Björn Tolgfors, Annica Caldeborg, Karl Jansson, Jan Mustell, Karin Sjödin, Dean Barker
{"title":"Holistic assessment in school physical education: ‘Seeing the whole picture with our trained eye’","authors":"Björn Tolgfors, Annica Caldeborg, Karl Jansson, Jan Mustell, Karin Sjödin, Dean Barker","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251380095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251380095","url":null,"abstract":"This article focuses on teachers’ responsiveness to changes in assessment policy and how new guidelines affect assessment and grading practices in school physical education (PE). The previous national curriculum in Sweden directed many teachers towards an <jats:italic>atomistic</jats:italic> approach to assessment. The reformed guidelines, in contrast, mandate that teachers should strive for <jats:italic>holistic assessment</jats:italic> . Thus, the purpose of this study was to generate an understanding of how teachers interpret and translate the policy for holistic PE assessment and discuss potential consequences of their policy enactments. Data were generated through six focus group interviews with 22 PE teachers working at different secondary and upper secondary schools. The theoretical framework used in the analysis is based on Ball et al.’s ( <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">2012a</jats:xref> ) work on policy enactment. The findings show that teachers view the policy for holistic assessment in PE positively. They claim that it enables them to concentrate on the bigger picture, weigh factors in terms of significance during assessment, and connect to students’ lives outside of PE. We discuss the potential consequences of the teachers’ policy enactments in terms of the backwash of the reform. On the one hand, the reform results in reduced transparency and a risk that certain areas of knowledge may be marginalised. On the other hand, the study suggests that teachers’ autonomy with respect to assessment increases. This autonomy, which ideally leads to valid holistic assessments and fair grades, is tailored to the students’ conditions and what they see as meaningful knowledge in life outside of school.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"66 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fabián Arroyo-Rojas, Sheyla Martínez Rivera, Lindsay E Ball, Wellington de Luna Vazquez, Albert J López Morales
{"title":"The experiences of Latina and Latino blind and visually impaired students in physical education: A retrospective study","authors":"Fabián Arroyo-Rojas, Sheyla Martínez Rivera, Lindsay E Ball, Wellington de Luna Vazquez, Albert J López Morales","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251377271","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251377271","url":null,"abstract":"Research capturing the experiences of disabled people in physical education (PE) is on the rise. However, the available literature has given less consideration to disabled people representing various racial and ethnic groups. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the intersubjective experiences of inclusion of Latina and Latino blind and visually impaired students in PE and the meanings ascribed to those experiences. The research approach was interpretative phenomenological analysis. Seven adults (two females and five males; 18–29 years of age) who identified as Latina or Latino, blind or visually impaired, and had previous experiences in integrated PE in the United States or its territories participated in this study. The analytical thematic development followed a four-step approach informed by the research design. Based on the analysis, the following three interrelated themes were constructed: (a) “They didn’t know what to do with me”: Teachers as barriers to feelings of inclusion, (b) “I wanted to be part of the group”: Social interactions, peer relationships, and sense of belonging, and (c) “Making my life easier is the best option”: Self-agency and empowerment to experience inclusion. The findings reported in this retrospective study are consistent with those in other geographical regions. Nonetheless, one key aspect is that some participants demonstrated resistance toward their experiences of exclusion, leading to a self-agency to demonstrate their presence in PE.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145141488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Invisible on the field: Experiences of students with visual impairment in physical education in Nepal","authors":"Yadav Acharya, Veerle Garrels, Basu Dev Kafle","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251378404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251378404","url":null,"abstract":"This article aims to explore the experiences of inclusion and exclusion of students with visual impairment (VI) during physical education (PE) in Nepal. The study used a qualitative research methodology. Twenty-two students with VI from three integrated schools were purposefully selected; 18 of them participated in in-depth interviews, and four participated in a focus group discussion (FGD). All the interviews and the FGD were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were constructed, illustrating the participants’ lived experiences in integrated PE classes: (a) being neglected by teachers, (b) emotional burden of being excluded, and (c) internalized ableism. This study revealed that students with VI often felt excluded from participating in the same activities as their sighted peers. Repeated experiences of exclusion made students feel inadequate. Moreover, students expressed regret over their impairment and sadness over being left out, which resulted in internalized ableism and giving up any expectations for future participation in physical activities. These findings underscore the need for more specialized training and awareness among PE teachers to better equip them to accommodate their classes for students with VI.