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Purpose: To explore preservice teachers' (PSTs) implementation of cooperative learning (CL) during their school-based student-teaching after undertaking a CL course in a Chinese physical education teacher education program. Method: An interpretive qualitative case study design gathered data from eight PSTs using classroom observations, semistructured interviews, reflective journals, instructional materials, and field notes. Interactive cycling coding was used to analyze the data. Findings: The two themes, putting five key elements into practice and learning to facilitate with CL, convey how the PSTs implemented the procedures of CL and adapted CL to the contexts they were teaching in. Discussion and Conclusions: The eight PSTs appropriately implemented CL and contextualized CL practice in their classrooms. They shifted their teaching approaches away from direct instruction and toward more independent, pupil group-based tasks. This growth is particularly important in the Chinese physical education context, where policies advocate for CL yet student-centered teaching which is rarely seen in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings of a research project that sought to understand how a group of 19 graduating physical education teacher education (PETE) students' biographies served to mediate their understanding of the messages of their PETE programme, which was underpinned by a critical pedagogy philosophy. We use the Bourdieuian concepts of habitus, field, pedagogical action and pedagogical work to represent the similarities and variation in the student's reading of the PETE programme and its intension to foreground critical pedagogy. The five themes produced through an analysis of individual and focus group interview data informed by Bourdieu's theory of practice are; 'Individual programme readings', 'Pedagogical work (that matters)', 'Pedagogical work beyond the pedagogic actions of the teacher educators'; 'No certainty of a critical perspective' 'Kicking at one's habitus: Kicked, shaken and unstirred'. The findings demonstrate that students biographies have influenced and been reaffirmed or disrupted by both the formal PETE programme coursework and practicum experiences and as a result, the PETE programme impacts differently on different students. The authors are guardedly buoyed by the possibility that the structuring structure of habitus will have been sufficiently shaken by the PETE programme to allow for new possibilities yet we recognise that there will be no encounter that can claim pedagogical work on the habitus of all students. Our hope is that this critical pedagogy in PETE has given these participants the 'tools', that is, the insight, and perspective, needed to kick at their own habitus as they graduate and move beyond the intervention of PETE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way school Health and Physical Education (HPE) is conceptualized and taught will impact on its ability to provide equitable outcomes across gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion and social class. A focus on social justice in HPE is pertinent in times when these ideals are currently under threat from neoliberal globalization. This paper draws on data from the initial year of an international collaboration project called 'Education for Equitable Health Outcomes – The Promise of School Health and Physical Education' involving HPE and Physical Education Teacher Education researchers from Sweden, Norway and New Zealand. The data in this paper record the researchers' presentations and discussions about issues of social justice and health as informed by school visits and interviews with HPE teachers in the three different countries. The analysis of the data is focused on what is addressed in the name of social justice in each of the three countries and how cross-cultural researchers of social justice in HPE interpret different contexts. In order to analyse the data, we draw on Michael Uljens's concepts of non-affirmative and non-hierarchical education. The findings suggest that researching social justice and health (in)equality across different countries offers both opportunities and challenges when it comes to understanding the enactment of social justice in school and HPE practices. We conclude by drawing on Uljens to assert that the quest for social justice in HPE should focus on further problematizing affirmative and hierarchical educational practices since social justice teaching strategies are enabled and constrained by the contexts in which they are practised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For some time now many teacher educators have recognised the need to address issues of social justice and inequality. The challenge of teaching increasingly diverse student populations has led teacher educators to consider practices and pedagogies that move beyond a technical orientation. One of the alternate paradigms, critical teacher education, promotes a model of teacher development that transcends a sole focus on the acquisition of mere technical skills, to practices that foreground awareness of equity issues and socially just teaching practices. Although critical teacher education is not new, most research on teacher education for social justice examines the impact of individual courses on developing pre-service teachers' awareness of critical issues. The paper presents an analysis of a physical education teacher education (PETE) programme that is underpinned by critically oriented philosophies. Critical discourse analysis