Physical Education Teacher Education Programs Research Articles

Digital technology use in physical education teacher education: a scoping review

ABSTRACT This scoping review examines the current research on digital technology use in physical education teacher education (PETE). It examines how PETE academics and students perceive and utilize digital technology as both pedagogy and tools, while also identifying gaps in existing knowledge to guide future research and practice. Following the PRISMA-ScR checklist, studies were included based on the following criteria: empirical articles published in English between 2010 and 2023, focusing on PETE students or staff, with digital technology usage in PETE courses as a key element. A descriptive and qualitative content analysis was conducted. The majority of studies originated from the USA and Australia, with Europe making the largest collective contribution. Most research focused on undergraduate PETE programs, with 56.1% using qualitative methods, and with a duration of one semester or less. Video recordings were the most frequently reported technology tool, while podcasting was the least. Online teaching was the most common mode of digital pedagogy, with gamification being the least reported. Generally, pre-service PE teachers reported a positive perception of integrating digital technology in PETE. In exploring the nature and range of empirical research activity in using digital technology in PETE, we have provided a robust synthesis of literature to support, guide and develop both research and practice in the field. This review has highlighted several critical gaps in current research that future studies should prioritize. Specifically, there is a need to investigate how digital technology in PETE can be strategically applied to address equity issues, such as ensuring accessibility for all student demographics and supporting inclusive practices. Additionally, further research should explore PETE academics’ long-term attitudes and perceptions toward digital technology use, focusing on how sustained and well-coordinated strategies might influence the adoption and efficacy of these technologies.

Why Inclusion in Physical Education is Not Working, and How to Make it Work

There are many benefits to including children with dis-abilities in general physical education, yet research in-terviewing children with disabilities suggests that inclu-sion in PE is not resulting in positive experiences (Holland & Haegele, 2021). Many have suggested that the prob-lem is rooted in the physical education teacher educa-tion program and the lack of practical information in the adapted physical education course (e.g., Leake et al., 2023). This paper takes a different approach, sug-gesting that inclusion in PE is not working because of a lack of collaboration and communication between special education staff and the PE teacher. Without this communication, the PE teacher may not appreciate that the child with a disability is his/her responsibility. Similarly, without communication, the special educa-tion staff may not provide important information to the PE teacher about the child with a disability, information that could help the PE teacher better welcome and support this child. Given this premise, the manuscript concludes with five simple, practical suggestions out-lining strategies for special education staff and the PE teacher to collaborate and communicate together to provide a setting where children with disabilities are valued and have opportunities to have meaningful in-teractions with peers without disabilities.

ATTITUDES ON GRADING OF PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

Assessing and grading students’ performance in class is an essential part of teaching as a profession. Compared to other classroom-based subjects, Physical Education (PE) teachers usually handle grading practices in the motor learning domain and in a gym-based environment (Rink, 2013). Pre-service and in-service teachers may have different views on handling grading in PE according to differences in teaching experience, and theoretical and practical knowledge (Alkharusi, Kazem, & Al-Musawai, 2011; Schempp et al., 1998). This study aims to investigate in-service PE teachers’ (ISPET) perspectives of teaching practices in grading and compare them to the respective pre-service PE teachers’ (PSPET) perspectives. To find a common set of teaching practices for grading in PE that fits knowledge and experience scopes of both in-service and pre-service PE teachers, essential aspects of grading were extracted out of systematic research on PE teachers’ stress factors (König, 2004). Communicative and pragmatic validity of selected items were ensured by group discussion with selected pre-service and in-service PE teachers. 132 pre-service PE teachers and 134 in-service PE teachers were surveyed using a questionnaire consisting of personal data and previously developed items on teaching practices in grading. Results showed statistically significant differences in slightly more than a half of the respective attitudes on grading practices (e.g., “I assess and grade student performance frequently, because students learn well under pressure.”). ANOVA showed significant differences regarding study/teaching experience in both groups in regard to some attitudes on grading. PE teacher education programs and PE teachers’ continuing professional development may emphasize the change in teaching practices in grading to increase awareness.

