings illustrate the various ways in which teachers' enactment of mixed-ability grouping is framed by discourses of sport performance and gendered discourses, and highlight, in particular, the impact that 'grouping within groups' has for the learning opportunities that different students are able to access in PE. The analysis and discussion critically examine the conceptualisations of ability and inclusion inherent in the mixed-ability grouping practices at the case study school. The conclusion identifies a need for further research involving a larger sample of schools and teachers to extend the insights about mixed-ability grouping practices in PE generated by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Using self-determination theory, this study examined unique contributions of relatedness need satisfaction (to both teachers and peers) to intrinsic motivation and engagement (behavioral, cognitive, and emotional) over and above those of autonomy need satisfaction and competence need satisfaction among Turkish students in secondary school physical education. Methods: Participants were 331 (162 boys, 169 girls) middle and high school students enrolled in physical education classes at four public schools in the southwest Turkey. Data were collected by previously validated questionnaires. Results: No gender differences occurred in the mean levels of relatedness to teachers need satisfaction and relatedness to peers need satisfaction. These two types of relatedness need satisfaction made significant unique contributions to student engagement for both boys and girls. The differential roles of relatedness to peers need satisfaction in predicting boys' and girls' engagement were observed. Discussion/Conclusion: The study demonstrated that two types of relatedness need satisfaction uniquely predicted students' engagement in a secondary school physical education setting. This finding supports self-determination theory that relatedness need satisfaction is an important motivator for students in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' assessment enhances students' learning in many situations in physical education (PE). The present study aims to examine the issue of potential unequal assessment of students due to their different physical abilities in PE in upper secondary school, where the research question is: What experiences do students with high or low levels of physical fitness have of their PE teacher's assessment of and for learning? Individual interviews were conducted with thirteen boys and thirteen girls in the second year in upper secondary school to answer the question. Respondents were recruited on the basis of scores on physical fitness tests (measurement of oxygen uptake). Thirteen respondents scored on the lowest level and thirteen on the highest level of the fitness scale. Two main themes emerged from the analysis, revealing an unequal assessment of learning given to the students in the two groups, but a shared, equal experience of assessment for learning. Unfortunately, assessment for learning was experienced 'rarely or never', and the unequal assessment of learning did not favour the students with low physical fitness, who perhaps need more assessment than the students with high physical fitness. The study contributes new insight into students' experience of assessment due to unequal conditions for learning. The analysis revealed elements that were lacking in the PE teaching and assessment, especially for the students with low physical fitness. Another finding is that few students experienced that they owned their learning process, even though some students experienced to be in a learning environment, wherein the teacher gave them learning-promoting assessment. The study reinforces the finding in earlier research to integrate assessment for learning in theories of teaching in PE, and from this perspective we support further exploration of assessment for learning as well as the concept of assessment literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scraton's [1992. Shaping up to womanhood: Gender and girls' physical education. Open University Press] ground breaking research highlighted how Physical Education (PE) contributed to the reproduction of gender power relations; more specifically, how three messages around motherhood, sexuality and physicality, reflected through PE's structures, activities and delivery, contributed to young women's sense of self. Twenty five years on, this paper explores how contemporary PE reproduces and challenges gender power relations in four English secondary schools. Data were generated from eighty hours of observations of PE lessons, and eight semi-structured interviews with PE teachers. Guided by Hill Collins' [2000. Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. Routledge] four domains (structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, interpersonal) underpinning the matrix of domination the findings demonstrate that gender remains a visible organising feature in the structural arrangements of PE. Moreover, teachers' gendered beliefs and assumptions circulating within the hegemonic domain, and actions in the disciplinary domain, ensure that students embody their gender in appropriate ways. Furthermore, a consistency of practice was evident in teachers' pedagogy despite differences in the schools' cohorts. Similar blocks of teaching activities and a performance-based pedagogy failed to include difference. We suggest this is unsurprising and unlikely to change with the current National Curriculum promoting a performative, PE as sport discourse, and teacher training not conducive to developing teachers who can engage with difference and challenge inequalities. As such, PE continues to reinforce gender power relations and gender differences. By drawing upon the matrix, the need for change to occur at different levels and contexts is identified. To this end, teacher training must do better in developing the next generation of teachers who are willing and able to critique the status quo and work with girls to advocate for change. Relatedly, we draw attention to what can be achieved when power is shared through a democratic pedagogy that values girls' voices and recognises them as co-collaborators in curriculum design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As teachers move toward the end of their careers, understanding the experiences that help them derive satisfaction from their work has implications for helping them stay engaged in teaching. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the job satisfaction of late career physical education teachers. Jessica, Sandy, and Bill were later career physical education teachers (17-28 years of experience) who served as participants. All three had been colleagues at Harrisburg Middle School for 13 years. Data were collected using a job satisfaction graphing technique and qualitative interviews, and were analyzed using inductive analysis and constant comparison. Data analysis resulted in three themes related to the interactions teachers experienced with people in the school: 'the kids and control,' 'our administration and marginalization,' and 'my fellow coworkers.' Each theme related to both positive and negative appraisals of the teachers' work. Implications for practice and future research are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Federal guidelines state that youth should participate in a variety of physical activity (PA) they find enjoyable. Little is known, however, about how variety and enjoyment are associated with PA participation among adolescents. Methods: Data came from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey, a nationally representative survey of adolescents. Path analysis was used to examine the association of a variety of self-reported PA, defined as the number of activities and activity types (ie, team sports/weightlifting, individual activities, and other competitive/recreational sports), on self-reported PA enjoyment and participation. The analysis also examined whether enjoyment mediates the association between a variety of PA and participation. Separate models