Health And Physical Education Research Articles

Integrating culturally inspired practices in health and physical education in China's higher education: a Yin-Yang approach

ABSTRACT The dominance of neoliberal paradigms and sport science in Health and Physical Education (HPE) often prioritises measurable outcomes over holistic wellbeing. This study responds to these limitations and reimagines HPE in mainland China by integrating culturally inspired experiences into an experimental educational initiative in the form of two workshops, conducted in a higher education environment. These workshops aimed to test whether incorporating traditional Chinese cultural elements, such as Kunqu Opera and classical Chinese aesthetics, could offer an alternative to the current performance-driven, sport-centered HPE model. By balancing force-driven sports (Yang) with mindful, culturally inspired practices (Yin), the approach taken in the workshops was designed to foster creativity, emotional wellbeing, and cultural identity. This experimental initiative involved 36 participants (11 faculty members and 25 university students) with data collected via survey, observations, and focus groups. The findings revealed that integrating culturally inspired practices fostered an immersive, embodied learning environment, enhancing student engagement and offering a more inclusive, culturally responsive HPE framework in mainland China that promotes the balanced development of body and mind through a Yin-Yang approach.

Children’s Perceived Ease of Use of a Projected Augmented Reality Game Designed for Balance and Coordination Training

Developing balance and coordination skills is essential for children, especially those aged 4–8, but limited Health and Physical Education (HPE) programs in schools hinder effective training. Game-based learning and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies offer promising ways to enhance these skills by providing immersive HPE experiences. An AR exercise-game prototype was developed to train children’s balance and coordination, with 19 children aged 4 to 9 testing the prototype. Post-activity surveys revealed high engagement and interactivity ratings. The difficultly of the current prototype was found to be appropriately challenging for 4- to 6-year-olds. Feedback emphasized a preference for interactive, challenging elements, suggesting improvements in difficulty customization, visuals, and technical stability. Competitive play between multiple children testing the prototype encouraged repeated attempts, but also highlighted the need for improved tracking solutions and lab setup. Overall, the innovative design shows educational potential but requires further large-scale testing on a refined version to assess its effectiveness in balance and coordination training.

Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy Documents

Abstract The research field of physical education and health (PEH) holds a great potential for exploring environmental issues, but the interest has been scarce. In this paper, we aim to trouble the separation of humans and nature, which has long been reproduced in PEH research and practice. To frame the problem, we turn to environmental education (EE) research, where scholars have argued that the human/nature divide serves as a foundation for environmental degradation. Drawing on Karen Barad’s posthumanist framework of agential realism, we explore the emerging conceptualisations of humans and nature when Swedish PEH policy documents are diffractively read through previous research, the concept of agential cuts and our own historicities. The analysis is presented through three diffraction patterns emerging around movement, health and indoors/outdoors, phenomena which are central not only to PEH but also to EE. We conclude that thinking with diffraction can open spaces within PEH educational policy for reimagining existing binaries between humans and nature. In this way, PEH practice might contribute to troubling the foundations for environmental injustices and issues of unsustainability.

Understandings and enactments of social justice pedagogies in Swedish physical education and health practice

Research continues to show that school physical education and health (PEH) is complicit in the reproduction of inequities related to, for instance, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion and social class. In this paper, we present findings from a participatory action research (PAR) project with 11 PEH teachers at two upper-secondary schools in Sweden, aimed at enhancing understandings and enactments of social justice pedagogies. Data generated through observations, interviews, focus groups, workshops and teacher reflections were analysed through a thematic analysis ( Braun and Clarke, 2022 ) and informed by the concept of teaching for equity and social justice ( Freire, 1970 ). The findings highlight how the teachers associated social justice pedagogies in PEH with an emphasis on: (1) ‘inclusion’; (2) ‘equity/equality’; (3) ‘adaptations to teaching and assessment’; and (4) ‘relationships’. The findings also demonstrate how, based on the importance they placed on relationships, the teachers developed pedagogies that aimed to create: (1) ‘conditions for building relationships’; (2) ‘continuous engagement from teachers and students’; (3) ‘student involvement and reflection’; and (4) ‘connections with and within the subject’. Although the findings draw attention to productive understandings and enactments of social justice pedagogies, we also argue that the teachers, to some extent, conflated equality of opportunity with equity of outcome and continued to focus on managing inequities within the framework of taken-for-granted practices and knowledge within the subject. We conclude that more work is needed to support teachers in not only addressing the inequities students bring to the classroom, but also in challenging the norms that make these inequities matter.

