Moving Experiences: Reframing and Reclaiming Physical Education in New Zealand Primary Schools

Physical education (PE) is often perceived as a learning area of lesser importance than others, for instance literacy and numeracy. Arguments for raising its status and gaining a greater share in the school day founder on uncertainty as to just what is educational about it, and on the view that really it is no more than skill acquisition and improving fitness with a few games thrown in. The majority of teachers tasked with teaching it in New Zealand primary schools may have had very little or no specialist preparation in PE theory and pedagogy. It is increasingly being left to outside providers to step into the breech. This paper outlines a way of reframing PE that widens its scope and potential for learning, makes PE teaching much more accessible to teachers who do not see themselves as experts in this area, and may enable teachers of all levels and expertise to explore and enrich the PE experience of their students. This approach is summarised as going "beyond skills" and "fitness." It is unpacked and located in relation to existing pedagogical approaches before recounting how it was enacted with several cohorts of initial teacher education students in a New Zealand university. Readers may find useful the table of PE activities and how they can be invigorated within creative and diverse contexts. This is a practice paper, and is designed to appeal to the demand of busy teachers for examples of the theory in action. But it is also a call for teachers to reflect on those practices, and in particular the implications of large scale abdication of teaching to non-professionals.