of documents was used to reveal consistencies and contradictions between the espoused critical orientation of the programme and the discourse of the individual courses. The findings provide evidence of critical pedagogies across a range of courses in the PETE programme. The significance of this study lies in new possibilities for critical teacher education when the critical orientation is spread across a whole programme rather than concentrated only in individual courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For many years, scholars in Physical Education Teacher Educator (PETE) have argued for the importance of educating preservice teachers (PSTs) about equality (e.g. Evans, J. 1990. "Defining a Subject: The Rise and Rise of the New Physical Education?" British Journal of Sociology of Education 11: 155-169), sociocultural perspectives and issues (e.g. Cliff, K., J. Wright, and D. Clarke. 2009. "What Does a Sociocultural Perspective Mean in Health and Physical Education?" In Health and Physical Education: Issues for Curriculum in Australia and New Zealand, edited by M. Dinan-Thomson, 165-182. Melbourne: Oxford University Press; Flory, S. B., Tischler, A., and Sanders, S. 2014. Sociocultural issues in physical education: Case studies for teachers. New York: Rowman & Littlefield), and critical pedagogy (e.g. Fernandez-Balboa, J. M. 1997. "Physical Education Teacher Preparation in the Postmodern Era: Toward a Critical Pedagogy." In Critical Postmodernism in Human Movement, Physical Education, and Sport, edited by J. M. Fernandez-Balboa, 121-138. Albany: State University of New York Press; Philpot, R (2015) Critical pedagogies in PETE: An Antipodean perspective. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 34(2): 316-332). Despite this advocacy, we would argue that there are significant differences in how faculty teach about sociocultural issues, and for, social justice. The pedagogical actions through which PETEs do this work is the focus of this paper. Purpose: We investigated the pedagogical approaches and strategies used by PETE faculty to address and educate PSTs about social justice and sociocultural issues related to gender, race, sexuality, (dis)ability, socioeconomic status and religion in their individual PETE programs. In this study, we draw on transformational pedagogy (Ukpokodu, O. 2009. "Pedagogies that Foster Transformative Learning in a Multicultural Education Course: A Reflection." Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education 4 (1), Article 4; Ovens, A. 2017. "Transformative Aspirations and Realities in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE)." In The Routledge Handbook of Physical Education Pedagogies, edited by C. Ennis, 295-306. New York: Taylor and Francis) as a framework for theorizing the data. Through this study, we highlight the pedagogical practices espoused as those that engender transformative learning. Data collection and analysis: Data for this interpretive qualitative research study was collected primarily through in-depth semi-structured interviews with over 70 PETEs who work in 48 PETE programs across Australia, Canada, England, Ireland New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States. Furthermore, an informational survey was used to gather demographic data of the participants. The participants, all current PETEs, had a wide range of professional experiences, which included the length of time in the profession, the type of institution employed, educational backgrounds and courses taught. Data analysis was completed using the processes of content analysis and the constant comparative method (Corbin, J., and A. Strauss. 2008. Basics of Qualitative Research. London: Sage). Findings: Three major themes represent the findings. In the first theme, 'Intentional and Explicit Pedagogies,' we provide descriptions of the approaches and strategies used by PETEs in this study that were planned in advance of the learning experiences. In the second theme, 'Teachable Moments,' we provide examples of how PETEs utilized 'teachable moments' in implicit and explicit ways to educate PSTs about sociocultural issues. The third theme, 'Resistance and Constraints' captures the individual challenges PETE faculty faced within their courses if, and when, they teach for equity and social justice. The findings suggest that social justice struggles to find an explicit presence within many PETE programs and that educating PSTs about sociocultural issues and social justice is lacking in many PETE programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical education (PE) and physical education teacher education (PETE) have a substantial literature base that advocates for students to develop a critical consciousness, appreciate multiple perspectives, and engage in actions to enhance social justice [Tinning, R. 2016. "Transformative Pedagogies and Physical Education." In The Routledge Handbook of Physical Education Pedagogies, edited by C. Ennis, 281-294. New York: Routledge]. Analysing sociocultural issues, critically reflecting on beliefs, knowledge, biography, and values, and developing a sense of agency to enact change, have been recognised as an integral part of the PETE knowledge base for some time [Fernández-Balboa, J. M. 1997. "Physical Education Teacher Preparation in the Postmodern era: Toward a Critical Pedagogy." In Critical Postmodernism in Human Movement, Physical Education, and Sport, edited by J. M. Fernández-Balboa, 121-138. Albany: State University of New York Press]. However, there remain differences in how social justice itself is