Experiences, Attitudes, and Perceived Competence Regarding Sustainable Development Among Physical Education and Health Teachers in Sweden

Purpose: Literature suggest that physical education and health (PEH) may contribute to the sustainable development (SD) agenda, yet little is known how PEH teachers relate SD to their teaching practices. This paper explores Swedish upper secondary PEH teachers’ experiences and perceived competence regarding teaching SD as part of PEH. Method: An online questionnaire was used to examine SD competence. Data from 702 PEH teachers were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Results: PEH teachers perceive higher competence regarding the social dimension of SD compared to the economic and environmental dimensions. Female teachers and those with more than 15 years teaching experiences reported the highest perceived competence. Seventy percent of the respondents perceived that they lacked competence to teach SD. Discussion/Conclusion: PEH teachers struggle to relate SD to PEH practice and call for support to increase their competence in terms of how to conceptualize and transform SD into PEH teaching practice.

Does it run in the family? How family background influences grades in physical education and health in Sweden

ABSTRACT Research on grading in physical education and health (PEH) continues to demonstrate both inequitable practices and outcomes some of which are associated with the students’ family background. A central goal for schools around the world is to compensate for students’ family backgrounds to promote greater educational equity. This study aimed to examine the effect of family background on grades in PEH in Sweden. The data in this study involved the total population of full siblings (N = 1,444,575) who were enrolled in Year 9 (ages 14–15) between 2000 and 2017. The results indicate an increasing impact of family background on PEH grades over time, particularly for foreign-born students, suggesting a decline in educational equity. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms to address growing inequities and ensure that all students, regardless of background, have equal opportunities to succeed in PEH.

Using Their (Photo)Voice: Student Experiences with Nature-Based Physical Activities In and Beyond Physical and Health Education

This study employed a participatory action research methodology, Photovoice, to explore the experiences of adolescent students while learning nature-based physical activity (NBPA) in, and beyond, Physical and Health Education (PHE). Students were asked to take photos both within PHE lessons and outside of school, and write captions to analyze their photos, as part of a unit entitled NBPA in Pictures. Findings indicated that through the NBPA in Pictures unit in PHE, students were able to: connect to both place and others within PHE and outside of school; overcome challenges to being active in nature; describe nature’s impact on their body and being; and, gain the desire to inspire others to enjoy nature.

Correlation between Nutrition Education and Dietary Habits in College Athletes

This study investigates the relationship between nutrition education and dietary habits among college athletes, focusing on volleyball and football players at the Federal College of Education, Zaria. With a sample size of 52 Physical and Health Education (PHE) students, the research aims to understand how nutrition knowledge influences dietary choices across different sports. The study used a quasi-experimental design with tests given before and after the intervention. Three types of data were collected: a validated nutrition knowledge questionnaire based on Zinn et al. (2005), a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and a 3-day food diary. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25, with Pearson's correlation coefficient examining relationships between variables and independent t-tests comparing differences between sports. The findings suggest a significant positive correlation between nutrition education and improved dietary habits (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), with volleyball players showing a stronger correlation (r = 0.63, p < 0.001) compared to football players (r = 0.52, p < 0.01). Post-intervention, both groups demonstrated improved dietary habits, with volleyball players showing greater improvements in fruit and vegetable intake and reduced consumption of processed foods. The study concludes that nutrition education has a positive impact on the dietary habits of college athletes, with the effect varying between different sports. The stronger correlation observed in volleyball players suggests that sport-specific factors may influence the effectiveness of nutrition education. Based on these findings, the study recommends curriculum planners and experts implement a continuous nutrition education curriculum as part of athletic programs. This curriculum should not only provide foundational knowledge but also include ongoing education to reinforce and expand upon initial learning.

Issues in staffing and outsourcing in schools. Who’s teaching health and physical education?