were estimated for boys and girls. Results: Number of activities was associated with increased PA enjoyment and participation. For boys and girls, team sports/weightlifting was associated with increased participation, and individual activities were indirectly associated with increased participation through enjoyment. For boys, team sports/weightlifting was indirectly related with participation. Conclusions: These findings suggest that participation in a variety of PA is associated with increased PA enjoyment and participation. Providing opportunities for adolescents to engage in a variety of activities might help them identify PA they enjoy and facilitate lifelong PA habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an intervention grounded in Self-Determination Theory on preservice teachers' instructional behaviors and the motivational responses of their students. A total of 62 preservice physical education teachers enrolled in a secondary physical education content and methods course were randomly assigned to either a treatment (n = 31) or a control group (n = 31). The study employed a pretest/posttest design and data were collected through: (a) observation of preservice teachers' instruction, (b) a survey measuring preservice teachers' perceptions of their autonomy support, and (c) a survey measuring secondary students' motivation. Data analysis used repeated-measures ANOVAs to examine differences between the groups. Results indicated significant changes in autonomy-support for both teachers and students exposed to the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines teachers' use of printed curriculum materials (PCM) during physical education (PE) instruction in Spanish secondary schools and the role they play in the enacted curriculum and in the construction of pedagogical knowledge. Three hundred and ten participants (mean age: 37.7 ± 8.7) responded to an interview-questionnaire on teachers' pedagogical roles and tasks linked to PCM in PE. Results indicated that while PCM were used very frequently for registering students' attendance and recording observational notes from lessons, textbooks were less and infrequently used. Both, 'materials for data registration' and 'student textbook' showed the highest and lowest level of teachers' satisfaction, respectively. 'Student diary' was the PCM used more by female and less experienced teachers than their counterparts, while textbooks were used more by experienced teachers than those with less years of teaching experience. Over fifty percent of teachers considered PCM to be 'Quite important' because they facilitate students to study theoretical knowledge, investigate and be creative. The paper discusses the contribution of teachers' use of PCM to the enacted curriculum and their participation in the social construction of PE knowledge through Bernstein's theory of pedagogic device. In particular, it indicates that PE teachers are relatively independent from external agencies in curriculum development and participate in the social construction of pedagogical knowledge. Female and less experienced teachers' use of PCM facilitated students' participation in the construction of knowledge, which suggests weaker framing of the teaching-learning process.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The micro-level enactment of educational policy has received little attention in the physical education [PE] literature, particularly as it relates to setting policy. This study employs enactment theory to provide original insights into the ways in which setting policy was enacted by PE teachers in three mixed-gender secondary schools in England. The work of Stephen Ball and colleagues is used to examine the distinct and combined influence of the situated, material, professional and external dimensions of context on setting policy and practices in PE in these three schools. Data were generated through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 PE teachers who were responsible for delivering the Year 9 PE curriculum. Our findings highlight notable variation in the ways in which setting policy was translated and enacted in PE in these three schools and the multiple factors shaping decisions about groupings and, in turn, teaching and learning for students in different sets. This study also provides novel findings regarding the dynamic interplay between the external dimensions of context (i.e. neoliberal policy making and pressures and supports from the local education authority [LEA] and the school inspectorate) and the internal dimensions of context (i.e. school-based traditions, school demographics, and support and resourcing for PE) in policy enactment. Attention is drawn to equity issues inherent in, and arising from, the varied enactment of setting policy in PE. The paper concludes by arguing for greater scholarly engagement with policy enactment, grouping strategies and constructions of ability in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical education (PE) is recommended as a source for physical activity (PA) and learning generalizable PA skills. Few studies have objectively examined high school PE, specifically its delivery, including PA, lesson contexts, and class gender composition. Methods: We used the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) to assess PA during 6 lesson contexts in 47 boys-only, 54 girls-only, and 63 coed lessons from 7 high schools. MANOVA assessed differences based on class gender composition. Results: Actual lesson length was 27.7 min, only 65% of the scheduled length of class periods. Students engaged in moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) 54% of the time, with boys being more active than girls. Game play was the most dominant context (47%), and little time was allocated to knowledge and skill development. Class size, lesson length, PA, and lesson contexts all differed by class gender composition (P < .001). Conclusions: Many differences in the conduct of high school PE are related to class gender composition. Boys accumulated more MVPA than girls. When held, PE lessons contributed about 25% of recommended daily PA minutes; improvements could be made by increasing allocations to fitness and skill practice and reducing transition and management time. Teacher professional development is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within instructional settings, individuals form relational efficacy appraisals that complement their self-efficacy beliefs. In high school physical education (PE), for instance, students develop a level of confidence in their teacher's capabilities, as well as estimating how confident they think their teacher is in their (i.e., the students') ability. Grounded in existing transcontextual work, we examined the motivational pathways through which students' relational efficacy and self-efficacy beliefs in PE were predictive of their leisure-time physical activity. Singaporean students (N = 990; age M = 13.95, SD = 1.02) completed instruments assessing efficacy beliefs, perceptions of teacher relatedness support, and autonomous motivation toward PE, and 2 weeks later they reported their motivation toward, and engagement in, leisure-time physical activity. Structural equation modeling revealed that students reported stronger other-efficacy and RISE beliefs when they felt that their teacher created a highly relatedness-supportive environment. In turn, their relational efficacy beliefs (a) supported their confidence in their own ability, (b) directly and indirectly predicted more autonomous motives for participation in PE, and (c) displayed prospective transcontextual effects in relation to leisure-time variables. By emphasizing the adaptive motivational effects associated with the tripartite constructs, these findings highlight novel pathways linking students' efficacy perceptions with leisure-time outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by theory from research on professions and literature, wherein Aristotelian perspectives on professional knowledge are examined, a student's narrative of social exclusion in physical education (PE) class in upper secondary school