An Examination of Physical Education Technology Courses in Physical Education Teacher Education

Purpose: This study explored how physical education-specific technology courses within physical education teacher education (PETE) programs address students’ Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), given that successful technology integration in PETE remains unclear. Method: A case study design was used to examine six PETE programs’ physical education-specific technology courses within the United States. Semistructured interviews with course instructors and course materials (e.g., syllabi, assignments) were inductively analyzed to explore how they addressed TPACK components and PETE technology standards. Results: All courses addressed varying components of TPACK and PETE technology standards. Additional thematic analysis showed that all courses encouraged (a) hands-on practical experience, (b) technology exploration, (c) empowering teachers, and (d) digital citizenship advocacy. Discussion: PETE programs currently with or those considering a physical education-specific course should ensure they enhance students’ TPACK by specifically addressing technology use in lesson planning, lesson delivery, assessment, and advocacy in program and course experiences.

Lessons learned teaching social and emotional learning in physical education teacher education: a self-study

ABSTRACT Background Social and emotional learning (SEL) has emerged as a political and educational priority worldwide. Numerous academic and non-academic benefits of effective (well-designed and well-implemented) SEL programmes within educational contexts exist. Not surprisingly, SEL has been acknowledged as one of the most prioritised educational agendas to support students’ holistic growth and success across different subjects in schools, health and physical education is no exception. Yet, while SEL continues to progress as a global education priority, there is limited literature on SEL in physical education, and even less which seeks to explore teaching SEL in a physical education teacher education (PETE) programme. Purpose Framed by Loughran’s conceptualisation of developing a pedagogy of teacher education, this study explored lessons learned from one teacher educator’s first experience teaching SEL in a health and physical education teacher education programme. Method A self-study of teacher education practices methodology supported one teacher educator to interrogate their experience, decisions, identity, and practices teaching SEL in a PETE programme. Data includes written reflections (n = 10 pages, single-spaced), transcribed critical friend discussions (n = 112 pages single-spaced), and teaching artefacts. Data analysis involved a collaborative reflexive thematic analysis approach to facilitate the inductive identification of themes and patterns. Findings Results are grouped into three categories: lessons learned about my practice as a teacher educator, lessons learned about my pre-service teachers, and lessons learned about teacher education. The three lessons include: (1) the importance of SEL being taught not caught, (2) students lack content knowledge, and (3) once is not enough. Results confirm teaching SEL requires a programmatic approach. Each lesson represents an ongoing process of making sense of self in practice. Conclusions The results of this research provide pedagogical considerations about teacher education programmes and those who teach in them. Teaching about teaching is a complex process. Teaching about teaching SEL may be an even more complex process as teacher educators rarely have developed these competencies themselves.

‘We keep focusing on being excellent’: impact of secondary organizational socialization on late-career faculty members’ delivery of PETE

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of secondary organizational socialization on six late-career faculty members’ (FMs) delivery of physical education teacher education (PETE). Our specific research questions were: (a) What forms of PETE did late-career FMs deliver? and (b) What factors reinforced or impeded late-career FMs’ delivery of PETE? We collected data through three qualitative techniques (i.e. formal interviews, documents, and a written description of FMs’ ideal PETE program). Data were reduced to themes by employing analytic induction and constant comparison. Findings revealed that FMs delivered three distinct forms of PETE that were combinations of the behavioristic, traditional/craft, personalistic, and critical-inquiry orientations to teacher education. While their university cultures were largely positive, the conditions in which FMs worked were mainly unfavorable and impeded their delivery of PETE. To counter this situation, FMs employed a number of tactics in an attempt to strategically redefine their workplaces for the better. These findings may be a catalyst for change in terms of inspiring other FMs to fight back when they face adverse conditions and to reflect on the forms of PETE they deliver. The findings may also serve to make administrators aware of the difficulties sport pedagogy FMs face in general.