The staffing and outsourcing of the marginalised curriculum area Health and Physical Education (HPE) has been an area of growing concern, alongside rising concerns for the decline of students’ health due to increased sedentary behaviour and mental health problems, yet there has been little research attention to the staffing and delivery of HPE in Australian schools. This article addresses that gap in understanding with analysis of data from a larger study examining positioning and implementation of HPE in schools. A mixed methods questionnaire was completed by 30% of government schools in New South Wales ( n = 556) providing data on staffing, delivery and outsourcing arrangements. Findings suggested that specialist HPE teachers are not in-charge of teaching HPE; and the majority (67%) of schools outsource at least some HPE, with far-reaching impacts on curriculum coverage and student exclusion from lessons evident. Findings also suggested that students experience varied methods of delivery in Physical Education (PE), and Health Education (HE) lessons. Together, these findings raise questions regarding the assurance of quality and equity, with implications for future policy and practice and the health and wellbeing of school children.

Health literacy pedagogies and assessment embedded in a school-based health education program

AbstractStudies have focused on the development of teachers’ Health Literacy (HL) pedagogies but have yet to focus on building teachers’ assessment capacity. The aims of this research study were three-fold: 1) professionally develop teachers to enhance the HL planned in a Health and Physical Education (HPE) program and assessment task; 2) validate a previously developed curricular model of HL assessment (rubric) using student work samples; 3) measure students HL learning using an adaptation of the validated rubric. Researchers used a descriptive single school case study, using a mixed methods approach in an Independent, coeducational early learning, primary and secondary day school in Sydney, Australia to work closely with participants to review the pedagogical knowledge, learning activities and assessment within a HPE program using Nutbeam’s three level HL hierarchy. Using Messick’s six aspects of construct validity testing of the rubric was completed using 20 sample assessment tasks, as well as receiving feedback on the adaptability and feasibility of the rubric. The validated rubric was then adapted to the assessment task to measure students’ HL. Results demonstrated that professional development had a positive impact on the development of planned HL pedagogies as shown by a 17% increase in planned critical HL learning activities. Findings suggest that the validated rubric is a feasible and adaptable tool that teachers can use to measure students’ HL. This is the first study to validate a curricular model of measuring HL. Future research needs to develop teachers’ HL capabilities and assessment literacy.

‘That’s how we all learn to get along’ – learning in and through ball games in Swedish Physical Education and Health

ABSTRACT Ball games are common content in school physical education and health (PEH), particularly in Sweden. However, criticism has been directed at ball games for focusing too much on performance and competition. In this paper, we explore the learning that occurs in ball games beyond subject-specific knowledge and skills. Data was generated through observations and interviews with four different PEH classes at an upper-secondary school in southern Sweden. Data analysis was based on Uljens’ (2023. Non-affirmative Theory of Education and Bildung (1st ed.). Springer International Publishing.) non-affirmative theory. The findings show that the students learn both subject-specific (e.g. sport techniques, skills, rules and game sense) and generic knowledge and skills (e.g. cooperation, care and providing equal opportunities for everyone) in and through ball games. The findings further draw attention to how more students participate in and learn from ball games when performance and competition is not in focus and when forms of ball games that are less known to the students are used. To conclude, the paper argues that the learning objectives in ball games need to be re-articulated to focus more on the important generic knowledge and skills that students can learn from this PEH content.

Japanese health and physical education teachers’ positioning in teaching Japanese language learners in high school physical education