conceptualised and enacted. Social justice is aligned heavily with critical and 'post' theories where taking action for justice, democracy, and power is central; but social justice is also found in humanist beliefs in student-centredness and equality and has been co-opted by neoliberal forces that promote individual responsibility. While a lack of consensus is not in itself a problem [Bialystok, L. 2014. "Politics Without "Brainwashing": A Philosophical Defence of Social Justice Education." Curriculum Inquiry 44 (3): 413-440], diverse definitions might contribute to confusion and lead to uncertainty over what and how to teach for social justice. Purpose: In order to work towards greater certainty around concepts of social justice in the PETE community, this project sought to map variations in definition and conceptualisation of social justice and sociocultural issues among physical education teacher educators (PETEs) and physical education and sport pedagogy (PESP) educators, as part of a wider project on social justice and sociocultural perspectives and practices in PETE. Methods: PETE and PESP faculty (n = 72) in North America, Europe, and Australasia engaged in an in-depth interview, during which they were asked how they define social justice and sociocultural issues. Additional information about participants' social identity was collected. A constant comparative method of analysing participants' definitions mapped a range of concepts building on the theoretical framework of neoliberal, humanist, critical, and 'post' approaches to social justice. Findings: The data demonstrate that there are a range of understandings about sociocultural issues and social justice. Most commonly, some participants articulated a humanist approach to social justice by encouraging their pre-service teachers (PSTs) to have awareness of equality of opportunity in relation to gender, sexuality, and/or racism. Less prevalent, but strongly stated by those who conceptualised social justice in these terms, was the importance to take action for democracy, empowerment, or critical reflection. The terms diversity and equality, framed in neoliberal and humanist discourses, were most commonly used within the United States (US), while critical pedagogy and alignment with critical and 'post' theoriesweremore prevalent in Australia and NewZealand. Conclusion: Differences exist in the ways social justice is conceptualised in PETE. While this can be attributed to the influence of local issues, it is also reflective of what intellectual tools, such as humanism or critical theory, are available for problematising social issues. The range of non-critical concepts found raises concern that PSTs are not getting the tools to enact social justice or tackle sociocultural issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For over four decades, there have been calls for physical education (PE) and physical education teacher education (PETE) to address social inequality and foster social justice. Yet, as numerous studies demonstrate, attempts to educate for social justice in PETE are infrequent and rarely comprehensive. This raises the question why it appears to be possible in some situations but not others, and for some students and not others. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the multiple sociopolitical networks or assemblages in which PETE is embedded and explore how these shape the possibilities for students to engage with the concept of social justice and sociocultural issues (SCI) when learning to teach PE. Two research questions guided this study: How does an orientation for social justice education (SJE) within education policy affect the standards for enacting PETE programs? How is SJE encouraged within PETE programs? Methodology: Drawing from a broader study of over 70 key personnel in more than 40 PETE programs, we examined how faculty in PETE understand their professional world, identify their subjective meanings of their experiences, and address SCI and SJE within PETE. Data sources included an initial survey, a semi-structured interview, and program artifacts. We analyze the ways that SJE/SCI was represented in three national settings (England, the United States, and New Zealand) and identified common themes. Results: Examination of each national setting reveals ways that SJE and SCI were enabled and constrained across the national, programmatic, and individual level in each of the countries. The coherence of explicit National policy and curricula, PETE program philosophies, and the presence of multiple individual interests in social justice served to reify a sociocultural agenda. Conversely, possibilities were nullified by narrow or general National Standards, programs that failed to acknowledge sociocultural interests, and the absence of a critical mass of actors with a socio-critical orientation. These differences in assemblage culminated in variations in curriculum time that served to restrict or enable the breadth, frequency, and consistency of the messages surrounding SCI in PETE. