Physical education teacher educators’ views regarding the purpose(s) of school physical education

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to gain an understanding of the views of a group of physical education teacher educators on the purpose(s) of school physical education and whether, how and why these views have changed over time. Semi-structured individual interviews were carried out with thirteen physical education teacher educators; a fourteenth participant responded to interview questions in writing. Participants were based in seven countries: Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA. A relative consensus on the overarching purpose of physical education was evident, centred on physical education preparing young people for a lifetime of physical activity. The framing of this shared purpose differed somewhat between participants, reflecting a range of perspectives on the value of physical activity. Delineating the boundaries of their subject, participants characterised obesity prevention and maximising in-class physical activity as potential by-products rather than as goals of the subject. The views of many had changed over time, influenced by such factors as findings from research, societal expectations and a perceived need to legitimise physical education within school and university contexts. We note that many of the influences acting on the views of the physical education teacher educators are also known to affect practicing teachers. This suggests a possibility, in the open reflection of physical education teacher educators on the interaction between their views and the institutional and societal contexts within which they work, to provide future teachers with alternative value pathways paved with relatable explanations and shared experiences.Keywords: Physical education teacher educators, physical education, purpose, physical activity, value orientationsThe project of which this study forms a part focuses on the professional journeys, views, experiences and practices of an international group of physical education teacher educators. This paper represents a starting point for the sharing of this research, centring on the views these physical education teacher educators hold regarding the purpose(s) of their subject, how these views have changed over time and the influences acting on these views. Discussing values and purpose in teacher education, Hansen (2008, p. 23) argues that without dialogue on purpose people can become passive and resigned to the status quo and that enquiry into purpose functions to keep the conversation 'vibrant, dynamic and consequential', adding that such dialogue is 'indispensable to the very existence of a sense of purpose'. Physical education teacher educators are acknowledged to play key roles in the transformation and reproduction of physical education work practices and knowledge (Lawson, 1991;Kirk & Macdonald, 2001). In this light, the ends towards which the work of these professionals are directed and the circuits of persuasion within which the goals to which they aspire are formed, influenced, or resist influence, become of import for anyone inter...

Propósitos de la Educación Física en Educación Secundaria: revisión bibliográfica (Purposes of Physical Education in Secondary Education: a bibliographic review)

“…Gu & Liu (2019), que confirmaron el importante rol que tiene la actitud de los estudiantes de cara a la EF a la hora de adquirir y fomentar comportamientos de vida activos. El punto común entre los estudios incluidos en esta categoría es que la EF debería inculcar el conocimiento, habilidades y actitudes para hacer posible la práctica de AF a lo largo de todo el ciclo vital (Ensign, Mays-Woods & Kulinna, 2018;Gaviria-Cortés & Castejón-Oliva, 2016;McEvoy et al, 2017;Sánchez-Oliva et al, 2014;Sutherland et al, 2015).…”

¿por Qué Quiero Ser Profesor De Educación Física? Análisis Del Cambio De Percepción Durante La Formación Universitaria Y Los Primeros Años De La Carrera Docente

“…Las principales razones que a muchos les lleva a cursar esta titulación son: a) no haber sido admitidos en titulaciones con un corte de nota más elevada; b) sus experiencias previas positivas en EF y en la práctica de actividad física y deporte; y/o c) la relativa facilidad con la que prevén obtener la titulación (O'NEIL;. Por un lado, esta situación refleja la falta de orientación académica ofrecida desde la educación secundaria obligatoria y, por otro, la escasa valoración social hacia la función del maestro y la escuela (MCEVOY; HEIKINARO-JOHANSSON; MACPHAIL, 2017).…”

A Mixed Methods Study to Examine the Influence of CLIL on Physical Education Lessons: Analysis of Social Interactions and Physical Activity Levels

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