{"title":"More than advocates: Exploring the role of school adults in amplifying the physical education voices of pupils with a severe learning difficulty in a special school in England","authors":"David Percival, Rachel Sandford, Julie Stirrup","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251364075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251364075","url":null,"abstract":"In England, increasing numbers of pupils are being identified with a severe learning difficulty (SLD). However, limited research has been undertaken to examine these pupils’ perspectives of education broadly and, more specifically, within the context of special school physical education (PE). While current international policy recognises the right of pupils to have a say in matters that affect them, the challenges of facilitating ‘voice’ for pupils with SLDs – particularly those who are non-verbal – can make this difficult to achieve. Key adults within a special school context (e.g. teachers, carers, support workers) play a central role in supporting pupils with SLDs’ engagement and participation in education, yet limited research has focused on the mechanisms by which they facilitate pupil voice. This study highlights the specific contribution that these practitioners can make in facilitating and amplifying the voices of pupils with SLDs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adults ( <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 7) who support educational provision for pupils with SLDs. Findings illustrate that pedagogies exist to empower these pupils, but they are often deemed to be tokenistic. Moreover, specialist education is required for practitioners, alongside a more person-centred approach that removes pressures of time and the sole use of physical ‘voice’ to communicate. In summary, this research demonstrates that practitioners working with pupils with SLDs are crucial to them voicing their experiences and informing practice within PE.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"94 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144899032","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":"Formative assessment of motor learning through digital tools in physical education: A systematic literature review","authors":"Jonathan Müller, Ingo Wagner","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251357207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251357207","url":null,"abstract":"Formative assessment (FA) is widely recognized for enhancing student involvement and learning success. Grounded in the FA approach, which emphasizes continuous feedback and student autonomy, this systematic review explores the use of FA for teaching and learning in physical education (PE), with a focus on the potential of digital tools. This is the first review to systematically examine the intersection of FA and technology within the PE context. The review provides an overview of the use of digital tools for both the FA of students’ motor learning and teacher training modules aimed at improving FA competence. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in two databases (Web of Science and SCOPUS) and one meta-database (EBSCOHost), using key terms related to PE, motor learning, digital tools, and assessment. A total of 15 studies published between 2010 and 2025 met the inclusion criteria. Despite differences in contexts and methodologies, the findings consistently show that implementing FA through digital tools enhances both motor learning in students and assessment competence in PE teachers. The included studies highlight the benefits of video analysis tools, such as instant replay and posture analysis, in promoting student engagement and motor learning. Furthermore, digital tools were found to address critical gaps in traditional FA-related teacher education. Overall, the review underscores the transformative potential of digital tools in promoting evidence-based teaching and learning practices in PE. Integrating these tools into FA practices allows educators to move beyond summative assessments, fostering a more individualized and student-centered approach to motor learning.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"98 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144677350","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":"Exploring collective action in becoming a teacher in physical education: Understanding the development and use of signature pedagogies across teacher education contexts","authors":"Mats Hordvik, Stephanie Beni, Mikael Quennerstedt","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251350844","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251350844","url":null,"abstract":"Researchers have highlighted the urgent need for large-scale international collaborative research projects between teacher education and school physical education (PE) to develop practices and understandings that address the grand challenges facing the field ( <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">MacPhail and Lawson, 2021</jats:xref> ). In response, this article outlines and illustrates the design and methodology of an international project built on collaboration among PE teacher educators, in-service teachers, and pre-service teachers (PSTs). This collaborative work aimed to explore the development and use of signature pedagogies as collective action across diverse PE teacher education contexts, including both initial teacher education and continuous professional development in five European countries. This article serves two purposes. First, it presents a design for international collaborative research between school PE and teacher education, with a specific focus on signature pedagogies in PE teacher education. Second, it illustrates the methodological approach, detailing the research methods used to explore signature pedagogies across varied international contexts. In so doing, the article contributes to the field by offering a framework for designing international research that engages with collective action and pedagogical innovation. We advocate for research designs that employ robust methodologies, clearly defined analytical frameworks, and transparent procedures. Such designs are essential for conducting large-scale international collective action projects involving teacher educators, in-service teachers, and PSTs from diverse PE teacher education contexts. We argue that these elements are critical for scaling up research in the field and for supporting the development, adaptation, and use of signature pedagogies across educational settings.