Examination physical education: policy, pedagogies and possibilities

Examination physical education: policy, pedagogies and possibilitie

A rhizomatic exploration of a professional development non-linear approach to learning and teaching: Two teachers’ learning journeys in 'becoming different'

Drawing on rhizomatics and figurational sociology, the concept of ‘assemblage’, ‘becoming’, and a ‘figuration’ were used to explore learning and teaching, and specifically, how teachers negotiate their learning and teaching in becoming teachers of a new school subject. We argue a ‘teacher assemblage’ is an assemblage which takes place across multiple spaces and the elements within this assemblage change depending on the space that the teacher occupies. These collaborative negotiations within an assemblage highlight the complexity in the learning and teaching process and the ongoing process of ‘becoming different’ throughout the professional development and learning journey (and beyond)

Original intentions and unintended consequences: the ‘contentious’ role of assessment in the development of Leaving Certificate Physical Education in Ireland

Ireland is set to introduce an examinable physical education curriculum (Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE)) in the final two years of post-primary school. A Physical Education Development Group (PEDG) were tasked with the responsibility of constructing the LCPE specification. This paper explores the LCPE curriculum development process by drawing on Elias’s [(1978). What is sociology? New York: Columbia University Press] ‘game models’ framework to provide a theoretically informed analysis of the operations of the PEDG. Interviews were conducted with 10 PEDG members. The results revolved around curriculum content knowledge, assessment weightings, and debating the responsibility for assessing students’ work. The game models framework allowed us to understand the power-struggles in the PEDG and how they worked to arrive at a consensus about curriculum content and assessment. The outcome was one that no ‘player’ could have anticipated, and Elias’s game models framework shed light on how a curriculum with original intentions became a curriculum made up of unintended consequences

Understanding (and extending) the conceptual boundaries of policy research in physical education: A scoping review

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

Conceptualising examinable physical education in the Irish context: Leaving Certificate Physical Education

A Physical Education Development Group (PEDG) was responsible for constructing a new school subject curriculum, Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), in Ireland. This paper provides an insight into this development group and explores the process of curriculum development, and the influence of roles and power-ratios within the group, in the construction of the LCPE curriculum. Figurational sociology concepts (Elias, 1978) were drawn on to make sense of the curriculum makers’ experiences. Interviews were conducted with 10 PEDG members. The findings suggest that the members’ roles had very little, if any, influence on the curriculum development process. Findings also revolved around the unbalanced power-ratios which existed in the PEDG and highlighted the socially powerful position of ‘strong, well-established’ (in the academic field of curriculum development–participant's words) members and the other members (predominantly representing practicing teachers). We express concern for the role of teachers in the curriculum process and argue that they play a crucial and significant role in the school subject curriculum development process. This paper supports Goodson’s (1983) and Penney’s (2006) conceptualisation of the contested and socially constructed nature of the curriculum development process

Digital technology and teacher digital competency in physical education: a holistic view of teacher and student perspectives

Digital technology is growing in popularity in the enacted teaching and learning process. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the evidence of its impact on teaching and learning in physical education. With increasing use in education, digitally competent teachers are essential to the success of its integration. The primary aim of this study was to explore perceived teacher competency levels in applying digital technology to the physical education classroom. Teachers perceived significantly low competency levels in relation to digital technology in physical education. This was a result of both personal and school hindrances which teachers identified as impeding the integration of digital technology in their physical education classes. Drawing on a holistic view of the dichotomy of pedagogy and technology, we suggest that this relationship is more complex than the one stated in most digital competence frameworks, therefore a narrow understanding of teacher digital competency in physical education.</p

Preparing pre-service physical education teachers as practitioner researchers

Background: There is continual support for teacher educators to play a more significant role in equipping teachers with the skills necessary to undertake practitioner research (Ellis, N., and T. Loughland. 2016. “The Challenges of Practitioner Research: A Comparative Study of Singapore and NSW.” The Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41 (2): 122–136). However, there is noticeably less literature reporting the means through which pre-service teachers (PSTs) are introduced, and provided the opportunity, to experience practitioner research with a view to becoming practitioner researchers once they become qualified teachers. Purpose: The focus for this paper is on considering the perceptions to which a chosen enactment of practitioner research in a Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programme prepares PSTs to understand, appreciate and experience practitioner research. The paper shares how one specific PETE practitioner-research module scaffolds learning and associated assessment tasks that align with PSTs’ school placement block. Method: Four focus groups (17 PSTs) were conducted to capture the PSTs’ understanding, appreciation, and experience of practitioner research. Findings: The findings highlighted how the module had extended PSTs’ understanding of research through the process of accessing, interpreting, and seeking assistance with conducting research. The pedagogical practices employed allowed PSTs to understand research, how research informs practice and, in turn, the expected role of the practitioner researcher. Challenges identified by the PSTs included: (i) a lack of time outside of the module to further engage with practitioner research; (ii) accessing relevant research; and (iii) readability of some research. Interestingly, the PSTs shared some hesitancy in the feasibility of enacting a strong practitioner researcher persona when the time came for them to enter teaching as qualified beginning teachers. Conclusion: This paper highlights one-way PSTs can be encouraged and supported to apply research to their work as teachers and immediately in the planning priorities for school placement. Such an infrastructure supports the importance of integrating research and teaching, with PSTs provided a daily opportunity throughout the school placement block to understand, change and improve their practice in a principled and informed way. </p

Embedding assessment in learning experiences: enacting the principles of instructional alignment in physical education teacher education

Appreciating that a significant amount of assessment-related literature has focused on the ‘what’ of assessment (i.e. what to assess), ‘the systematic use of assessment to improve learning remains the exception rather than the rule’ [Wiliam, D. (2018). Assessment for learning: Meeting the challenge of implementation. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 25(6), 682–685]. This paper focuses on interrogating ‘why’ and ‘how’ assessment can be effectively embedded in the delivery of learning experiences. That is, assessment as a means to engage students in the learning process rather than as an add-on to the learning experience. Instructional (and constructivist) alignment provides a context to embedding assessment before introducing specific developments in physical education teacher education (PETE) that allow us to share implementation of assessment considerations, planning for embedded assessment and embedding assessment as a component of a PETE programme. Worked examples of embedding assessment are provided to convey what embedded assessment involves and looks like. Lessons learned from advocating for the practice of embedding assessment are shared

Teaching Social Justice Through TPSR: Where Do I Start?

In this paper we offer practical suggestions for integrating social justice content into physical-activity based physical education, namely, through a socially-just TPSR approach. We first address the challenges of using pedagogies for social justice in physical education. This is followed by a brief overview of TPSR (the what) and a re-imagined TPSR approach from a social justice lens. Next, practical examples for developing a socially-just TPSR approach are offered such as ways to a) examine and practice socially just behaviors, b) include transfer and advocacy, and c) use a five-part TPSR lesson plan to integrate social justice issues into physical-activity-based physical education settings. Final thoughts include a) being patient and kind to yourself when implementing unfamiliar approaches and issues, and b) making decisions about the inclusion of social justice issues based on what’s personally meaningful for students as well as context, and c) using a TPSR approach to enact social justice content requires a reconceptualization of the model through a social justice lens </p

An integrated blended learning approach for physical education teacher education programmes: teacher educators' and pre-service teachers' experiences

An integrated blended learning approach for physical education teacher education programmes: teacher educators' and pre-service teachers' experience