Decolonising possibilities: health and physical education in initial teacher education

ABSTRACT Increasing levels of student diversity, and inequality, frame the conditions of schooling in the contemporary moment. Initial teacher education has also been criticised for falling short in adequately preparing pre-service teachers who can cater for the needs of diverse student learners. This paper enters this discursive field and takes a specific focus on decolonising approaches to curriculum and pedagogical practices of health and physical education (HPE) of initial teacher education. My specific focus is the implementation of a range of strategies in a fourth-year Primary/Middle (years 3–9) HPE course within a Bachelor of Education program. I first provide a contextual overview and examine furthering an understanding of settler/colonialism in initial teacher education. In the remaining sections of the paper, I report on strategies designed to build cultural confidence, competence and respect. I conclude in arguing that if pre-service teachers are to develop pedagogical practices that are responsive to the diverse cultural, linguistic and embodied practices of all students, we too, as HPE teacher educators, need to confront our own assumptions about valued knowledge and practices.