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"668 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144622388","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":"From kindergarten to primary school – Physical education as a support for students’ transition","authors":"Trude Nordli Teksum, Kjersti Mordal Moen, Göran Gerdin","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251353739","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251353739","url":null,"abstract":"The transition from kindergarten to primary school is a significant event in children's education, garnering increasing political and social attention in Norway and globally. With the growing focus on educational transitions and continuity, this study examines the role of physical education (PE) in facilitating students’ transition into primary school in Norway. The study was conducted across four Norwegian primary schools, utilising semi-structured interviews with 16 first- to fourth-grade teachers, observations of PE lessons and school environments, and field notes from school visits. A reflexive methodology and an abductive approach were employed to analyse the data, drawing on the concepts of continuity and discontinuity ( <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">Dewey, 1938</jats:xref> ; <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">Hogsnes and Moser, 2014</jats:xref> ). The findings indicate that PE in the early school years can play a supportive role in students’ transition from kindergarten to primary school through socialisation processes and bridging approaches in PE, thereby enhancing continuity in the transition process. Based on these findings, we argue that primary PE's emphasis on movement, play and social interaction offers valuable opportunities to support young students during this transition. To conclude, we suggest that PE can contribute meaningfully to students’ adjustment to school by balancing both stability and adaptation in the shift to formal schooling.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144594473","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":"‘It is hard to establish boundaries’: Pupils’ and teachers’ perceptions of blurred lines between banter and bullying in secondary physical education","authors":"Matthew J Green, Mark F Mierzwinski","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251355459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251355459","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines pupils’ and teachers’ perceptions of blurred boundaries between banter and bullying in secondary physical education (PE) in England. Focus on this topic is timely amid policymaker concerns regarding young people's banter escalating into bullying, or bullying being downplayed as banter within educational and sporting environments. Perceptions were gained through 14 focus groups with 49 pupils and nine interviews with PE teachers, which were thematically analysed using the concepts of figuration and power relations ( <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">Elias, 1978</jats:xref> ). Whilst pupils conceptually distinguished banter from bullying, differentiating between the two in practice proved difficult during PE lessons. Difficulty was premised on subjective evaluations of performance-related comments concerning who was involved, the intention behind comments and how they were received, and if comments were considered humorous or harmful. Within the PE figuration, sporting competence proved a key power resource, resulting in humorously framed performance-related comments illuminating and heightening power imbalances between sporty and less sporty pupils. Given these pupil power dynamics and how performance-related comments were construed by some as banter and others as bullying, PE teachers should regularly remind pupils of conceptual differences between banter and bullying, set clear behavioural expectations, and consistently regulate borderline banter.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144586483","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}
Kasper Salin, Mikko Huhtiniemi, Anthony Watt, Arja Sääkslahti, Timo Jaakkola
{"title":"The role of teaching experience and year level in shaping pre-service PE teachers’ efficacy","authors":"Kasper Salin, Mikko Huhtiniemi, Anthony Watt, Arja Sääkslahti, Timo Jaakkola","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251348397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251348397","url":null,"abstract":"As education systems respond to rapid societal and technological change, physical education (PE) teachers are increasingly expected to adapt their practices to diverse student needs, curricular reforms, and inclusive learning environments. These growing demands highlight the critical role of teaching efficacy in preparing pre-service PE teachers to navigate the complex realities of contemporary classrooms and promote meaningful physical activity experiences for all students. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the teaching efficacy of pre-service teachers ( <jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 221) in PE teacher education (PETE) during the different stages of their program. Results demonstrated that perceived teaching efficacy was higher among students in Years 3–5 than students in Years 1 and 2. Year level of studies and teaching experience were directly associated with most teaching efficacy dimensions: content knowledge, scientific knowledge, instruction, assessment, using technology and accommodating skill differences, but not with special needs. PETE programs should ensure that adequate opportunities for teaching practice are provided due to the positive association with teaching efficacy.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513341","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":"Transgender, intersex and non-binary students in physical education: A systematic review of teachers’ perspectives","authors":"Ru Kim Haase, Leefke Brunssen, Valerie Kastrup","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251345402","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251345402","url":null,"abstract":"Physical education (PE) teachers significantly shape trans*, inter* and non-binary (TIN*) students' experiences in PE, which are often described as negative. This review aimed to examine existing literature on PE teachers’ perspectives on TIN* students in school PE settings, encompassing studies published in English, Spanish and German up to June 2024. We conducted searches across the electronic databases ERIC, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, Web of Science, BISp SURF and LILACS. Through a multi-stage selection process, articles were chosen based on the following criteria: (a) empirical, qualitative studies only; (b) peer-reviewed articles or defended academic theses only; (c) a focus on the perspectives of pre- or in-service teachers; (d) addressing non-cisgender and/or non-endosex students; (e) situated in the context of PE. Thematic synthesis of the nine selected articles resulted in five analytical themes: (1) the structural context; (2) teachers’ perceptions; (3) teachers’ gender competence; (4) teachers’ experiences; and (5) gender-inclusive teacher education. When discussed in relation to (post-)heteronormativity, the findings indicate that heteronormativity may be reproduced or challenged through teachers’ gender competence gained in teacher education, and influenced by teachers’ experiences of gender and PE, as well as contextual factors. The study highlights a need for specific, sustainable teacher education on gender diversity and inclusion, as part of a broader shift towards inclusivity in schools and teacher education.