A transformative learning journey of a teacher educator in enacting an activist approach in Physical Education Teacher Education

Abstract

Over the past decades, a body of scholarship has highlighted the benefits of an activist approach in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE). This body of research shows that an activist approach enables teacher educators, student teachers and young people to work together in order to become conscious of the power structures in society that lead to social inequities. Although we have a body of research on social justice and critical pedagogy in PETE, there is much to learn about physical education teacher educators’ learning journeys in enacting activist approaches. By using a critical autoethnography approach, this study explores a transformative learning journey experienced by the lead author in enacting an activist approach based on young people’s voices. The PETE educator’s learning journey emerged from the reflexive process in the last 8 years with the second author. A critical theoretical framework based on critical pedagogy and feminist studies is employed to discuss the transformative learning journey presented in this paper. By establishing a collective meaning, we aim to provide rich instances of critical pedagogies that add to the project of identifying various approaches to social justice in PETE contexts. This is a relevant story to PETE practitioners who might be attempting to take a critical stance in contemporary university contexts.

Learning Strategies Focused on Decision Making and Collaboration on Physical Education

“…We know about the gap that exists between research and applications, and we think that to bring together theory and action, we need a real immersion in the situation and in the path of innovation. However, within the limits of the study, the sample could be extended and variables that could influence the process such as the teaching staff or the gender of the students [19,24], as well as previous experience in this type of skills, could be analyzed. In our future lines of research, we plan to design, implement, and analyze methodological strategies that will allow us to manage the states of stress and anxiety of students at different times of the initial, continuous, or final assessment.…”

“…Consequently, the methodology cannot be seen as the only variable or as the most efficient one. Teachers often abandon new methodologies because they do not see the long-term benefits and they only want very short-term benefits [24]. On the contrary, teachers who work in a team find it easier to work on a new methodology, those who work in isolation tend to quit with the first difficulties.…”

Developing Future Physical Education Teachers' Intercultural Competence: The Potential of Intertwinement of Transformative, Embodied, and Critical Approaches

“…Transformative learning has also been discussed earlier in the studies in the context of PE teacher training. This approach can challenge the beliefs and the ways of seeing the nature of PE (e.g., Luguetti and Oliver, 2021). Mälkki (2010) emphasizes the role of emotions and embodiment in transformative learning and supplements Mezirow's theory with neuroscientist Damasio's (1999Damasio's ( , 2010 views on emotions and consciousness.…”

“…Transformative learning has also been discussed earlier in the studies in the context of PE teacher training. This approach can challenge the beliefs and the ways of seeing the nature of PE (e.g., Luguetti and Oliver, 2021 ).…”

Participación del alumnado en la toma de decisiones: una experiencia de la justicia social en la Universidad - [Student participation in decision-making: an experience of social justice at the University]

“…Entre estos valores, algunos autores apuntan hacia la descontextualización de los contenidos, el carácter elitista, la competición excesiva y el sentido jerárquico de la asignatura (Lynch y Curtner-Smith, 2019). La mayoría de estudios que tratan sobre la asignatura de Educación Física desde una perspectiva crítica y transformadora no necesariamente incluyen al alumnado como parte activa de este proceso, es decir, el profesorado conceptualiza la pedagogía critica desde su propia óptica y sin desarrollar dinámicas de participación y emancipación del alumnado (Luguetti y Oliver, 2021;Lynch y Curtner-Smith, 2019). Sin embargo, la participación del alumnado en los procesos de transformación crítica es fundamental ya que, como señala Freire (2013), no se puede alcanzar una verdadera emancipación del alumnado si no participa en el proceso de toma de decisiones desde sus propios intereses, necesidades y perspectivas.…”