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of acknowledging socio-political networks where PETE operates. The agency of PETEs to enact pedagogies that foreground sociocultural interests is contingent on congruity of the networks. The authors caution that although the 'perfect storm' of conditions has a profound influence of the possibility of transformational learning of SCI in PETE, this arrangement is always temporary, fluid, and subject to changes in any of the three network levels. Additionally, the success of PETE in enabling graduating PE teachers to recognize the inequities that may be reinforced through the 'hidden curriculum' and to problematize the subject area is contingent on the expectations of the schools in which they teach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role that school health and physical education (HPE) plays in the making of physically active and healthy citizens continues to be rearticulated within the field of HPE practice. In Australasia, for example, this is evident in HPE curricula changes that now span almost two decades with ongoing advocacy for greater recognition of socially critical perspectives of physical activity and health. This paper reports on one part of a larger collaborative project that focused on how HPE teachers understand and enact socially critical perspectives in their practice. The paper draws on interview data obtained from 20 secondary school HPE teachers, all of whom graduated from the same physical education teacher education (PETE) programme in New Zealand, a programme that espouses a socially critical orientation. The teaching experience of the study participants ranged from 1 to 22 years of service. The preliminary analysis involved deduction of common themes in relation to the research questions and then, drawing on the theoretical framework of Bourdieu [1990.The logic of practice. Cambridge: Polity Press], these themes were analysed in more detail to gain insight into how and why the graduate teachers’ expressed their particular understanding of HPE and critical pedagogy. The findings suggested that this PETE programme did have some impact on the participant teachers’ perceptions of physical activity and health, and the role of socially critical thinking. However, there was also evidence to suggest that many of them did not have a clear understanding of the transformative agenda of critical pedagogy. We conclude by suggesting that although this PETE programme did plant ‘seeds’ that had an impact on the graduate teachers’ awareness and thinking about socially critical issues in relation to physical activity and health, it did not necessarily turn them into critical pedagogues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While an emphasis on social justice has emerged as a theme in initial teacher education (ITE) over the past decade, there is much debate about how to engage ITE students in foregrounding issues of equity and social justice in their own teaching. One strategy, the introduction of critical pedagogy in ITE, has been promoted in teacher education literature since the early 1970s. In subsequent decades it has become apparent that there is a lack of consensus on what critical pedagogy is, and what it means to teach from a critical perspective.Drawing on the ‘big tent’ of critical pedagogies, the purpose of this paper is to focus attention on the evolution and/or devolution of critical pedagogy in physical education initial teacher education (PETE). This paper reports on findings from a research project that explored how six health and physical education teacher educators (PETEs), who teach in a single PETE programme that is underpinned by a critical orientation, understand and enact critical pedagogy. Data were collected through 60-minute semi-structured interviews. A six-step process of inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.This study suggests there is a commitment to social justice from all six of the PETEs. It is evident, however, that there are differences in their understanding of critical pedagogy. These differences reveal each teacher educator’s own valued theoretical perspectives, and manifest themselves in teaching practices in the PETE programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the findings of a study that explored the influence of a four-year physical education teacher education (PETE) programme on the beliefs about physical education of the graduating students. These students suggested that a single teacher educator (TE) with a Freirean pedagogy had strongly influenced their beliefs and understanding of physical education. The TE used problem posing and dialogue in his lectures to raise the critical consciousness of the PETE students. The TE challenged the students' beliefs about the relationship between sport and physical education. This paper focuses on the pedagogy of the teacher educator and the students' reading of the pedagogy. This study uses data from interviews with PETE students and the writing of the TE to describe the practice, and student 'reading', of a Freirean pedagogy in a PETE programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings of a case-study that examined the different beliefs about the nature and purpose of physical education of beginning and graduating physical education teacher education students. Four themes emerged from the findings: 'physical education as sport versus physical education as more than sport'; 'the perceived importance of the biophysical sciences'; 'health and physical education - a field of multiple discourses'; and 'from a position of uncertainty to one of complexity'. The beginning PETE students saw physical education as being synonymous with sport, whereas the graduating PETE students described physical education as being more than sport. While the beginning students' beliefs about the nature and purpose of physical education were naturally limited, the graduates conveyed a much deeper understanding of the complexity involved in both defining the field and describing the nature of the physical education teacher's role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]