Using narrative as a tool to locate and challenge pre service teacher bodies in health and physical education

This paper reports on research that has explored the use of narrative as a pedagogical tool in pre service teacher education. Specifically, we pursue the use of narrative to engage with pre service teachers’ embodied experiences [their lived body] and the ways in which these experiences are in turn currently influencing their ‘living bodies’ in regard to what Health and Physical Education (HPE) is and how it should be taught. Data in the form of an assemblage of pre service teachers’ narratives are presented to show how both the lived and living body contributes to thoughts and ideas about HPE. Discussion also reflects on the pedagogical merits of using narrative in pre service teacher education. We contend that narrative has a potentially important role to play in pre service teachers coming to better understand their bodies and can assist in moving them beyond what they experienced as HPE as school students

Pursuing HPE Outcomes Through Sport Education and School Sport

For many people, sport is assumed to be a 'natural' central facet of a Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum in schools, and sustained participation in sport is proclaimed as a key curriculum aim. Experience of HPE is unquestionably linked to students participating in sport, during the curriculum and beyond it. For many people outside of schools but also many children themselves, sport is the defining characteristic of HPE. This chapter questions and explores the HPE-sport linkage. Specifically, it considers what sport has to offer as an educational vehicle in the context of Australian primary schools. What role should we be looking for sport to play in our pursuit of HPE outcomes in primary schools? How can we best utilise it as a context and medium for teaching and learning? What HPE outcomes can be effectively addressed in and through structured, focused experiences of sport? What might those experiences look like

Rethinking sport teaching in physical education: A case study of research based innovation in teacher education

This paper focuses on the significance of physical education teacher education (PETE) in the diffusion of 'new' thinking about sport teaching in physical education. It explores issues arising from a case study investigation that sought to respond to the critical commentary about the form and substance of sport teaching in physical education by supporting innovation in school curriculum and pedagogy through pre-service teacher education. The study was designed to challenge PETE pre-service teachers' thinking about sport curriculum and pedagogy in physical education, introduce them to new thinking about models and specifically, the sport literacy model (Drummond & Pill, 2011; Pill, 2009, 2010). Details of the research design are presented and the insights that the data have provided in relation to challenges and opportunities that teacher educators and teacher education courses confront in seeking to promote and support curriculum and pedagogical innovation are discussed

News from WA......(more than just iron ore and great footy teams) – policy principles to course design

In February 2007 a new senior secondary Physical Education Studies (PES) was introduced in Western Australia (WA). The course was one of some 50 new courses that were developed in conjunction with the introduction of new Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). This presentation draws on initial findings from a PhD study that is investigating curriculum change and reform, specifically in the context of the initial years of implementation of PES in WA. The study draws on Bernstein’s (1990) model of the social construction of pedagogic discourse as a framework to locate and position teachers in relation to other partners in the design process and implementation phase. In particular, the study seeks a better understanding of the relationship between policy making and course design intentions and the often contradictory, contrasting and unintended practices subsequently arising in schools amidst implementation. The paper will present emerging evidence to identify the policy principles and discourses that were established as central to the PES course and how these were progressed and expressed in key course texts. Secondly, it will consider compatibility, tensions and pragmatics featuring in the development and the ways in which these played out in the course design. Finally, discussion will consider how this case study can provide arguably timely input to contemporary policy making and curriculum design processes associated with the Australian Curriculum

A national survey of gendered grouping practices in secondary school physical education in England