ABSTRACT Background In recent years, the number of Japanese Language Learner (JLL) students, or children who speak a language other than Japanese and require Japanese language instruction, has been rapidly increasing in Japanese schools. Successful inclusion of students who use Japanese as a second language in the classroom creates opportunities for all students to engage with multiple languages and learn new cultures, backgrounds, history, and aspects of diversity that help them strengthen their overall cognitive abilities [Sato, T., and S. R. Hodge. 2009. “Asian International Doctoral Students’ Experiences at Two American University: Assimilation, Accommodation, and Resistance.” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education 2(3): 136-148]. In particular, physical education (PE) is considered an academic subject that can be a powerful tool to promote peace, tolerance, and understanding by bringing people together across boundaries, cultures, and religions by promoting the concepts of teamwork, fairness, discipline, and respect for the opponent in a game or activity [Beutler, I. 2008. “Sport Serving Development and Peace: Achieving the Goals of the United Nations Through Sport.” Sport in Society 11 (4): 359–369]. The purpose of this study is to describe and explain Japanese high school health and physical education (HPE) teachers’ positioning of themselves and others, as shown through a storyline, when they teach and assist Japanese Language Learner (JLL) students in academic and social contexts. Participants and setting Seven HPE teachers participated in this study by sharing their thoughts, opinions, and experiences related to teaching JLL students in PE. The teachers had between 3 and 23 years of experience teaching PE, and 2–9 years of experience teaching JLL students in high school PE. Research design This study utilized a descriptive-qualitative design using an in-depth, semi-structured interview approach [Seidman, I. 2019. Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences. 5th ed. New York: Teacher College Press]. A constant comparative analysis method was used to analyze the data. In this study, the process of constantly comparing data from several sources led to tentative categories that were compared to each other and to other data in order to construct categories. In this study, meaningful narrative phrases were those related to PE pedagogical content and teacher development. Findings Explainable by concepts in positioning theory [Harré, R., and L. van Langenhove. 1999. “The Dynamics of Social Episodes.” In Positioning Theory: Moral Contexts of Intentional Action, edited by R. Harré, and L. van Langenhove, 1–13. Oxford: Blackwell], three major interrelated and complex themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) teachers’ positioning in securing a safe learning environment for JLL students in PE, (b) teachers’ dilemma in assessing JLL students’ learning outcomes based on performance assessments and written exams in PE, and (c) teachers’ positioning in their responsibilities as both teacher and host parent. To enhance the quality of PE classes, school districts need clear and focused goals related to assessment and evaluation, instructional planning, and responsibilities involved in teaching JLL students.

Writing as a method of inquiry about students’ experiences in a New Zealand primary school outdoor education programme

ABSTRACT In Health and Physical Education (HPE) of the New Zealand Curriculum, Outdoor Education (OE) is one of the seven key areas of learning. It has been taught in various forms because it includes a whole range of outdoor adventure activities and leisure pursuits. To better understand/interpret its nature and value in a New Zealand semi-rural primary school, we worked with eight students’ essays on their outdoor experiences to co-construct this paper. Students’ essays and school documents served as our data. Our inquiry linked students’ experiences to the underpinning philosophy of the school and created composite stories of their OE experiences. Students’ writing revealed their emotions, feelings, and the impact of their outdoor experiences during a three-day residential camp. Although this is a small, circumscribed study, the findings illustrate some primary school students’ OE experience and offer pedagogical insight to support the educative purpose of OE. The tangible OE experiences can provide an entry point into students’ affective learning and literacy with learning in other subjects.

Transdisciplinary perspectives on ‘the narrative’ and ‘the analytical’ for critical literacy

This paper reports on the design of a multimodal metalanguage developed by teacher education researchers to support pre-service teachers’ understandings of critical literacy and critical health literacies in a changing communication landscape. The design of metalanguage constitutes the first stage of an ongoing transdisciplinary project, Multiliteracies Across Teaching Areas (MATA), which aims to design and implement cohesive disciplinary multiliteracies pedagogies across teaching areas of an initial teacher education (ITE) programme. The focus on metalanguage design is motivated by concerns shared by critical literacy scholars and scholars in health literacy to balance deconstruction of texts with actionable response through the ‘deep moral grammar of narrative’ Kindenberg and Freebody (Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 44(2), 90-99, 2021). Such concerns also align with recent World Health Organisation calls for the use of solution-oriented literacies to empower communities. These sociocultural understandings of critical literacy and Kindenberg and Freebody’s (Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 44(2), 90-99, 2021) call to balance ‘the analytical’ and the narrative’ in critical literacy practice provide the starting point for designing metalanguage for transdisciplinary research in Health and Physical Education (HPE) and English. We firstly review relevant models of the critical informing both subject areas to establish synergous understandings and then analyse expectations of critical practice in descriptions and elaborations of the HPE and English curricula. We provide an overview of the semiotic resources available for transdisciplinary conversations within the English curriculum with clarifying ‘bridging’ terminology informed by social semiotic descriptions. Through close analysis of four representative texts selected for critical literacy practice by English and HPE teacher educators in the MATA project, we demonstrate how such metalanguage was shared to build understandings of both critical analysis and actionable response. Along with analytical features to build and analyse issues according to disciplinary criteria, we show how stories are used to build rapport with their diverse audiences and to motivate their peers to take positive health action.

Digital technology in national curricula: a dialogue among Iberoamerican countries.

