Physical education teachers often teach students with disabilities despite feeling ill-prepared to and do so. Most physical education teacher education programs in the US and abroad only include one single course in adapted physical education (APE) which predicts physical educators' lack of preparation to support students with disabilities.…

Muscular fitness (MF) is an important modifiable factor to improve overall health. Schools offer a unique opportunity to deliver MF activity during physical education (PE) and develop competence to engage in various activities across the life course. However, the implementation of school-based MF activity may be impaired by some teachers reporting…

This article will provide a guide for physical educators to implementing play-based learning within their curriculum, including how play-based learning can be implemented, how to create a conducive environment that allows for play-based learning, and examples of activities that involve play-based learning.

Background: This paper presents a counter-narrative to the long-held belief that Physical Education (PE) is impermeable to change. Transforming and enacting curriculum is incredibly challenging and sometimes impossible but if teachers have particular resources available to them over time, this makes 'radical reform more, rather than less likely'…

Compared to elementary physical education, high school physical education has historically lacked quality. Students struggle to find relevance in the subject, team sports dominate the curriculum, and teachers generally do not actively teach to the extent of their elementary counterparts. Though the need for change has long been acknowledged,…

Nation-states have concerns about the health and wellbeing of their citizens and these concerns have directly or indirectly influenced educational reform and curriculum development. In 2000, China issued a directive of 'Health First' which applied to all elements of the education system. In its scale and scope, this represented a significant and…

Health in physical education (PE) has in recent decades received growing public and political attention. PE is recognized as playing an important role in promoting health and well-being among children and adolescents. Critical PE scholars contest the prevalent biomedical perspective on health for its narrow conceptualization of health and its…

AI tools can revolutionize physical education (PE) by assisting teachers in various ways, such as curriculum development, providing feedback, enhancing content knowledge and data analysis, and promoting student engagement. This article explores various ways in which PE teachers can utilize AI tools like ChatGPT to improve their instruction and…

Physical education can be a subject that students find challenging when they are given little autonomy. This article explores two high school case studies, in the UK and Australia respectively, where students were given a great deal of choice over their learning and assessment journeys. In the UK case study, a Sport England survey was used with…

Examinable physical education (i.e. physical education as a certificate subject in a high-stakes environment) has distinctive forms of practical and theoretical knowledge, and the concept of 'integration' has been identified as a means to bridge such forms of knowledge. This paper explores how teachers interpret, translate, and enact curriculum…

This article advocates for a transformative shift in physical education (PE) from Eurocentric paradigms towards a holistic approach. Drawing on Canadian perspectives prioritizing academic physical, mental, and social development, it underscores the necessity of embracing holistic PE to foster inclusivity, cultural relevance, and lifelong wellness.…

Drawing on the concept of agency and teacher agency and engaging with figurational sociology, this paper explores the extent to which teacher agency plays a role in one teacher's enactment of a new school subject (Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), an examinable subject assessed in a high-stakes environment) in a period of curriculum…

Purpose: The purpose of this conceptual article is to explore how Bernstein's concepts can further our understanding of the internal structure of knowledge informing physical education (PE) and the transmission of knowledge from its site of production into the school subject. In the process of constructing a school subject, knowledge is chosen and…

Teacher education programs need to prepare future teachers to adapt their teaching for students varying in motor ability, experience, and prior knowledge. The purpose of this case study was to examine (a) preservice teachers (PSTs) adaptations in lesson plans; (b) whether the adaptations were modifications or refinements; and (c) the…

Challenges exist when designing curriculum for courses where various kinesiology majors are enrolled. They not only exist for the instructors, but also for students that bring with them previously held assumptions and beliefs about their expectations for learning. Therefore, by creating a student-centered learning environment where students…