Creating confident, motivated teachers of physical education in primary schools

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of a nationwide one-year physical education (PE) professional development (PD) programme on 25 generalist classroom teachers from 10 primary schools in New Zealand. This research specifically explores how a year-long PD programme, focused predominantly on general pedagogical strategies, supported in-service generalist teachers to use of pedagogies previously reserved to the classroom to enhance their PE practice, reconceptualise the place and purpose of PE, and shifted their perceptions of themselves as teachers of PE. Interviews, questionnaires, lesson observations and document analysis were used to investigate the impact a PD programme had on teachers’ knowledge and practices in PE. This research specifically explores how a year-long PD programme, focused predominantly on general pedagogical strategies, supported in-service generalist teachers to explore how the use of pedagogies previously reserved to the classroom support them to enhance their PE practice; to reconceptualize the place and purpose of PE, and shifted their perceptions of themselves as teachers of PE. It is concluded that generalist teachers benefit from PD opportunities that allow for the transfer of pedagogical strategies and skills from the classroom to the PE context. However, these learning opportunities should be balanced and connected with opportunities to develop content knowledge associated with PE.