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145077989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Why assessment in physical education is still problematic: A critical interpretive synthesis of physical education assessment literature","authors":"Dean Barker, Björn Tolgfors, Annica Caldeborg","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251374556","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251374556","url":null,"abstract":"Assessment has received considerable attention from researchers in the field of physical education (PE). Many scholars have examined either formative assessment or summative assessment, with their focus leading to different questions and considerations. In this review, we examine how and why both formative and summative assessment have been problematized by PE scholars. Through a critical interpretive synthesis, we identify: (1) the main problems associated with both forms of assessment identified between 1999 and 2024, and (2) the solutions that scholars have offered in response to these problems. Problems with summative assessment center on teachers’ use of personal and internalized criteria, students’ negative experiences, and the guidance that policy provides teachers for enacting assessment. Solutions revolve around the provision of continuing professional development, improving initial teacher education, and ensuring that policy clearly delineates how assessment should be conducted. Problems with formative assessment revolve around teachers’ and students’ unfamiliarity with formative assessment practices and their lack of competence in using assessment strategies. Recommended solutions center on accepting that formative assessment has advantages and disadvantages, increasing students’ participation in assessment practices, and improving teachers’ assessment proficiency. We consider the extent to which assessment scholarship can contribute to change in assessment practices in PE, developing the thesis that several factors constrain the ability of research to lead to improvements. We conclude with alternative approaches that scholars might use to reimagine research on formative and summative assessment.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reviews in the field of sports pedagogy: A look behind the scenes","authors":"Sabine Reuker, Stefan Meier","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251369230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251369230","url":null,"abstract":"In recent years, a growing number of reviews have been published in the field of sports pedagogy. The standards for conducting meta-analyses and systematic reviews, which were originally developed for health sciences and medicine, are frequently used as methodological guidelines. However, these guidelines do not always align with the subject-specific objectives of other disciplines. Consequently, a wide variety of review typologies and methodological approaches have emerged. This has led to uncertainty and confusion regarding the selection of appropriate reviews. The aim of this paper is to improve the understanding of the different types of review. For this purpose, the common characteristics of reviews have been identified. It then proposes a structuring framework that classifies different review typologies according to three distinct aims. This should guide researchers in selecting the most appropriate type of review and methodological approach and should lead to greater consistency and coherence in future research efforts. To evaluate the suitability of the framework, a narrative review of reviews was conducted. The objective was to analyse the extent to which different types of review could be classified within the framework and to identify any inconsistencies. The initial overview confirmed its suitability. Different types of review with varying frequencies were identified. However, the aims and methodological approaches were not always clearly stated. In future, these should be presented more transparently. Furthermore, inconsistencies in the selection and application of specific review typologies were identified. Overall, the findings provide important insights intended to stimulate the future development of specific guidelines.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Grading the physical self: Exploring the links between physical education grades, body image, and functional investment over one academic school year","authors":"Carolina Lunde, Tommy Reinholdsson, Therése Skoog","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251372940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251372940","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the links between the first grade in physical education (PE) and Swedish adolescents’ aesthetic and functional body image and functional investment, referring to self-reported physical activity engagement, across time. We hypothesized direct links between body image constructs and PE grade (H1), an indirect effect of body image constructs on functional investment via the mediation of grade (H2), and stronger effects for girls than for boys (H3). We assessed 447 adolescents over three time points (T1–T3) in their sixth school year (age 12). Results from multigroup maximum likelihood structural equation models supported the hypotheses for girls. T1 higher functional and appearance satisfaction and T1 lower social physique predicted higher PE grades (measured at T2) (H1). The first PE grade mediated the association between each aspect of body image and changes in girls’ functional investment across time (H2). For boys, T1 higher functional satisfaction was directly associated with higher PE grade, but there was only limited evidence of mediation, thus lending partial support to H1 but very slight support for H2. Since the findings were consistent with the hypothesized models for girls but less so for boys, the third hypothesis was also supported. This unique longitudinal study provides novel evidence that both aesthetic and functional aspects of early adolescent girls’ body image are linked to academic achievement in PE, which in turn may impact girls’ functional investment across time.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Extra-curricular sport: A figurational analysis of gendered activity provision, behavioural expectations, and peer group dynamics in one secondary school in England","authors":"Matthew J Green, Mark F Mierzwinski","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251374603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251374603","url":null,"abstract":"This article provides a figurational analysis of extra-curricular sport within one secondary school in England. Viewing physical education (PE) as involving gendered and age-based networks of interdependencies, we examine how extra-curricular sport was provided, how pupils’ behaviour was enabled and constrained, and how teacher–pupil relations became closer and more informal with age. Generated through participant observations, pupil focus groups and teacher interviews, ethnographic data is thematically analysed and interpreted through Elias’s ( <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">1978)</jats:xref> concepts of figuration, power and habitus. Despite no differences in boys’ and girls’ rates of engagement, the provision of extra-curricular sport reflected PE's long-standing traditions concerning gender appropriateness. Whilst attendance at lunchtime sport clubs and afterschool sport practices reduced with age, opportunities for and engagement in inter-school sport fixtures became more frequent with age. Particularly evident within minibus journeys, such opportunities heightened pupils’ expressions of their sporting and gendered habitus, and degrees of informality within teacher–pupil relations. Such relations were partly enabled by the temporary removal of constraining PE policy and teachers’ coaching pedagogy. However, one unintended consequence of more informal teacher–pupil relations was some pupils’ perceptions of teacher favouritism, heightening power imbalances between sporty and less sporty pupils. As such, we recommend that the <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">Department for Education’s (2024)</jats:xref> vision of extra-curricular sport being tailored towards a culture of participation, targeting less active pupils, is at the forefront of PE teachers’ planning and delivery of extra-curricular sport.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145017486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel B Robinson, Christopher Gilham, Kaitlin Fuller, Lynn Randall, Ellen Carter, Sherra Rogers, Chloe Vukosa