is used to discuss a theoretical issue of what characterizes teachers' professional practice that results in a positive change as experienced by this student. The student told that the teacher helped her so that she started participating in the PE classes and experienced constructive learning processes after being excluded socially in the class. The analysis reveals that the student's story implies a narrative about a teacher's autotelic acts, as well as phronesis and praxis. Autotelic acts are closely connected to phronesis and praxis, which are Aristotelian concepts. Professional knowledge and practice that includes phronesis and praxis, means the ability to promote what is good for each individual and make wise choices of actions, but not only for a teacher him- or herself. Phronesis and praxis are here understood as moral and intellectual 'goods', which are fundamental for moral awareness in a disposition to do the right things in the right place and time and in the right way for the student in the PE teaching. These acts are autotelic. Moreover, a closer look is taken at the knowledge base for professional practice in PE to substantiate phronesis, praxis and autotelic acts. Here it is argued that practical synthesis is constructivist for in-depth discussions on phronesis, praxis and autotelic acts. It avoids reductionist effects, opens up the discussion and gives additional fruitful directions for further research on these Aristotelian perspectives on professional knowledge in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the present paper we aimed at presenting the new secondary school curriculum for Physical Education and Sport in Romanian education and the changes proposed by it in relation to the previous curriculum. The new curriculum was developed in 2017 while the previous document regulated PE practical activities since 2009. For this we performed the conceptual comparative analysis of the content elements and of the assessment system. From a conceptual point of view, the general competencies formulated in the new curriculum still focus on using physical exercise as a means of maintaining health. The content elements are mostly represented by specific skills in sports disciplines. The content elements do not have a different connection to conceptual objectives. Content requirements are fully taken from the previous curriculum. The new curriculum proposes a new assessment system. It is based on the testing of general competence and is in line with the conceptual objectives. The new assessment system relies on the previous performance-based assessment system, although performance scales have not been developed. This makes it difficult to apply the new assessment system. The new curriculum proposes as a total novelty element the use of the PE textbook as a support for the theoretical notions that can be found in the practical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in the trans-contextual model, the purpose of the present study was to examine the role of self-determined motivation in Physical Education (PE) on self-determined motivation in Physical Activity (PA), PA intention, and accelerometer-measured habitual PA behavior among high-school aged adolescents. A sample of 394 Spanish high-school students (211 males and 183 females; aged 12-16 years) participated in the present study. The outcome measurement of PA was established using accelerometry, whereas motivation toward PA and PE as well as PA intention were measured using validated questionnaires. Path analyses supported in part the central propositions of the trans-contextual model. Self-determined motivation in PE predicted the self-determined motivation in PA (β=.45, p<.001, R²=.26). Self-determined motivation in PA predicted PA intention (β=.51, p<.001, R²=.41). The predictive strength from PA intention to behavior was weak (β=.11, p=.011, R²=.21) with a statistically non-significant mediational model from self-determined motivation in PA via PA intention to PA behavior (β=.28, p=.231). This weak-to-non-significant relationship does not fully support previous findings that have shown feasibility of the trans-contextual model in charting the pathways from self-determined motivation in an educational context to behaviors in an out-of-school context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews of the literature have confirmed the influence of autonomy-supportive teaching on student self-determined motivation and enhancement of skill in various educational contexts influencing students to be more engaged in their learning in addition to having higher levels of perceived skill improvement. Unfortunately, not much of the literature directly examines the autonomy-supportive language that teachers naturally use in physical education. Therefore, this study determined how and when teachers use autonomy-supportive behaviors within the context of a regular physical education (PE) class. Four high school PE teachers (2 male, 2 female, all Caucasian, Mage = 41.25, SD = 11.84) and 140 high school students (Mage = 14.90, SD = 1.01) in compulsory co-educational classes participated in the study. Teachers' verbal behaviors were audio recorded during four 90-min classes for three of the teachers and eight 45-min classes for the remaining teacher. Audio data were transcribed verbatim. Class observations and field notes also contributed to the analysis and helped the researchers to contextualize data collected via recordings. Findings indicate that teachers used a variety of autonomy-supportive behaviors, some more often than others. Some behaviors were underrepresented and, in some cases, were observed in an interconnected nature. The low use of some behaviors suggests room for improvement, with the benefits of such behaviors more directly influencing student motivation and enhancing skill learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite research over the past three decades that has examined links between masculinity, sport and Physical Education (PE), exclusionary practices and cultures that privilege some boys and masculinities at the expense of marginalised others are still commonly reported. With an historical legacy as a masculinity-making device, attempts to disrupt hegemonic and heteronormative cultures and pedagogies in PE that perpetuate gendered inequalities have had a modest influence, at best. This paper examines the use of visual methodologies to better understand the role of boys’ PE and sport in the construction of gender and sexuality. We argue that visual methodologies can capture social practices and spaces in ways that words alone cannot, hence enabling more nuanced interrogations and insights into gendered experiences in PE to be made. Data draws from video-stimulated reflections (VSR) of PE classes in two all-boys’ secondary schools in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian data examines VSR interviews with a female teacher involved in a Year 8 (aged 13-14 years) PE class. The New Zealand data is drawn from VSR interviews conducted during a year-long (visual) ethnography of two Year 10 (aged 14-15 years) PE classes with a male teacher. Drawing on Foucault (1980, Power/knowledge: Selected interviews and other writings 1972-1977 (C. Gordon, L. Marshall, J. Mepham & K. Soper, Trans.) New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1988, Power/knowledge: Selected interviews and other writings 1972-1977 (C. Gordon, L. Marshall, J. Mepham & K. Soper, Trans.) New York, NY: Pantheon Books), we consider how these methodologies work to expose and obscure practices and pedagogies that contribute to gendered experiences for students and teachers that both privilege and marginalise. Using the tools of discourse, power and technologies of the self, our findings illustrate how VSR can serve as a collaborative (re)production of the visual material through moments of embodied dissonance. We argue that this ‘uncomfortableness’ can facilitate productive learnings about gendered/sexualised bodies and power in PE through critical reflection and ethical self-work. This knowledge, we believe, is key in disrupting and transforming