Claiming ‘educative outcomes’ in HPE: the potential for ‘pedagogic action’

This paper will propose and privilege educative outcomes in Health and Physical Education (HPE), reflecting that one of the five propositions in the Draft Shape of Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2012a) can be regarded as the bonding agent. The paper recognizes current research in HPE and refers to the long-standing positioning of (successful) ‘learning’ at the forefront of subjects, activities and curriculum (Hayes, Capel, Katene, & Cook, 2006). It explores gaps and potential in ‘pedagogical work’ (Tinning, 2008) and ‘pedagogic action’ (Penney, 2013) that may prioritize and legitimate, or challenge, how topics, curriculum, assessment and activities can be emphasized over learning. It argues that foregrounding educative outcomes requires knowledge building in relation to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; that the significance of the interplay and alignment of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment is key to attaining educative outcomes; and that the notions of cumulative and segmented learning (Maton, 2011) in HPE deserve exploration. A text analysis of sections of the Consultation document will be utilized to demonstrate how learning is potentially the bonding agent, how curriculum documents make it legitimate (or not) and how comprehensive and developmental learning are situated in the text. In addition, excerpts from a case study of student and teacher voices in one school event is utilized to raise and provoke discussion about student learning, perceptions about learning in HPE and raise challenges about the interplay between curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. The final section of the paper proposes challenges for teachers of HPE with issues to consider in generating ‘pedagogic action’ (Penney, 2013) for educative outcomes in HPE.