Failing successfully with dance in physical education teacher education

ABSTRACT Background Studies underline physical education teacher education (PETE) students’ unfamiliarity and discomfort with dance in physical education (PE) and PETE and place dance outside students’ comfort zones. At the same time, research highlights PETE students’ athletic background and how this continues to be rewarded in PE. Hence, many students enter the PETE programme without any experience of failing – not mastering – activities done in PE. When students enter the PETE programme, they are faced with the expectation of being able to teach dance as future PE teachers, and many students experience unfamiliarity with the content and teaching and working methods in PE for the first time. This unfamiliarity creates emotional tension and uneasiness among the students. Purpose In this project, we borrow Nancy Stark Smith’s concept of failing successfully to investigate how students’ worries about failure can be turned into more successful achievements and considered valuable for learning processes in higher education. The research question guiding this article is: How can risk-taking and fear of failing become significant assets for gaining teacher competence in PETE? Methods This paper is a combined teaching and research project focusing on PETE students’ experiences as they were given the task of developing and performing breaking series. All students participated in two dance lessons. The data material consists of the PETE educator’s notes, Post-it notes from an emotional poll and the students’ subsequent written reflections. Findings Our analysis shows that all students were worried and even dreaded performing their breaking series. The students’ written reflections revealed that they were challenged on a personal and emotional level. For most students, the assignment changed from being perceived as (almost) impossible to becoming an experience of mastery that exceeded their expectations. The study underlines the importance of risk, conceptualises challenging situations, and makes the process of learning a common concern. Conclusion This study emphasises that dreading failure and the experience of failing can be turned into success, and such understandings not only allow examining students’ experiences in new ways but also redirect dance teaching in PETE and PE in new, more challenging, and expanded directions.

The process(es) of learning about teaching using models-based practice: Pre-service teachers’ experiences

This research takes on the recommendation to continue examining the use of models-based practice (MbP) in diverse contexts by considering pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) experiences of learning to teach using MbP in a physical education teacher education (PETE) program in Norway. Guided by the theory of a pedagogy of teacher education ( Loughran, 2006 ), this research was driven by the question: “What are PSTs’ experiences of learning about teaching using MbP in one comprehensive PETE course?” The context was a 15-credit PETE course taught collaboratively by four teacher educators to two cohorts of first-year undergraduate PSTs (25 PSTs in each cohort). Data were generated through a total of 24 focus group interviews with eight PST groups before, during, and upon completion of the course. A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive theme development enabled us to produce knowledge of how PSTs’ learning evolved through four phases: (a) (traditional) assumptions about physical education and teacher education, (b) learning about and through a new way of teaching and learning physical education, (c) challenging and being challenged by the traditional “gym” culture in schools, and (d) understanding what it means to be and become a (physical education) teacher. This research offers support to claims about the challenges in creating coherence at different levels in PSTs’ learning experiences in a Norwegian PETE program. At the same time, we show that MbP can provide PSTs with a coherent learning experience, potentially resulting in changes to how PSTs think about teaching physical education.

Interpreting, translating, and embedding school curriculum in physical education teacher education: the need for collective action within and across the teacher education continuum

ABSTRACT Olson, J. K. [1977. “Teacher Education and Curriculum Change: Reexamining the Relationship.” Curriculum Inquiry 7 (1): 61–66]. https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.1977.11076205. argued how in the wave of curriculum development, the role of teachers, and therefore initial teacher education (ITE), had been neglected and as such, they provided a vision for a revised form of ITE. We contend that almost 50 years on, the ITE community is yet to fulfil this vision for ITE. We explore this argument through the recent wave of physical education curriculum policy development, particularly the introduction of Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), and the processes of interpretation, translation, and embedding curriculum into ITE. We were guided by the research question: How are physical education teacher educators embedding curriculum into their Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programmes to best prepare pre-service teachers (PSTs) to teach such curriculum? Seventeen physical education teacher educators across three ITE institutes were interviewed on the processes of embedding LCPE into their respective programmes. Findings discuss the necessity for PETE programme reconfiguration, the (mis)alignment between PETE and current realities of PSTs, schools, and society, and highlight the need for advocacy and sharing across PETE. This paper advocates for teacher educators to be positioned as policy actors, pedagogical possibilities in PETE, and the need for different stakeholders to work (and learn) together.

Transforming Sports Officiating Education: Effects of the Student-Designed Games Model on University PETE Programs

ABSTRACT This study investigates the effectiveness of the student-designed games (SDG) model in enhancing effort, cooperation, and enjoyment among 173 preservice teachers in a university-level sports officiating course within a Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program. Using a quasiexperimental design, participants were divided into an experimental group, which underwent an 18-week SDG intervention, and a contrast group, which received conventional instruction. ANCOVA results indicated significant improvements in all areas for the SDG group. The findings highlight the potential of the SDG model to create an interactive learning environment and improve learning outcomes in PETE programs. This research extends the application of SDG to higher education and non-western context, highlighting its potential to improve the learning outcomes.

