Teachers’ Perceptions of Physical Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand Primary Schools

Abstract

This study examines practicing primary school teacher’s perceptions of the teaching of physical education in their schools. There has been some criticism of primary school physical education but until now this criticism has been largely based on a number of small studies involving limited numbers of teachers and schools. This study involved surveys of 487 teachers and in-depth individual interviews with 33 teachers located across six major regions of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The findings are presented in four themes: what does physical education look like; who teaches physical education; planning, assessment and reflection; and influences on the teaching of physical education. The study identified that what occurs in the physical education space in primary schools is often inconsistent and variable. The findings are discussed in relation to the requirements of the New Zealand Curriculum, the 2014 National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement report and previous research on primary school physical education. The article concludes by discussing future directions for the teaching physical education in light of these findings.