A Descriptive Profile of Physical Education Teachers and Programs in Atlantic Canada

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent to which quality physical education is currently being taught in Atlantic Canada. We used survey methods to generate descriptive data indicating: (a) the backgrounds of those who teach physical education and (b) what is being taught in physical education. Our findings suggest physical education is taught by a group of mostly-white teachers with varying qualifications, interests, and experiences in teaching the subject. Further, sport experiences tend to dominate the subject matter that students engage with, at the expense of dance and gymnastics. Although some physical education programs could arguably be classified as being of a sound quality according to the national subject association, we contend that more needs to be done to present the subject as a diverse enterprise, both in terms of who teaches and what is taught in physical education.L’objectif de ce projet de recherche était d’explorer la qualité de l’enseignement prodigué en éducation physique dans les provinces maritimes au Canada. Pour ce faire, nous avons utilisé une méthodologie de sondage pour générer des données descriptives nous informant sur: (a) le profil des enseignants en éducation physique et (b) ce qui est enseigné en éducation physique. Nos résultats indiquent que l’éducation physique est enseignée par un groupe majoritairement formé de Blancs possédant une variété de qualifications, d’intérêts et d’expériences dans l’enseignement de la matière. De plus, le temps consacré par les élèves aux sports durant les cours prédomine, au détriment de la danse et de la gymnastique. Selon l’association nationale de l’enseignement en éducation physique, certains programmes en éducation physique peuvent sans doute être classés comme étant de qualité. Cependant, nous soutenons que davantage peut être fait pour offrir une expérience en éducation physique diversifiée, à la fois en ce qui a trait au profil du corps enseignant, qu’à l’offre de contenu

Associations between teacher training and measures of physical literacy among Canadian 8- to 12-year-old students

“…One often-cited area of concern is the qualifications of teachers delivering PE, particularly at the elementary school level [ 10 – 12 ]. A PE specialist has been defined as a teacher who has majored or minored in PE in addition to completing a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree, or who has received specialized and intense PE training during pre-service education [ 11 ], whereas a teacher with no specific PE training (apart from general PE courses required for all students in some BEd programs) is often considered a generalist.…”

Understanding professional issues in physical education - a Scottish insight

“…Furthermore, an examination of related surveys conducted out with Scotland arguably confirmed Hardman and Marshall's (2000) concerns that too many studies focus in on a particular aspect of physical education: e.g. practitioners' attitudes towards educational reforms (Zach and Inglis, 2013); beliefs held in relation to their preparedness, enjoyment and confidence (Randall, Robinson, and Fletcher, 2014); attitudes concerning the teaching of physical activity and fitness (Guan, McBride and Xiang, 2005;Kulinna and Silverman, 2000); attitudes towards the use of information and communications technology (Thomas & Stratton, 2006); the examination of teachers' attitudes towards pupils with special educational needs (Meegan and MacPhail, 2008); as well as analyses of beliefs regarding the inclusion of pupils with additional support needs (Wang, Qi and Wang, 2015). Consequently, the instruments employed across those particular studies were tightly focused, with many developed, or amended, for the specific context and purpose of each investigation, limiting their usability for the setting and circumstances of the present study.…”

Teachers’ Perceptions of Physical literacy

“…Generalists' lack of confidence to teach physical education is a common theme found in the literature (Decorby et al, 2005). In a previous study, Randall et al (2014) found that the majority of teachers focused on sport and games for the content of their physical education classes, despite the curriculum requiring otherwise. The teachers chose not to teach dance and gymnastics because of their low levels of preparedness, enjoyment and confidence (Randall et al, 2014).…”