‘Even with the craziness, it worked’: PE teachers working in and with an Activist Approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background As one pedagogical approach, an Activist Approach to teaching offers a structure for inquiry-oriented, learner-centered processes for context-specific educational endeavors (Oliver and Kirk [2015]. Girls, Gender, and Physical Education: An Activist Approach. New York: Routledge). With its four critical elements of student-centered pedagogy, attentiveness to issues of embodiment, inquiry-based learning centered in action, and listening and responding over time, this approach was developed to engage disengaged girls in PE. An Activist Approach has since expanded into coeducational PE, after-school sport and dance clubs, work with socially vulnerable youth, and teacher education programs. While increased interest exists with scholars learning to integrate an Activist Approach with youth in physical education and physical activity settings, little research exists with physical education teachers learning to use the approach in their own classrooms. Purpose This study’s purpose was to explore secondary physical education teachers’ perceptions of working in and with an Activist Approach. Methods This paper draws from a longitudinal study in PE professional development for physical education teachers learning to use an Activist Approach. Participants included six physical education teachers (three middle school and three high school) with 7–34 years of experience teaching across four school districts, plus four researchers. With the reflective and integrative process of an Activist Approach, data analysis took place in three levels as not only as a culminating review but also serving as a regular, ongoing feature to help build the programming workshop-to-workshop. Findings The first theme explores teachers’ perspectives working in an Activist Approach, highlighting their engagement in a community of learners and how they broadened their perspectives of content. The second theme examined teachers’ perspectives on their students working with an Activist Approach, demonstrating teachers’ recognition of increased student engagement and its intersection between incorporating student voice in the curriculum and developing relationships. Conclusion While we have known an Activist Approach allows us to meet the needs of those involved because of its commitments to the four critical elements, never could we have imagined a pandemic as the context within which we would find ourselves working. Nonetheless, an Activist Approach helped us create a professional development program that met teachers where they were in the moment and guided teachers in meeting students where they were in the moment. For these teachers, having opportunities to share with and hear from each other was critical to not feeling alone and helped them connect to their specific contexts, increasing their abilities to better hear their students’ needs.