Chapter 9: Pedagogical Content Knowing for Model-Based Instruction in Physical Education and Future Directions for Research

Abstract

In the first two chapters of this monograph, we frame this series of studies as an inquiry into the adoption and development of a certain kind of pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1987) used for teaching physical education in P–12 school programs—that coming from a model-based instructional (MBI) approach (Metzler, 2005). The Georgia State University (GSU) physical education teacher education (PETE) faculty have designed, implemented, and assessed their program from an MBI perspective for several years, giving the program a well-defined (Mitchell, 2000) and perhaps unique identity among other PETE programs in the United States. The longevity of the MBI design in the GSU PETE program allowed us to study not only current preservice teachers, but also recent program graduates (induction teachers) and veteran teachers (cooperating teachers) who mentor our student teachers and who themselves are familiar with and use an MBI approach to varying degrees in their own daily practice. The purpose of this chapter is to advance the concept of pedagogical content knowledge in a manner that would better align it with the integrative type of knowledge needed by teachers at all three stages, allowing them to use MBI most effectively in physical education school programs once they have adopted that approach. This improved alignment would allow teachers to learn pedagogical content knowledge within a dynamic process that requires their attention to several key factors simultaneously, rather than as a set of deconstructed pieces of knowledge (e.g., management, content, pupil characteristics). They learn about separately in courses and must then put together during field experiences, often with little or no guidance from faculty or cooperating teachers.