taken-for-granted practices that continue to perpetuate inequitable gendered experiences in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the responses from adolescent girls to the use of an activist approach (Oliver, K. L., & Kirk, D. (2015). Girls, gender and physical education: An activist approach. London: Routledge) by their teachers over the course of one school year during their core physical education lessons. The study took place in four secondary schools in different areas of Glasgow city. Approximately 110 girls aged 13-14 participated in this study as part of their regular physical education classes. The themes arising from the data were: (1) through variety and choice the girls were opened up to a wider range of possibilities in physical education; (2) relationships between peers (pupil-pupil) and teachers-pupils were central to the girls’ engagement. We conclude that through the use of an activist approach, and in contrast to their experience of traditional, multi-activity physical education, girls responded positively to variety and choice as they co-constructed their physical education programme with their teachers, and the development of better relationships with their teacher and among themselves created a supportive learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Both education policies and curriculum documents identify the personal development of students as a key objective of modern education. Physical education (PE) in particular has been cited as a subject that can promote students’ life skills development and psychological well-being. However, little research has investigated the processes by which PE may be related to students’ development of life skills and their psychological well-being. Purpose:Using Benson and Saito’s (2001. ‘The Scientific Foundations of Youth Development.’ InTrends inYouth Development: Visions, Realities and Challenges, edited by P. L. Benson and K. J. Pittman, 135–154. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic) framework for youth development theory and research, this study explored the relationships between the teaching climate, students’ perceived life skills development within PE, and their psychological well-being. Participants and setting:Participants were 294 British PE students (Mage = 13.70, range = 11–18 years) attending 6 secondary schools in Scotland and England. On average, these male (n = 204) and female (n = 90) students took part in PE classes for 2.35 hours per week. Data collection:The data were collected via a survey which assessed perceived teacher autonomy support, participants’ perceived life skills development within PE (teamwork, goal setting, time management, emotional skills, interpersonal communication, social skills, leadership, and problem-solving and decision-making), and their psychological well-being (self-esteem, positive affect, and satisfaction with life). Data analyses:The preliminary analysis used descriptive statistics to assess how participants scored on each of the study variables and correlations to assess the relationships between all variables. The main analysis sought to test Benson and Saito’s (2001) framework using a series of mediation models which were tested via non-parametric bootstrapping analysis. Findings:This study demonstrated that students perceived they were developing the following life skills through PE: teamwork, goal setting, time management, emotional skills, interpersonal communication, social skills, leadership, and problem-solving and decision-making. Overall, the results supported Benson and Saito’s (2001) framework for youth development theory and research. In all analyses, perceived teacher autonomy support was positively related to participants’ perceived life skills development within PE and their psychological well-being. Participants’ total life skills development was related to all three psychological well-being indicators – providing support for the ‘pile-up’ effect (Benson 2006.All Kids Are Our Kids: What Communities Must do to Raise Caring and Responsible Children and Adolescents. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass). Total life skills development also mediated the relationships between perceived teacher autonomy support and participants’ psychological well-being. Conclusion:The findings suggest that perceived teacher autonomy support, along with total life skills development, is related to participants’ psychological well-being. Interpretation of the results suggests that PE teachers should integrate autonomy supportive behaviours into their teaching (e.g. provide choice in activities and encourage students to ask questions) as they are associated with young people’s development of multiple life skills and their psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: Many studies in physical education (PE) have sought to identify and categorize the modes of student interaction in order to gain greater insight into the nature of cooperative activity. More others recent studies have examined how modes of interaction evolve on the basis of the modes of collective activity that they generate. These studies have shown to describe and explain the interactions among individuals and the processes they generate, which then lead to the construction, deconstruction or reconstruction of different interaction modes. Although some studies have sought to describe the dynamics of student interactions, very few have quantified these dynamics. By doing so, however, researchers might gain a new perspective on student interaction modes that inspires new designs for teaching in PE, thereby having professional impact. The present study extends this research by investigating the dynamics of student interaction, with a focus on the emergence of interaction modes during orienteering lessons. For this purpose, the study was conducted within the methodological framework of course of action theory, which is an effective approach for examining activity in natural situations to provide insight into the experience of activity from the actors perspective. Method: The study was conducted in two classes of seventh-grade students (about 12 years old) in which 16 students volunteered and were available for post-action interviews immediately after the lessons under study. These volunteers were placed in eight affinity-based dyads. The teachers planned orienteering lessons at similar levels of difficulty and duration but modified the lessons across a range of contextual features. Two categories of data were collected: (1) data from audiovisual recordings as the students searched for the checkpoints and (2) verbalization data during the post-action interviews with the students. The data were processed in two steps: one qualitative, the other quantitative. The qualitative step consisted of processing the data of the student experiences to characterize their interactions in the three different contexts. In the quantitative step, the data from the first step were graphically represented to depict the interaction dynamics within the student dyads. Results and discussion: The qualitative analysis showed the emergence of three modes of student interaction shared across each learning context: co-construction, confrontation and delegation. The quantitative analysis revealed the percentages of the different modes of interaction and therefore characterized the interaction dynamics. Our results showed that the interaction dynamics within the dyads were both unique and similar in the task contexts in terms of both ratios of change and distribution. Results are discussed across two major points of interest: (1) the observation of the same interaction modes whatever the context yet with quite different dynamics and (2) proposals for PE teacher interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role that school health and physical education (HPE) plays in the making of physically active and healthy citizens continues to be rearticulated within the field of HPE practice. In Australasia, for example, this is evident in HPE curricula changes that now span almost two decades with ongoing advocacy for greater recognition of socially