Perspectives on Inclusion in Physical Education From Faculty and Students at Three Physical Education Teacher Education Programs in Chile

Discourse about, and the preparation of teachers regarding, the inclusion of all students has been lacking in Latin America broadly, including Chile. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of physical education teacher education (PETE) faculty members and undergraduate students on inclusion and social justice in Chile. Grounded in social constructionism, the research design of this qualitative inquiry was descriptive multiple case study. The 16 participants were PETE faculty—that is, two assistant professors and one adjunct faculty member (n = 3) and three heads of programs (n = 3)—as well as undergraduate students (n = 10) across three PETE programs in Chile. The primary data sources were 12 individual semistructured interviews with heads of the program and faculty and three focus group interviews with undergraduate students across programs. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis to draw on different themes capturing the perspectives on inclusion and social justice within the Chilean physical education curriculum. Findings were presented through themes and subthemes across PETE programs. Three major discussion themes are presented: (a) disability framed within a deficit model, (b) inclusion as an adapted pedagogical practice, and (c) inclusion as a rights-based model for equality of opportunities. We conclude, analytically, that a lack of critical critique of the deficit model of disability, adapted pedagogical practices alone, and sameness manifests forms of marginalization to students with disabilities in physical education.

The Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Occupational Socialization in Preservice Physical Education Teachers

The goal of this study was to predict the preservice physical education teachers’ (PPETs) occupational socialization (OS) by their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and to investigate the relationship between them. The participants were 56 PPETs from a physical education teacher education (PETE) undergraduate program in the northeastern United States. This research work utilized the mixed-methods research design. An online survey with the PCK standard test, the teachers’ occupational beliefs survey, and a semistructured interview were used to collect data. The PPETs’ PCK significantly predicted their OS. More PCK would lead to more positive and professional OS development. Furthermore, the methods classes were the most important resource to learn PCK and develop the OS of the PPETs. There is a close and direct relationship between PPETs’ PCK and OS, and early field experience (EFE) is a common carrier. It is possible to use PPETs’ PCK to infer their OS development, and quantitative methods are effective for examining both factors. PETE programs should purposefully set up EFEs to improve PPETs’ PCK and OS simultaneously.

Embodying policy work: an exploration of contexts, actions and meanings towards new possibilities for physical education teacher education (PETE)

ABSTRACT This theoretical paper presents a heuristic framework that is directed towards transformative thinking and practices in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE). The research focus and direction, embodying policy work, applies and extends Bernstein’s concepts of the pedagogic and corporeal device to offer new directions for inquiry and explore the considerations these raise for PETE professionals and their practices. The paper affirms the importance of policy work in PETE, while recognising a need for more nuanced and critical understandings of the complex interrelationships between contexts and actions, and the potential meanings generated and ascribed to different forms of policy work and identities in-situ. Attention focuses specifically on the ways in which individuals ascribe meaning to practices in PETE through everyday actions and relational behaviours, locating embodied practices and meanings as integral to policy work in PETE. The heuristic framework facilitates exploration of three sets of rules: (i) contextual rules of embodying policy work; (ii) rules of/for embodying actions; and (iii) rules of/for embodying potential meanings. Each focus is explored in turn to develop specific, yet interrelated lines of inquiry that can guide empirical work that extends insight into the policy work of PETE professionals and programmes. Discussion highlights the importance of such work in expanding visions for the sustainable transformation of PETE.

Diving into Diversity: Integrating Intercultural Competence into a PETE Curriculum

This article explores the integration of intercultural competence into one physical education teacher education (PETE) curriculum to address the increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse children in physical education. Highlighting a potential lack of PETE student preparation, the article recommends adopting a framework based on Deardorff’s process model of intercultural competence. The proposed approach spans four methods courses, aiming to embed culturally relevant pedagogy. Emphasizing the importance of fostering culturally responsive and inclusive physical educators, the framework underscores the need for teacher education programs to enhance intercultural competence, thereby improving the quality and impact of PETE programs.

Design and Implementation of University Homeschool PE Programs: Reflections From the Field

Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs require authentic, quality field experiences for their preservice teachers. Faculty often seek alternative experiences to public-school placements due to limited space, class size, location, and overwhelmed local schools. One opportunity in the surrounding community of many universities is the homeschooled student population. Creating a homeschool physical education program can bring K-12 students to campus. This article highlights four PETE programs creating alternative, authentic teaching experiences through their university homeschool physical education programs. Each snapshot discusses hosting, logistics, marketing, and funding.