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304677","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":"What's right with PE: Exploring positive narratives in physical education","authors":"Shirley Gray, Karen Lambert, Lisa Young","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251341749","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251341749","url":null,"abstract":"For decades, physical education (PE) scholars have called for a change to how PE is conceptualised and enacted, highlighting that its current (and persistent) form and focus – organised around physical activities and sports – are not fit for purpose. Much of this change-oriented discourse highlights what is wrong with PE, leading to suggestions about how PE should change in and for the future, for example, by adopting critical approaches and connecting more to the lives of young people. While we do not disagree with these perspectives and ideas, it is important to note that, in general, they have had little impact on PE curricula or pedagogy. In this paper, we suggest an alternative, strengths-based approach. Drawing from discussions with a range of professionals from the PE community (teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate pre-service teachers and teacher educators) across five national contexts – Canada, England, Ireland, Norway and Scotland – we generated narratives about ‘what's right with PE’. The narratives highlighted that PE can be ‘fit for purpose’ when it connects to the wider school and community, when everyone has a shared understanding of its purpose, and when PE teachers enact a broad, holistic and inclusive curriculum. We present the narratives as a reflective tool, encouraging all professionals within the PE community to consider how they align with (or against) their current experiences. We hope that these reflections facilitate critical thinking and problem solving to ensure that the subject is (and remains) fit for purpose now and in the future.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113543","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}
Ágnes Csordás-Makszin, Christopher M. Spray, Tamás Berki, Pál Hamar, István Karsai, István Soós
{"title":"Antecedents of physical education teachers’ motivational strategies in Central Europe","authors":"Ágnes Csordás-Makszin, Christopher M. Spray, Tamás Berki, Pál Hamar, István Karsai, István Soós","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251337075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251337075","url":null,"abstract":"Promoting autonomy-supportive teachers’ behaviour is important for teaching students to take responsibility for their performance and for increasing their level of enjoyment in physical education (PE). Based on self-determination theory, our research aimed to identify the antecedents of PE teachers’ motivational strategies that can facilitate students’ psychological needs satisfaction and positive outcomes during PE classes. A total of 376 primary and secondary school PE teachers completed our cross-sectional-design questionnaires in four Central European countries (Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Serbia). Measures included perceived job pressures, opportunities for professional development, perceptions of students’ self-determination in PE, teachers’ psychological need satisfaction in their job, teachers’ self-determination at work, and teachers’ provision of autonomy support, structure, and involvement strategies. Jamovi software for structural equation modelling and the path analysis method was used for statistical analysis. Following post hoc modification, the hypothesized model showed a good fit to our model (χ <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> (17) = 64.60, <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 0.00; CMIN/ <jats:italic>df</jats:italic> = 3.80; CFI = 0.92; TLI = 0.81; SRMR = 0.05; RMSEA = 0.08). Results indicated that teachers’ opportunities for professional development had a significant positive relationship with their need satisfaction at work, which was positively linked with their motivation to teach. Job pressure was negatively associated with basic psychological need satisfaction. Teachers’ perception of students’ autonomous motivation was positively linked with their own autonomous and controlled motivation, and was also directly and positively linked to their use of involvement and autonomy-supportive teaching strategies.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144066099","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}
Gunn Nyberg, Mikael Quennerstedt, Björn Tolgfors, Erik Backman
{"title":"Physical education teachers’ experiences of the meaning of feedback in PE","authors":"Gunn Nyberg, Mikael Quennerstedt, Björn Tolgfors, Erik Backman","doi":"10.1177/1356336x251340248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x251340248","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores how newly qualified physical education (PE) teachers experience the meaning of feedback through reflections on their assessment practices. We focus on the use, purpose, and content of feedback in PE practice. Assessment practices in PE have generally been used for grading purposes, often with little connection to the preceding teaching and learning. The educational quality of feedback depends on teachers’ knowledge of what is supposed to be learned and how learners understand what they are supposed to know. Hence, it is important to investigate whether and how PE teacher education (PETE) prepares pre-service teachers for their professional work with feedback in PE. Individual stimulated recall interviews, a focus group interview and individual interviews with eight newly qualified teachers were conducted, and the data was analysed through a phenomenographic approach. The findings reveal that feedback is experienced in various ways, some comprising content that helps students learn what is supposed to be learned. Other ways of experiencing feedback generate content that does not relate to any intended learning goal other than being physically active in the here and now. The findings are discussed in relation to <jats:xref ref-type=\"bibr\">Hattie and Timperley's (2007)</jats:xref> model of feedback as well as in relation to PETE and the significance of providing possibilities for future teachers to learn about the ways in which feedback can be educationally worthwhile.","PeriodicalId":47681,"journal":{"name":"European Physical Education Review","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916084","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}