Background: Gendered grouping practices and curriculum provision are matters of long-standing contention and debate in physical education (PE) policy, research, and practice internationally. In England, there is a long tradition of single-sex grouping in PE in secondary schools, with accompanying gendered patterns of staffing and many boys and girls taught different activities in the curriculum. Research on the incidence of single- and mixed-sex grouping in PE is however scarce, dated, and limited in scale. At a time when education, sport, and society are challenged to move beyond binary discourses and critically review structures and practices that uphold stereotypical and established gendered power relations, this study sought to provide an evidence base and stimulus for researchers, policy-makers, and PE professionals to (re-) engage with grouping practices in PE. Specifically, the study was designed to provide a national picture of current single- and mixed-sex grouping arrangements in PE in secondary schools in England. Method: Data were collected by a web-based survey of all 2873 mainstream state-funded co-educational secondary schools in England. The survey was addressed to Subject Leaders of PE and was open between September and October 2021. A total of 818 surveys were completed giving an overall response rate of 28.5%. Results: The responses indicated that single-sex grouping is the most common arrangement in core (compulsory, non-examination) PE in Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10–11), whilst mixed-sex grouping is dominant in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and/or Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) PE in Key Stage 4. It was noticeable, however, that very few schools were using the same arrangement for all PE lessons in Key Stages 3 and 4, and some were using single-sex grouping within mixed-sex PE lessons, particularly in physical contact activities such as rugby and football. The responses highlighted that single- and mixed-sex grouping decisions in PE are complex and contingent on several interrelated factors, including curriculum content and structures, school timetabling, staffing arrangements and preferences, the nature of the student cohort, and specific considerations relating to safety in some sport contexts. Data indicated that in many instances grouping arrangements in secondary school PE in England serve to reproduce and legitimate restrictive binary gender discourses. There was some but limited evidence of grouping approaches positively supporting gender diversity within PE, with a small number of schools organising PE in mixed-sex classes to be more inclusive of transgender and non-binary students. Discussion and conclusion: This study highlights the role that grouping approaches play in either impeding or advancing work to strengthen gender equity and inclusion in PE and identifies teachers’ knowledge, skills, and understandings relating to grouping approaches and gender diversity as an important focus for initial teacher education and professional learning. The paper also calls for engagement from research and professional communities internationally to inform future policies and practices regarding the use of grouping approaches in PE. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

A national survey of ability grouping practices in secondary school physical education in England

This research sought to generate large-scale yet sophisticated data relating to ability grouping practices in physical education (PE) in secondary schools in England, with the intent of extending knowledge of the various ability grouping practices being adopted within and across schools. The prevalence of particular ability grouping practices, processes associated with their application, and factors influencing their use and non-use were explored. Data were collected via a web-based survey of all (3197 at the time of study) mainstream state-funded secondary schools in England. A total of 903 responses were received, giving a response rate of 28.2%. The findings reveal that overall, mixed-ability grouping is the most common ability grouping practice in PE, although the extent and nature of this practice (and other ability grouping practices) varied by year group, Key Stage, gender of students, and/or curriculum activities. Setting was the predominant approach in PE in Year 8 (aged 12–13) and Year 9 (aged 13–14). The use of variants on these practices (including mixed-ability grouping with a separate top and/or bottom set) and descriptions of how and why different grouping practices are enacted in specific contexts, illustrate the significance of discourses of ability, gender, and pragmatism in grouping practices in PE

Curriculum as praxis: Ensuring quality technical education in Singapore for the 21st century

Singapore, a small island city-state, has achieved notable economic advancement within 40 years since independence. It is fast becoming a global city and a knowledge society. In education and training, the Singapore system has evolved from its British roots. Macro performance indicators of participation rate, literacy rate and mean years of schooling, show that the current education system can be regarded as highly successful. The contributions of general education as well as technical education and training1 to the overall success of the nation are often cited. Technical education and training, which is globally perceived as having a lower status than “academic” curricula, has largely overcome its “image” problem in Singapore. Singaporeans have seemingly embraced technical education and training as an accessible, attractive mode of education, which therefore enjoys a high participation rate. The success and quality of technical education and training were affirmed when its main provider, the Institute of Technical Education, became the first educational institution in Singapore to win the Singapore Quality Award in October 2005. This paper provides a review of the contemporary education system and curriculum in Singapore with a focus on technical education and training vis-à-vis a vision of education and training in and for postmodern knowledge societies. Suggestions are made on how the technical education and training sector in Singapore can further develop and thrive in the 21st century, while continuing to be accessible and of high quality

