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Research in inclusive education reveals multiple studies that explore the efforts of individual stakeholders to create an equitable educational experience for students with disabilities. However, these individual efforts are often examined discretely, compartmentalising the contributions of various stakeholders. As a consequence, the complex interplay between these contributions has not been fully explored, with the capacity for a rich network of support being assumed rather than explicitly constructed. This report draws on the personal reflections of nine academics in the field of inclusive education from Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Switzerland. Serving as both contributors and participants, this study draws together their personal interpretations and their expertise regarding the value of collective and collaborative inclusive education. Inductive thematic analysis of participant reflections yielded the view that stakeholders working together within an educational setting, offers more effective and appropriate opportunities to support learners with additional needs.

Teacher preparation in Canada benefits from innovative programming that supports vibrant, inclusive classrooms. We examine two Canadian-made programmes: The Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning, with particular focus on the social emotional learning block, and the Teaching Continuum, a model for inclusive physical education settings. We use the 3H Model of inclusive teacher education to analyze the fit of these two approaches to pre-service teacher inclusive education preparation and suggest ways they can become more entrenched within Canadian schools.

This article discusses the importance of PE teacher embracement of AEAs, provides several specific practical examples for PE teachers looking to enhance AEA inclusion in their PE programs, and concludes with practical strategies to help overcome common PE teacher-cited barriers related to embracing AEAs.

Due to the overemphasis of traditional sports at the expense of other movement domains in physical education (PE) programmes, there is a need to consider what factors might enable or limit PE teachers' incorporation of some of these other domains that can support student learning. The focus of this article is on one such marginalized domain -- alternative environment activities (AEAs). AEAs can afford students a breadth of opportunities for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in different environments (i.e. land, snow and ice, water, air) and improve environmental awareness and stewardship. This article reports on a comparative investigation of Nova Scotian (Canadian) and Irish PE teachers' incorporation of AEAs in their PE programmes. To understand what similarities or differences might exist with respect to these PE teachers' incorporation of AEAs, along with existing enablers and barriers, a self-selected sample of current PE teachers (Nova Scotia = 53; Ireland = 64) completed a 22-item online questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were employed to conduct comparisons among the two data sets. PE teachers' understandings of curricular requirements for AEAs were found to be an issue in both Nova Scotia and Ireland. Reported significant differences include: AEA-related professional development participation; most important factors for deciding not to include AEAs; and feelings of school administrative support towards AEA incorporation. Findings also suggest that various issues may be hindering incorporation of AEAs in PE programmes, and that some of these issues do differ based on where the PE programme is situated.

The purpose of this study was to gather the thoughts and opinions of students and their teachers around the benefits of outdoor exploration time. Students within three grade 3 classes in one western Canadian province were afforded opportunities to connect with the outdoor elements and each other in designated forested areas near their school, while also enjoying free outdoor learning time. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted for participants to share their experiences. Using a thematic approach, four key findings emerged from these interviews: expanding perspectives, connection to nature, sense of choice, and enjoyment. According to the findings, affording an outdoor space and the opportunity for students to spend time outside on a consistent basis may be an important way to give students the chance to learn in an organic way from nature, form deep connections to nature, develop within themselves a sense of choice, and find enjoyment in the natural environment.

Background and Purpose: Despite widespread evidence suggesting the numerous benefits from being active in outdoor environments, children in many Western nations have recently been spending less time outdoors. This cross-sectional exploratory study provides a descriptive examination of physical education teachers' embracement of alternative environment activities (AEAs) in physical education programs. Method: Data were collected from 225 current physical education teachers in Alberta and Manitoba, Canada, through an online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Levene's tests, and independent t tests. Results: Significant differences were found in relation to teachers' experiences, or lack thereof, with professional development in relation to the extent to which teachers embraced AEAs. Furthermore, cost was discovered to be the greatest perceived barrier to teaching AEAs. Discussion and Conclusions: This study reveals an established need for teachers' professional development in teaching AEAs and for discovering ways to decrease cost barriers for teaching AEAs.

In this paper, a group of nine international scholars reflect on the collective responsibilities of stakeholders within inclusive educational settings. This reflection was prompted by the need to identify specific elements which would support intentional, collective responsibility to support authentic inclusion for all students. In order to engender this collectivist mindset, mirroring the metaphor of the nurturing village, the group conducted a qualitative study based on structured and semi-structured dialogue, written reflections and previously constructed research to inform a framework to support inclusivity more collectively. Results suggest that nurturing spaces, empathetic relationships, supportive networks and targeted teaching, all contribute to bona fide inclusion, especially if this responsibility is shared and cohesive. Data further revealed that inclusivity is a values-driven process which flourishes when all stakeholders subscribe to common values and tenets regarding socially just educational provision. The authors inculcate the village-mindset, a now popularly received notion, reinforcing the need for active and deliberate dialogue focusing on shared responsibilities and vision. In this paper, we intend to reiterate the need for educational systems which foster more collective, compassionate and nurturing inclusive practice in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explored various aspects of Canadian preservice elementary school teacher views about inclusive physical education. Based on prior work by Loreman (2014) that broadly examined preservice teacher views on inclusive education, in this study we looked specifically at inclusive physical education using a different sample of participants in the same program. Preservice teachers were asked a series of open-ended questions relating to their understandings, feelings of teaching self-efficacy, attitudes, and concerns relating to inclusive physical education in elementary school. Their responses reflected a strong focus on ability diversity (e.g., disability) and indicated that inclusive physical education means that all students should be part of the learning environment or that some should be excluded in roughly equal proportion. Depending on the curricular dimension, their self-perceived levels of preparedness ranged from low to high. The participants also presented a strong case for the necessity of resources available for the teaching of inclusive physical education.