In today's world, digital technologies have become pervasive, impacting every aspect of our lives. Even in subjects such as Health and Physical Education (HPE), which traditionally emphasizes experiential, active, and corporeal learning, there is a growing interest in the role and influence of new technologies. These technologies not only have the potential to transform human movement and health cultures, but they also offer valuable tools to facilitate teachers' work and enhance student learning. Considering the context of the Research Network on Interactive Digital Didactic Materials, which includes researchers from Iberoamerican countries, this research examines how media and digital technologies are considered in the official Physical Education and curriculum documents from Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, and Spain. The research comprises a content analysis of official National Curricular Proposals of the selected countries. Considering the specificities of each country to publish their curricula policies, we selected eight different documents from five countries (Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Colombia, and Chile). We looked for indicators expressed by terms such as "media," "digital culture," and "technology" in the documents, all of them related to Physical Education. The findings show arguments and proposals for using technology in Physical Education in all documents. However, the curricula trigger this theme in different forms, as an autonomous or transversal character integrated into subjects such as HPE. This fact may be highlighted by the goals of learning areas, which sometimes trigger teaching themes through technology. Under the Media-Education theory lens, we argue that there is no standard for educational investment in curricula in media and technology. Some documents point to the technology use dimension, while others point to the critical or productive dimension that technology makes possible. The literature highlights the need for an organic approach between these dimensions, and educators and policymakers are asked to rethink their curriculum proposals.

Was it a HIIT? A process evaluation of a school-based high-intensity interval training intervention

BackgroundDespite a growing body of research investigating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in schools, there are limited process evaluations investigating their implementation. This is concerning because process evaluations are important for appropriately interpreting outcome findings and augmenting intervention design. This manuscript presents a process evaluation of Making a HIIT, a school-based HIIT intervention.MethodsThe Making a HIIT intervention spanned 8 weeks and was completed at three schools in Greater Brisbane, Australia. Ten classes (intervention group) completed 10-min teacher-led HIIT workouts at the beginning of health and physical education (HPE) lessons, and five classes (control group) continued with regular HPE lessons. The mixed methods evaluation was guided by the Framework for Effective Implementation by Durlak and DuPre.ResultsProgram reach: Ten schools were contacted to successfully recruit three schools, from which 79% of eligible students (n = 308, x¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\overline{{\ ext{x}} }$$\\end{document} age: 13.0 ± 0.6 years, 148 girls) provided consent. Dosage: The average number of HIIT workouts provided was 10 ± 3 and the average number attended by students was 6 ± 2. Fidelity: During HIIT workouts, the percentage of time students spent at ≥ 80% of maximum heart rate (HRmax) was 55% (interquartile range (IQR): 29%—76%). Monitoring of the control group: During lessons, the intervention and control groups spent 32% (IQR: 12%—54%) and 28% (IQR: 13%—46%) of their HPE lesson at ≥ 80% of HRmax, respectively. Responsiveness: On average, students rated their enjoyment of HIIT workouts as 3.3 ± 1.1 (neutral) on a 5-point scale. Quality: Teachers found the HIIT workouts simple to implement but provided insights into the time implications of integrating them into their lessons; elements that helped facilitate their implementation; and their use within the classroom. Differentiation: Making a HIIT involved students and teachers in the co-design of HIIT workouts. Adaption: Workouts were modified due to location and weather, the complexity of exercises, and time constraints.ConclusionThe comprehensive evaluation of Making a HIIT provides important insights into the implementation of school-based HIIT, including encouragings findings for student enjoyment and fidelity and recommendations for improving dosage that should be considered when developing future interventions.Trial RegistrationACTRN, ACTRN12622000534785, Registered 5 April 2022 – Retrospectively registered.

Conceptions of Assessment: Perceptions of Physical and Health Education Teachers in Selangor, Malaysia

Physical and Health Education (PHE) assessment is essential for evaluating students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards physical and health education. Despite the limited number of studies on conceptions of assessment, more research is needed to focus on PHE teachers in the local context. This quantitative study aims to uncover secondary school PHE teachers’ conceptions of assessment by examining four variables: improvement, school accountability, student accountability, and irrelevance. The study involved 268 PHE teachers from two districts in Selangor, Malaysia. Results indicated that improvement received the highest level of agreement, while irrelevance had the lowest. A MANOVA analysis explored the effects of gender and years of teaching experience on teachers’ perceptions. The analysis showed no significant gender differences, but teachers with more than 20 years of experience had a significantly different mean perception of assessment compared to all other groups, suggesting that teaching experience affects teachers’ conceptions of assessment. The result of this study provides valuable insights for stakeholders in education, particularly in PHE assessment. Future research may benefit from incorporating qualitative methods to enhance the study’s findings on conceptions of assessment among school teachers.