‘The participation group means that I\u27m low ability’: Students’ perspectives on the enactment of ‘mixed-ability’ grouping in secondary school physical education

Mixed-ability grouping is widespread in primary schools and in several subject areas in secondary schools in England. Notwithstanding, there is scant research on mixed-ability grouping in the education literature, particularly in terms of its impact on students’ experiences. The research reported in this paper employs enactment theory to provide original insights into the diverse practices and complex contextual factors that shape students’ perceptions and experiences of mixed-ability grouping in physical education (PE). Enactment theory acknowledges that school decisions about grouping policy are impacted by wider education policy and other contextual influences, and that the expression of grouping policies in specific subjects and classrooms is navigated and negotiated by students as well as teachers. The paper draws on data from in-depth, semi-structured focus groups with 41 Year 10 (aged 14–15) students in a mixed-gender secondary school in England to explore the different ways in which students are positioned and position themselves in the enactment of mixed-ability grouping in PE. Findings reveal many contextual factors, including ability and gender discourses, school and subject cultures, and the broader policy context, influencing students’ positioning and learning experiences in mixed-ability PE. The discussion explores distinct differences in the enactment of mixed-ability grouping in PE in Key Stage 3 (aged 11–14) and Key Stage 4 (aged 14–16) and identifies students as enthusiasts, critics, entrepreneurs and copers in grouping policy enactment. The study affirms the need for educators and professionals to critically engage with the construct of ability, and in turn mixed-ability grouping policies and pedagogic practices in PE

Middle learners' learning in a university context

This paper focuses on the phenomenon of middle leadership as experienced in a university context and specifically, directs attention to the significance of learning as a central facet of leadership development. Drawing on the reflections of two of the authors as new middle leaders (chairpersons of departments), the paper critically examines how middle leaders learn or come to know aspects of their role, and the learning opportunities and challenges associated with their middle leadership position. Two tenets underpin our analysis: learning is fundamentally a social process – we learn with and from others; and learning is relational – what, and how we learn is determined to some extent by others and affects others. As middle leaders, learning involves those above us (our leaders/line managers), those alongside us (our colleagues/middle leaders of other departments), and those below us (those whom we lead/line manage). The paper arises from a research project that has facilitated professional learning conversations between the three authors and supported us in adopting a relational perspective in our exploration of our experiences as middle leaders. This perspective has allowed us to examine the learning constraints and affordances arising as a result of others above us organising events, creating practices and constructing artefacts for us. It has helped us to consider how we can work collectively with our colleagues to renegotiate events, practices and artefacts; and it has suggested ways in which we can create better learning opportunities for those we lead. Finally, it has led us to identify ways in which the learning opportunities for middle leaders may be enhanced within the university sector

Assessment in senior secondary physical education. Questions of judgement

The ways in which various aspects of senior physical education courses should be assessed and whether some can, or indeed should be incorporated in external examinations, are matters of longstanding professional debate across Australia and internationally. Differences in current practice across Australasia reflect an ongoing lack of consensus about how assessment requirements and arrangements and particularly, examinations in senior physical education, can best address concerns to ensure validity, reliability, equity and feasibility. An issue never far from such debates is that of ‘professional judgement’ and more specifically, whether and how professional judgement does and/or should ‘come into play’ in assessment. This paper reports on research that has explored new approaches to examination assessment and marking in senior physical education, using digital technologies. It focuses specifically on the ways in which ‘professional judgement’ can be deemed to be inherent to two contrasting methods of assessment used in the project: ‘analytical standardsbased’ assessment and ‘comparative pairs’ assessment. Details of each method of assessment are presented. Data arising directly from assessors’ comments and from analysis which explored intermarker reliability for each method of assessment and compared results generated by internal teacher assessment, standards-based and comparative pairs assessment, is reported. Discussion explores whether the data arising can be seen as lending weight to arguments for (i) more faith to be placed in professional judgement and (ii) for the comparative pairs methods to be more widely employed in examination assessment in senior physical education