{"title":"Trauma-informed practices and physical education: A scoping literature review","authors":"Daniel B Robinson, Christopher Gilham, Kaitlin Fuller, Lynn Randall, Ellen Carter, Sherra Rogers, Chloe Vukosa","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251370270","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251370270","url":null,"abstract":"Children and youth around the world are experiencing trauma to the extent that it has been labeled a global health concern ( <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">O’Toole, 2022</jats:xref> ). Physical education (PE) teachers, among others, are attempting to respond to this concern by implementing research-based trauma-informed practices (TIPs). The purpose of this paper was to conduct a scoping review to gather and synthesize the literature on TIPs appropriate for the PE context within the K-12 school system in the Global North. Following the five-stage scoping review protocol outlined by <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">Peters et al. (2020)</jats:xref> , the process returned 34 articles that met all inclusion criteria. The majority of the literature (18 articles) was found in practitioner-focused journals and centered on providing knowledge and broad advice for PE teachers. Most of the remaining work included qualitative research and focused on exploring the experiences of PE teachers working with students who had experienced trauma. Only four studies included an intervention. In addition to discussing the available research, this article explores the various conceptions of trauma that have recently appeared in the research as well as the implications of trauma's and TIPs’ infusion into school culture. The review clearly demonstrates a need for continued discussion around trauma, more research in the area of TIPs (specifically related to PE), and continued professional development for teachers.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145002852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David Sánchez-Oliva, Héctor Moreno-Casado, Francisco M Leo, Javier Fernández-Río
{"title":"Motivational processes matter: Understanding the choice of physical education as an elective in secondary school","authors":"David Sánchez-Oliva, Héctor Moreno-Casado, Francisco M Leo, Javier Fernández-Río","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251366155","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251366155","url":null,"abstract":"Most motivational studies related to physical education (PE) have been conducted in contexts where PE was mandatory. This study aims to analyze the significance of motivational processes in predicting the choice of PE as an elective in secondary school. This is a retrospective study involving 1606 students aged 16–27 years ( <jats:italic>M</jats:italic> = 17.09; <jats:italic>SD</jats:italic> = 0.68) enrolled in 31 schools in Spain. Participants completed questionnaires to assess their perception of teachers’ support and thwarting of basic psychological needs, as well as their satisfaction with these needs in the PE context of the previous school year. Additionally, participants indicated whether they had chosen PE as an elective in the current academic year. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed model. The hypothesized model showed a good fit to the data (comparative fit index and Tucker–Lewis index > .95; root-mean-square error of approximation and standardized root-mean-square residual < .06). Need satisfaction was positively predicted by perceived need-supportive teaching and negatively predicted by perceived need-thwarting teaching. Also, need satisfaction was positively associated with PE grades. Finally, students with higher need satisfaction in the previous academic year in PE were more likely to choose PE as an elective subject in the following academic year, whereas PE grades were not a significant predictor of the selection. The results of this study highlight the importance of motivational processes as a key factor in explaining the choice (or not) of PE as an elective subject and emphasize the need to promote need satisfaction by creating a need-supportive environment.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144927825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Choreographing meaningfulness: Boys’ experiences of dance in primary school","authors":"Helen Keane","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251362720","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251362720","url":null,"abstract":"This study critically examines boys’ experiences in primary school dance, drawing on a child-centred qualitative case study conducted across two UK primary schools. Responding to calls for more inclusive and equitable physical education (PE) practices, the research foregrounds pupil voice through an expanded ‘write, draw, show, tell’ (WDST) method, enhanced by the innovative inclusion of emojis, creating the ‘write, draw, show, tell, emoji’ (WDSTE) approach. Data were generated through 14 non-participant observations and three focus group interviews ( <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 18) with Key Stage 2 boys (aged 9–11) over a 7-week unit of work. Thematic analysis of visual and verbal data revealed boys’ preferences for more democratic and collaborative learning experiences, contrasting with the dominant technical and teacher-led delivery observed in their dance lessons. These findings highlight a disconnect between pedagogical practices and what pupils found meaningful, namely, agency, creativity, and social interaction. The study contributes to ongoing conversations about meaningful PE by illustrating how participatory methods can surface often-silenced perspectives and support more inclusive, student-responsive pedagogies. Implications are offered for curriculum design and teacher practice that seek to challenge traditional gendered expectations and foster meaningful engagement for all learners in aesthetic activity areas.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"80 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144899027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}