‘Level the playing field’ – pupils’ experiences of inclusion and social justice in physical education and health

ABSTRACT School physical education and health (PEH) has an important role to play in the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of young people [Opstoel, K., Chapelle, L., Prins, F. J., De Meester, A., Haerens, L., van Tartwijk, J., & De Martelaer, K. (2020). Personal and social development in physical education and sports: A review study. European Physical Education Review, 26(4), 797–813] which, in turn, can enhance interpersonal relations and help build more socially cohesive and just societies [Benn, T., Dagkas, S., & Jawad, H. (2011). Embodied faith: Islam, religious freedom and educational practices in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 16(1), 17–34; Smith, W., Philpot, R., Gerdin, G., Schenker, K., Linnér, S., Larsson, L., Mordal Moen, K., & Westlie, K. (2021). School HPE: Its mandate, responsibility and role in educating for social cohesion. Sport, Education and Society, 26(5), 500–513]. Unfortunately, research continues to highlight the inability of PEH to realize these important outcomes and the pervasiveness of practices that instead contribute to exclusion and inequality. The aim of this study was to add our understanding of school PEH practices by exploring pupils’ experiences of inclusion and social justice. Data were generated through a survey, observations, interviews and critical reflective texts. Participants in the study were pupils from three different upper-secondary schools (age 16–19) located in southern Sweden. The analysis of data involved a six-phase thematic analysis approach [Braun, B., & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners. Sage] informed by theories of critical and dialogical pedagogy [Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Seabury]. The results are presented in relation to four central themes: (1) care and relationships, (2) pupil involvement, (3) use of modified and non-traditional activities and spaces; and (4) learning about and acting on social inequities. In order to promote more inclusive and socially just PEH practice, a [Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Seabury] analysis of the pupils’ experiences draws attention to the importance of: establishing horizontal teacher–pupil relationships built on trust and love: engaging pupils in an ongoing dialogue where the pupils practice choice and decision-making with their peers; inviting the pupils into critically reflecting on issues of positionality and power and; pupils learning to act on social inequities. To conclude, the paper calls for future studies where teachers and pupils collaborate to develop PEH practices underpinned by inclusion and social justice.

Using Humor in the Health/Physical Education Classroom to Create an Enjoyable Learning Environment

The purpose of this article is to show that health and physical education (HPE) teachers who implement humor in the classroom intentionally create a more relaxed classroom environment, build stronger relationships with students, and engage students in the learning process. Humor used as an instructional strategy eases teacher stress and engages students, leading to a comfortable and welcoming classroom climate. Students feel connected, relaxed and calm when humor is implemented in the classroom. Three theories of humor are briefly described, with Incongruity Theory identified as the primary way to conceptualize using humor in the classroom as a teaching practice. Different kinds of humor are introduced that can be implemented in the classroom. This article also identifies the types of humor considered inappropriate for the classroom. Strategies for implementing humor as a pedagogical practice are discussed to help HPE teachers reach the laugh-into-engagement effect.

Matching school sports managers’ job demands with resources for optimal performance in Nigeria

School sports are beneficial to schools, communities and society as a whole in that they can prevent delinquent behaviours, force commitment to rules, promote social control and teach societal/school values, among others. Deriving these benefits of school sports requires the optimal performance of school sports managers, who teach physical and health education (PHE) as a subject, games masters, house masters, head teachers and seconded school coaches. In this literature review, the JD-R theory was used to explore the literature regarding several potential job demands and job resources within the school sports management environment and how these can be matched for the optimum performance and productivity of school sports managers. It was established that there is a need to identify all possible physical, psychological, social or organizational demands and resources in school sports management to achieve optimal performance in school sports management. The JD-R literature suggests that organizations need to offer employees sufficient job challenges and resources, including feedback, social support, and skill variety, for optimal productivity.