critical perspectives of physical activity and health. This paper reports on one part of a larger collaborative project that focused on how HPE teachers understand and enact socially critical perspectives in their practice. The paper draws on interview data obtained from 20 secondary school HPE teachers, all of whom graduated from the same physical education teacher education (PETE) programme in New Zealand, a programme that espouses a socially critical orientation. The teaching experience of the study participants ranged from 1 to 22 years of service. The preliminary analysis involved deduction of common themes in relation to the research questions and then, drawing on the theoretical framework of Bourdieu [1990.The logic of practice. Cambridge: Polity Press], these themes were analysed in more detail to gain insight into how and why the graduate teachers’ expressed their particular understanding of HPE and critical pedagogy. The findings suggested that this PETE programme did have some impact on the participant teachers’ perceptions of physical activity and health, and the role of socially critical thinking. However, there was also evidence to suggest that many of them did not have a clear understanding of the transformative agenda of critical pedagogy. We conclude by suggesting that although this PETE programme did plant ‘seeds’ that had an impact on the graduate teachers’ awareness and thinking about socially critical issues in relation to physical activity and health, it did not necessarily turn them into critical pedagogues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This research examines how adolescent males (ages 16–17 years) construct and experience their masculine identities within the context of physical education (PE). A class of 23 boys and 3 girls from a state secondary school in Scotland were observed over a period of 3 months. During the third month, five of the observed pupils volunteered to take part in a conversation with the lead researcher which was guided by their participation in a repertory grid task. The same five participants also took part in a one-to-one semi-structured interview. The analysis of the evidence revealed that the adolescent pupils internalised and performed an orthodox form of masculinity that centred on strength, pain tolerance and the policing of others. More inclusive masculinities appeared to be emerging, however, the hypermasculine and public nature of the PE environment made it very difficult for the pupils to freely adopt or perform these alternative, more inclusive forms of masculinity. Additionally, pupils who did perform traits associated with inclusive masculinity often exhibited a high degree of social and physical capital. In order to facilitate a culture where all individuals feel free to express their gendered identities, teachers are encouraged to recognise, promote and celebrate multiple masculinities. This could create a safer learning environment for pupils and help prevent identities from being ‘destroyed’ in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Relatively little research drawing from self-determination theory has examined the links between controlling teaching environments and student motivation. To this end, two longitudinal studies were conducted to explore how students’ perceptions of controlling teaching behavior and experiences of psychological need frustration were associated with a number of motivation-related outcomes over a school year. Multilevel growth modelling indicated that changes in perceptions of controlling teaching positively related to changes in need frustration across the school year (Studies 1 & 2) which, in turn, negatively related to autonomous motivation and positively related to controlled motivation and amotivation in Study 1 ( N = 419); and positively related to fear of failure, contingent self-worth, and challenge avoidance in Study 2 ( N = 447). Significant indirect effects also supported the mediating role of need frustration. These findings reinforce the need for research on the negative motivational pathways which link controlling teaching to poor quality student motivation. Implications for teacher training are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School is one of the primary settings where non-gender conformer children and adolescents emerge as vulnerable groups at high risk of suffering violence and harassment. Within schooling contexts, embodied experiences in physical education (PE) may become particularly problematic for trans students. However, there is little research focusing on trans persons’s experiences in PE. The purpose of this paper is to gather memories and impressions of a group of adult trans persons on their experiences in secondary PE. Theoretical framework: The concept of heteronormativity is used as a theoretical framework to provide insights and understanding to trans persons’s experiences in PE. It is used to characterize inequalities and hierarchies derived from the intersection of the dualistic logic of gender binarism with other social categories and ideologies. Heteronormative discourses also act regulating the way of looking at and over trans persons’ bodies, categorizing some of them as queer or abject. Participants and methodology: Study is based on semi-structured interviews to nine participants (five trans women and four trans men) from 23 to 62 years of age. A thematic analysis was carried out in order to flexibly and directly identify interpretative patterns of meaning within data, as well as to open them to interpretative frameworks. The categories were grouped into four themes best gathering the experiences of participants in PE. Results and discussion: (1)Hindering desired gender: In daily practices, participants felt in ‘the middle’ of activities, spaces and gender groups, experiencing aloofness, isolation and loneliness. Participants complained about the fact that they could not perform gender segregated activities with their desired gender group. PE teachers played an important role in supporting heteronormative system. (2)Preferences, aversions and opportunities: All participants experienced hegemonic forms of gender and sexuality linked to PE programme activities in different ways. For most trans boys, sport-based PE was their favourite subject, while trans girls found it particularly negative and demotivating. Exceptionally, some aesthetic and dance activities were recalled as nearly non-heterosexual practices. (3)Confronting transgression. Situations of stigmatization and bullying in PE were frequent as a result from situations in which gender norms were eventually transgressed. Teachers impeded any attempt of trans persons to overcome heteronormativity in PE lessons. (4)Intimacy struggles: Body intimacy was crucial for participants. Different strategies were used for the search of intimacy. Changing rooms were the most problematic spaces for trans students in educative contexts. The worse trans participants felt about their bodies, the more uneasy they felt in these facilities. Conclusions and final comments: Heteronormative contexts strongly determined trans persons’ experiences in PE. Trans participants, especially those not performing gender conforming practices, were abjectified in PE lessons. This situation generated multiple forms of exclusion and rejection, as well as episodes of harassment. However, some practices counteracted the dominance of the heteronormative system, showing their potential to destabilize this ideology in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Pleasure is often a key feature of school physical education (PE) and, indeed, a lot of students find pleasure in and through PE while others do not. However, pleasure is rarely considered to be of educational value in the subject [Pringle, R. (2010). “Finding Pleasure in Physical Education: A Critical Examination of the Educative Value of Positive Movement Affects.”Quest62: 119–134]. Further, since pleasure is linked to power [Foucault, M. (1980).Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972–1977. New York: Pantheon; Gerdin, G., and R. Pringle. (2015). “The Politics of Pleasure: An Ethnographic Examination Exploring the Dominance of the Multi-Activity Sport-Based Physical Education Model.”Sport, Education and Society. doi:10.1080/13573322.2015.1019448] it is in fact not entirely straightforward to legitimise the educational value of PE in relation to pleasure. Purpose: In this paper, we explore how a group of boys derive pleasures from their involvement in PE, but also how these power-induced pleasures are integral to gender normalisation processes. The findings presented are particularly discussed in terms of inclusive/exclusive pedagogical practices related to gender, bodies and pleasures. Research setting and participants: The research setting was a single-sex, boys’ secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand. Participants in this study were 60 Year 10 (age 14–15) students from two PE classes. Data collection and analysis: Using a visual ethnographic approach [Pink, S. (2007).Doing Visual Ethnography. London: Sage] involving observations and video recordings of boys participating in PE, the boys’ representations and interpretations of the visual data were explored during both focus groups and individual interviews. The data were analysed using (a visually oriented) discourse analysis [Foucault, M. (1998). “Foucault.” InMichel Foucault. Aesthetics, Method and Epistemology, edited by J. D. Faubion, 459–463. New York: The New Press; Rose, G. (2007).Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to the Interpretation of Visual Materials. London: Sage]. Findings: By elucidating the discursive practices of PE in this setting and employing (Butler, J. (1993).Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of ‘Sex’. New York: Routledge] concept of ‘materialisation’, we suggest that boy’s bodies materialise as productive and pleasurable or displeasurable bodies through submitting/subjecting to certain bodily regimes, developing embodied mastery when it comes to certain sports, and displaying bodies in particular ways. The analysis indicate that the discursive practices of PE contribute to boys’ bodies materialising as pleasurable or displeasurable and the (re)production of gender in the subject as shaped by discourse and the productive effect of power. Discussion and conclusions: In line with [Gard, M. (2008). “When a Boy’s Gotta Dance: New Masculinities, Old Pleasures.”Sport, Education and Society13 (2): 181–193], we conclude that the focus on certain discursively constructed bodily practices at the same time continues to restrict the production of a diversity of bodily movement pleasures. Hence, traditional gender patterns are reproduced through a selection of particular sports/physical activities that all the students are expected to participate in. We propose that the ongoing constitution of privileged forms of masculinity, masculine bodies and masculine pleasures as related to fitness, health and sport and (certain) boys’ subsequent exercise of power in PE needs further critical examination. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Physical education (PE) and sport have traditionally been identified by scholars as a key mechanism for the production and reproduction of a culturally esteemed ideal of masculinity, premised upon being stoic, strong, competitive, sexist and homophobic. Yet, more recent research reflects a change in valued masculinity as a response to declining cultural homohysteria. As such, this preliminary study looks to establish how PE teachers understand and construct masculinities within the educational environment. Through in-depth interviews, we find participants recognised many elements of softer masculinities, described in inclusive masculinities literature, as being performed by contemporary teenagers. This includes being emotionally open, embracing a more effeminate taste in dress and being increasingly physically tactile. However, we also found that the PE teachers have a cohort variance in their masculine values, with those socialised in sport through the 1980s showing the most orthodox and oppressive views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite clear messages from current physical education (PE) curricula about the importance of adopting socially critical perspectives, dominant discourses of gender relating to physical activity, bodies and health are being reproduced within this school subject. By drawing on interview data from a larger ethnographic account of boys' PE, this paper aims to contribute to our understanding of boys' experiences of gendered discourses in PE, particularly by acknowledging boys not only as docile or disciplined bodies but also as active subjects in negotiating power relations. In the analysis of the data, particular emphasis is placed on whether the boys recognise the influence of gendered discourses and power relations in PE, how they act upon this knowledge and how they understand themselves as gendered subjects through these particular discourses/power relations. Using Foucault's (1985. The use of pleasure: The history of sexuality, vol. 2. London: Penguin Books) framework related to the 'modes of subjectivation', this paper explores boys' problematisation of dominant discourses of gender and power relations in PE. In summary, these boys perform gendered selves within the context of PE, via negotiation of gendered discourses and power relations that contribute to an alternative discourse of PE which creates spaces and opportunities for the production of more ethical and diverse masculinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: An objective database for physical education (PE) is important for policy and practice decisions, and the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) has been identified as an appropriate surveillance tool for PE across the nation. The purpose of this review was to assess peer-reviewed studies using SOFIT to study K-12 PE in U.S. schools.Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses informed the review, and 10 databases were searched for English-language articles published through 2016. A total of 704 records identifying SOFIT were located, and 137 full texts were read. Two authors reviewed full-text articles, and a data extraction tool was developed to select studies and main topics for synthesis.Results: Twenty-nine studies that included direct observations of 12,256 PE lessons met inclusion criteria; 17 were conducted in elementary schools, 9 in secondary schools, and 3 in combined-level schools. Inconsistent reporting among studies was evident, including not all identifying the number of classes and teachers involved. All studies reported student physical activity, but fewer reported observer reliabilities (88%), lesson context (76%), teacher behavior (38%), and PE dosage (34%). The most frequently analyzed independent variables were teacher preparation (48%), lesson location (38%), and student gender (31%).Conclusions: SOFIT can be used reliably in diverse settings. Inconsistent reporting about study procedures and variables analyzed, however, limited comparisons among studies. Adherence to an established protocol and more consistent reporting would more fully enable the development of a viable database for PE in U.S. schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals experiencing a highly caring, task-involving, and low ego-involving exercise climate have reported greater ownership in exercise class and empowerment to exercise in general.Purpose: This study examined the relationship between ownership and empowerment in exercise, with 2 context-specific outcomes, satisfaction with physical education (PE) and physical activity, respectively. Given the mission of PE to foster individuals' lifelong physical activity habit, the perceptions of high school students were collected for this study. Ownership in exercise was hypothesized to be significantly, positively correlated with students reporting satisfaction in PE more than their satisfaction in physical activity, whereas empowerment in exercise was hypothesized to be more strongly, positively correlated with students' physical activity satisfaction. A second purpose of this study was to test the measurement quality of the updated Empowerment in Exercise Scale (EES; now 13 items).Method: High school students (N = 502, 43% female) in a Midwestern U.S. school district completed a survey.Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the internal measurement structure of the EES (λ = .62-.91; McDonald's omega = .89) across student gender (strong invariance). Additionally, the structural equation modeling analysis revealed only 1 parameter moderated by the students' gender (latent mean of ownership). The hypotheses were supported, such that ownership in exercise was more strongly correlated with PE satisfaction (r = .87) and empowerment in exercise had a stronger correlation with physical activity satisfaction (r = .92).Conclusion: These results support the beneficial effect a satisfying experience in PE can have on students' satisfaction with physical activity outside of school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Medicine & Science of Physical Activity & Sport / Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte is the property of Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Fisica y del Deporte 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 International Journal of Medicine & Science of Physical Activity & Sport / Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte is the property of Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Fisica y del Deporte 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.)

Background: Many adolescents do not reach the recommended levels of physical activity (PA), and students attending vocational studies are less committed to take part in physical education (PE) than other students. The purpose of the present study was twofold: 1) to examine differences in physical activity, diet, smoking habits, sleep and screen time among Norwegian vocational high school students who selected either a PE model focusing on PA skills, technique and improvement of physical performance ("Sports enjoyment") or more on health, play and having fun when participating in PE lessons ("Motion enjoyment"), and 2) to explore the students' experiences with PE programs.Methods: In this mixed methods study 181 out of 220 invited students (82%) comprising 141 (78%) girls and 40 (22%) boys attending vocational studies of Restaurant and Food Processing (24%), Design, Arts and Crafts (27%) or Healthcare, Childhood and Youth Development (49%) were recruited for participation in the new PE program. PA level, sedentary time and sleep were objectively recorded using the SenseWear Armband Mini. A self-report questionnaire was used to assess dietary habits, smoking and snuffing habits, use of alcohol, screen use and active transportation. Four focus group interviews with 23 students (12 boys) were conducted to explore how the students experienced the new PE program.Results: Students attending "Motion enjoyment" accrued less steps/day compared to the "Sports enjoyment" group (6661 (5514, 7808) vs.9167 (7945, 10390) steps/day) and reported higher screen use (mean, 3.1; 95% CI, 2.8, 3.5) vs. 2.4 (2.0, 2.9) hours/day). Compared to those attending "Sports enjoyment", a higher number of students attending "Motion enjoyment" reported an irregular meal pattern (adjusted odds ratio, 5.40; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.28, 12.78), and being a current smoker (12.22 (1.62, 107.95)). The students participating in the focus group interviews emphasized the importance of having competent and engaging teachers, being able to influence the content of the PE program themselves, and that PE classes should include a variety of fun activities.Conclusion: Students selecting "Motion enjoyment" accrued less steps/day and reported overall more unhealthy lifestyle habits, including higher screen time, a more irregular meal pattern and a higher number were current smokers, compared to those selecting "Sports enjoyment". Program evaluation revealed that both groups of students valued competent PE teachers and having influence on the content of the PE program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New curriculum developments present opportunities for established thinking and practice in physical education to be reaffirmed or challenged in government, professional and institutional arenas. The introduction of a new official text for the Victorian Certificate of Education Physical Education [VCEPE] in 2011 provided a prompt for renewed debate about the ways in which ‘multiple ways of knowing' could prospectively find expression in senior secondary physical education. Previous analysis of the new VCEPE official text and associated assessment requirements led to a prediction that a theoretical–practical binary may well be reaffirmed amidst implementation of the new course in schools, such that senior secondary physical education (SSPE) in Victorian schools may remain an essentially propositional/theoretical subject. Purpose: This paper reports on research that has pursued this prediction and specifically explored the expression of Arnold's three dimensions of education in, through and about movement, in teachers’ interpretation and enactment of the new VCEPE Study Design. The research sought to pursue the potential for originality and creativity in SSPE amidst the introduction of a new official curriculum text, examine factors facilitating or limiting this and document the ‘pedagogic realities’ of SSPE in Victorian schools. Methodology: The study used a case study approach, involving two government and two independent secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. Data gathered from teacher interviews, classroom observations and documentary sources in 2012–2013 are reported. Analysis pursued internal and external factors framing the curriculum and pedagogical practices prominent in enactment of the new course in the case study schools, and the individual and collective representation of Arnold's three dimensions of movement in the schools’ curriculum and teachers’ pedagogical practices. Findings: The findings reveal complexities and tensions associated with the representation of new curriculum policy in school curriculum and teachers’ pedagogic practices. Attention is drawn to ways in which the interplay between official texts, accompanying assessment requirements, other professional texts and the wider educational context variously shape the ‘pedagogic realities’ of the VCEPE in practice. The discussion explains how this interplay influences (and limits) the expression of Arnold's dimensions in VCEPE. Implications: This paper reaffirms previous work in SSPE that has highlighted the need for conceptual coherence between curriculum texts and assessment frameworks. This research directs attention to opportunities for development of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, through both official and professional channels, in ways that facilitate teachers’ professional learning about the potential expression of Arnold's dimensions in VCEPE. It also calls for curriculum authorities, professional learning associations and teacher education institutions to work more coherently to be at the fore of thinking about pedagogic possibilities in senior secondary physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Critical inquiry approaches have been presented as one way of enhancing relevance in school-based education, and there have been calls from academia for its systematic use within health and physical education (HPE). Purpose: This research explored how three Secondary HPE teachers co-constructed and enacted a unit of work (Take Action) that was underpinned by critical inquiry approaches. Drawing on the work of Stephen Ball we focus here on the different ways in which the three teachers interpreted, translated and enacted ‘Take Action’, and negotiated a shift away from the performative pedagogies of traditional HPE. Take Action is a co-constructed, inquiry-based unit of work that sought to provide an alternative to traditional and often exclusive HPE. Data collection and analysis: A participatory action research approach was undertaken. Data were uncovered from qualitative