In British Columbia (BC), Canada, a school district effort was launched to focus on mental wellbeing in middle and senior secondary schools. The initiative "Got Health?" was intended to help students take the lead, through action research, in program development and delivery of information. The purpose of this action research project was to evaluate, assess, and report student and staff perceptions of "Got Health?" Particular focus lay with student and staff thoughts concerning the inspiration, benefits, and challenges of the student-led mental health initiative across multiple and diverse schools. Focus group interviews were conducted involving student and teacher members of "Got Health?" teams. Results revealed that the majority of participants believed a positive change occurred in their school environments, which included a favourable impact on the mental wellbeing messages shared throughout their school communities. This suggests that a student-led inquiry approach can be an effective means of promoting mental wellbeing in school settings.

The development of fundamental movement skills is essential in quality physical education. It has become widely accepted that school-age children who fail to reach the automatic phase in fundamental movement-skill development may choose physically inactive and unhealthy lifestyles. Therefore, physical educators must continue to discover ways to help students develop these skills. The Mentorship in Practice Program (MiPP) is intended to employ mentorship as a strategy to assist in the teaching and refinement of fundamental movement skills during scheduled recess time at school. In the MiPP, older students are identified as mentors with the responsibility of teaching cognitive and psychomotor skills to younger students. This article describes the potential effectiveness of this mentorship method, and shares resources in the form of QR codes for quick access to websites.

The aim of this study was to systematically review the protocols to assess the built environment in the context of early childhood and physical activity. Three databases were systematically searched for studies that examined associations between the built environment and preschoolers' physical activity levels. A total of 27 studies were included in the analysis. Results show a clear distinction between approaches administered in the neighborhoods and childcare domains. Although Geographic Information Systems are employed in most studies in the neighborhood domain and have been understood as an objective approach, findings have indicated a lack of specificity regarding early childhood environmental variables, which can compromise protocols content validity. Further, although self-perceived approaches were found in only three studies, analysis of instrument content validity and cross-cultural adaptation also showed limited validation evidence. In the childcare context, the microscale built environment is a strong trend in customization of measurement protocols in early childhood. However, present findings have indicated the necessity for enhancements to validation procedures, particularly regarding internal consistency and content validity to develop needed customization. Therefore, future research should utilize more rigorous validation techniques to address the micro-scale built environment within the context of early childhood physical activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation in a quality physical education program provides many well-known learning opportunities and benefits for students. However, this paper addresses how participation in quality physical education programs can provide other less well-known benefits which not only impact students, but society as a whole. Specifically, this paper discusses how physical education has the potential to be a beneficial, cost-effective, and physically safe approach to lessen the occurrence of obesity and assist in decreasing mental health issues for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents suggestions for schools for providing quality learning experiences with a focus on healthy and active living. Topics discussed include plan for quality daily physical education or physical activity, involvement of students in the decision-making and developmental approach to teaching physical education.

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Role modeling is a powerful teaching tool. With the skills, talents and attitudes teachers possess or lack, they are one of the key, perhaps the most important, building blocks of the educational system. Teachers who take pride in being physically active and demonstrate motor skills during physical education lessons can influence school children positively. The purpose of this article is to communicate the importance of "teacher as a role model" in physical education. It seems, however, that in our schools, role modeling can be a forgotten element of teaching. Hence, this is an issue that deserves further consideration and discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Physical & Health Education Journal is the property of PHE Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A comparison study found both similarities and differences regarding personal reflections of two educators undertaking career changes. One educator moved from being an elementary school physical educationalist to being a physical education teacher educator at a university setting, while the other educator undertook the opposite path, swapping the university gymnasium with that of an elementary school. Such experiences lead to important considerations of what are general commonalities for educators and what are some of the unique challenges that are presented in the new environments. This paper considers these personal reflections surrounding the two transitions. Both educators relied on personal teaching and school climate experiences. Three themes emerged from the data gathered through participant notes and reflective journals: (1) teacher-student relationships, (2) teaching and learning considerations, and (3) staff relationships. The journey the two educators have taken has led them into new educational territory. However, both of them relied on their past teaching and school climate experiences. These experiences helped them to begin their new roles and to begin to successfully negotiate new areas along the way. If you are a true teacher, you are a teacher, no matter what school level! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing dialogue concerning the teaching of elementary school physical education (PE) by specialist versus generalist teachers is rich in history. This purpose of this article is threefold: (1) to discuss the importance of quality PE for elementary school students, (2) to consider the merits of STs versus GTs, and (3) to reflect on the role of the school principal as a gatekeeper for effective PE programming. While the literature contends that STs have superior knowledge and a more positive impact in PE learning environments when compared to GTs, it is what Trained Teachers (TTs) are willing to do to reach a parallel benchmark of 'ST teaching' that is encouraging. And, because school principals have such a large impact on their schools, their knowledge level, prioritization of PE, and administrative decisions play a critical role in determining the quality of their schools' PE program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canada, three provinces and one territory have Daily Physical Activity (DPA) policies in their respective curriculum policies. While focusing on a 2016 study that examined whether or not school boards and individual schools in Alberta and BC present DPA policy information on their websites, it was found that the majority of school websites are not being utilized as a means to disseminate DPA initiative information. With this knowledge, we contend that future research is required to understand how the level of dissemination of the DPA policy can be enhanced throughout schools. In addition to the dissemination of the 'policy' itself, we believe more resourceful tools are required to prepare teachers more fully to implement DPA successfully. Building on this research, we offer suggestions for ways that school boards and individual schools to effectively support DPA implementation on their respective websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]