Ripples in the Water: Physical Education Teacher Education Program Influence on Graduates’ Perceptions of Expanded Physical Activity Programming

Physical educators are often asked to promote whole-school physical activity programming beyond their scheduled class times. Previous research has supported that training in expanded roles would be beneficial during university-based physical education teacher education (PETE) training. In this qualitative study, 13 graduates from a single PETE program that has integrated expanded physical activity into programming shared information about their current programming as physical education teachers in K–12 schools. Campus visits and one-on-one interviews were included. Some practices and values learned during participants’ PETE training were evident in graduates’ current practices. Aligning with previous studies of professional socialization of physical educators, the resulting themes concluded that (a) strategies and resources gained during PETE training were valued and still used and (b) other ripples of influence, such as administrators and other teachers at their current placement, influenced programming. PETE programming with whole-school physical activity can lead to expanded teaching practices in schools.

Physical Education Teacher Training Within Juvenile Detention Centers

In today's rapidly evolving educational environment, there is a pressing need to train teachers to respond to the increasingly diverse needs of students. Although physical education teacher education (PETE) programs across the country offer a wide variety of early field experiences for students, very few provide opportunities to work with currently incarcerated youths. One such partnership exists at Northern Illinois University (NIU), with a collaboration between the PETE program, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, and Project FLEX. Project FLEX is a physical activity and life skills program for incarcerated youths, one of the only current programs in the United States. The program's primary aims are to incorporate life skill content into sport programming that fosters the transfer of these skills outside of programming and to engage youth in activities that increased physical activity levels while encouraging improvements to their sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this article is to highlight the partnership between Project FLEX, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, and the PETE program at NIU, discuss the partnership's impact on those involved, and share some potential future directions of the partnership. Further explanation of the interplay between the PETE program, the student's roles and responsibilities within Project FLEX, and how such early field experiences are currently situated within the PETE program will be discussed.

Quality Supervision of Preservice Teachers in Field Experiences: Strategies and Practices for PETE Programs

Quality supervision is essential for preservice teachers’ (PSTs) development of teaching effectiveness, because it purposefully structures PSTs’ learning experiences in a systematic and developmentally appropriate manner, provides specific feedback, includes formal and informal assessment of PSTs’ teaching, and facilitates opportunities for PSTs to reflect on and adapt their teaching. However, with the increasing challenges and demands of supervision in school settings, supervisors often find themselves frustrated and less supported. This article aims to address these issues by presenting four valuable strategies and their associated practices that physical education teacher education (PETE) programs and supervisors, particularly university supervisors, can employ while supervising PSTs. These strategies are: (a) establishing a supervision structure, (b) refining the evaluation system, (c) varying supervisory approaches, and (d) integrating educational technology. Associated practices within each strategy and resources are included as well. By actively adopting these practices, PETE programs can elevate their supervision quality, with a positive effect on the teaching effectiveness of their PSTs.

Credit Hour Analysis of Adapted Physical Education Courses in Higher Education

Adapted physical education (APE) is a critical piece to the physical education puzzle. However, this topic is often overlooked from a preparation standpoint in physical education teacher education (PETE). The purpose of this study was to analyze the number of APE credit hours offered in undergraduate PETE programs across the United States. The 2018 Carnegie Classifications were used to help differentiate between types of institutions. Ranging degrees of institutional classification may be a contributing factor to the number and type of credit hours offered. Data analysis indicated that majority of PETE programs in the United States only offer one APE course in the PETE curriculum. Findings from this study are critical to understanding the preparation of preservice physical education teachers (PPETs) in PETE. Findings may also contribute to a conversation on credit hour allocation and whether PPETs are being sufficiently prepared to teach in an inclusive and adapted environment.

A Pedagogical Content Knowledge-Based Course Classification Process for Physical Education Teacher Education Curricula

This study aimed to formulate a course classification process for identifying and classifying courses in the curriculum for physical education teacher education (PETE). The study recruited five experts in physical education (PE), PETE, and pedagogy. The participants were professors at a college in the Northeastern United States. The five participants were interviewed about how to identify a pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) course. A PCK-based classification process was formulated. Additionally, the second part of the study analyzed the curriculum of a PETE program in the Northeastern United States to elucidate the implication of the classification process. The PCK- based classification process can identify if a course is a PCK course and classify its level on the basis of the course syllabus. However, evaluators can collect evidence through additional paths, such as class observation. The process may increase the objectivity and credibility of the evaluation of the PETE curriculum and comparison studies.