interviews, classroom observations and field notes before, during and after the enactment of Take Action. Data were analysed using the qualitative data analysis software ‘Dedoose’ which facilitated coding. Data were analysed inductively across all sources utilising a constant comparative method. Analyses consisted of three phases of coding: open, axial and selective. Open coding involved the categorisation of data into themes and axial coding considered connections across the themes. Selective coding involved a refining and development of the previously identified themes, and then bringing the themes/codes together to tell a story about the teachers and their perspectives on the enactment of Take Action. Findings: Three teachers co-constructed, translated and enacted Take Action, and whilst some challenges were universal, the process and outcomes unfolded quite differently for each. The two contextual factors that emerged as most influential were: (i) thestructural supportavailable for teachers and learners and (ii) thetimeavailable for the unit to be enacted, and for the teachers’ philosophies to be challenged and transformed. Take Action was one way of supporting teachers in responding to calls from policy-makers for more critical inquiry in HPE. Interpreting, translating and enacting Take Action challenged how teachers viewed their role in the learning process, the nature of HPE, and the breadth of their pedagogical repertoire. Conclusions: The findings confirm that curriculum and policy are volatile and rarely mobilised as the creator/s intended. They highlight that the ‘fluidity’ of curriculum mobilisation persists, irrespective of whether the teachers have mental ownership over the process and/or are involved in its co-creation. The complexity that accompanies a shift towards ‘alternative’ ways of understanding and teaching HPE, however, means that calls from academia and policy-makers are unlikely to be fruitful unless: (i) there is an appreciation for each teacher's philosophies; (ii) each school culture is fully understood; (iii) the inevitable challenges are viewed as spaces to learn, reflect and move forward; and (iv) support comes in many forms depending on the teacher and the school. The findings confirm that whilst policy creates a particular context, it is the ideologies and histories that permeate teachers’ philosophies and school context that will ultimately dictate the policy process. This is not a problem to be solved but a process which we can learn in, through and about. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Educación XX1 is the property of Editorial UNED 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.)

As much as the principle of co-education may appear to make sense in physical education (PE) lessons, trends in its development have emerged over the past years, especially in secondary schools, which were certainly not intended by the pedagogical programme of ‘reflective co-education’, which stands for respect for equalityanddifference in co-educational PE classes. Although this programme has been anchored in the curricula of various federal states in Germany for around 15 years, the prevailing practice even today, and documented in many empirical studies, is that so-called ‘male-oriented’ activities (e.g. games) predominate in PE classes while ‘female-oriented’ activities (e.g. dance, aerobics, gymnastics or health-related exercises) are scarcely ever taught. The purpose of this contribution is to examine (1) the extent to which male (as well as female) PE teachers actually make such a one-sided selection of activities; (2) the reasons they give for this practice and the way they perceive and judge it; and (3) how they communicate this selection to each other and to their pupils. Seventy-one PE teachers (of both sexes) were asked about these questions in problem-centred interviews. The main result of the study is that both male and female PE teachers almost exclusively do ‘male-oriented’ activities (like games and other competitive activities) in mixed-gender classes, although they give different reasons for doing so. By contrast, so-called ‘female activities’ are avoided. The observable implications are that PE lessons have increasingly become dominated by male patterns of physical activity and that a hierarchy is constructed between so-called ‘male activities’ and ‘female activities’ in PE. As a result, a key objective of ‘reflective co-education’ has not been achieved. Female PE teachers suffer considerably under these conditions. It can be observed that many of them are either planning to reduce their hours in, or even give up, teaching PE (or have already done so). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using self-determination theory as a guiding framework, this study analyzed the impact of the Sport Education Model in self-determination and motivation, psychological basic need thwarting, enjoymentsatisfaction, boredom, and intention to be physically active in Physical Education (PE) of secondary school students in Spain. Two groups were selected for the study: an experimental group (EG; n=43), which received 19 volleyball lessons following the Sport Education Model, and a control group (CG; n=43), which received 19 traditional Physical Education lessons. Pre- and post-intervention measures were taken in both groups. The results showed significant improvements in intrinsic motivation in EG. The results are discussed, and the suitability of the Sport Education Model to improve self-determined behaviors in Physical Education is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Alberta Journal of Educational Research is the property of Alberta Journal of Educational Research 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.)

Pedagogical practices are fundamental to teachers' work, and in the spaces of schooling impact significantly on students' success and achievement (Evans, J. 1986.Physical Education, Sport and Schooling: Studies in the Sociology of Physical Education. London: Falmer Press.). This is especially the case for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are deeply reliant on schooling for their educational resources. This article explores the interrelationships between pedagogical practices, the physical education curriculum at the senior secondary level and learning by both students and a teacher in a school located in an area of socio-economic disadvantage. Action research investigating a pedagogical redesign of a unit of ‘Skill Acquisition’ is the specific focus. Of key interest are pedagogical practices that incorporated opportunities to learn ‘about’ Skill Acquisition ‘through’ and ‘in’ movement. These practices attempted to develop and apply scientific literacies specific to the human movement sciences, which are important for academic success in senior secondary physical education. Findings reveal high student engagement, increasing utilisation of scientific literacies and application of new learning to life-world situations. We argue that pedagogical practices that integrate learning ‘about’ ‘through’ and ‘in’ movement disrupt default modes of teaching theoretical concepts in physical education, which diminish opportunities for academic success amongst students from low-socio-economic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the current design of School Physical Education the figure of the teacher should represent the mediation between knoledge and the teaching-learning process. So, thinking about the importance of the role that Professional in motivating students to participate in physical education classes, this paper aims reporting these experiences in building a concepto f physical education to arouse student's interest in knowing it and the habito f practicing it. In this sense, our goal is to investigate and compare with schools in Pitangueiras/SP and Jaboticabal/SP cities, the motivational level of students in 3rd grade of High School in Physical Education classes, from the official curriculum implemented by the Department of Education of the State of São Paulo (ESS/SP) in 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]