Between ideal teaching and ‘what works’: The transmission and transformation of a content area from university to school placements within physical education teacher education

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the recontextualisation of Assessment for Learning (AfL) as a particular content area in the transition between a university course and a school placement course within Swedish physical education teacher education (PETE). By combining Basil Bernstein’s pedagogic device and Stephen Ball’s performativity perspective, we alternately ask how AfL is constructed as a pedagogic discourse and what AfL becomes in different contexts within PETE. Nine students attending a Swedish PETE programme participated in the study. The empirical material was collected through one seminar and two group interviews at the university, as well as through nine individual interviews based on lesson observations at different school placements. Our findings highlight five recontextualising rules, which indicate that: (1) the task of integrating assessment into teaching enables the use of AfL; (2) an exclusive focus on summative assessment and grading constrains the use of AfL; (3) a lack of critical engagement with physical education teaching traditions constrains the use of AfL; (4) knowing the pupils is crucial for the use of AfL; and (5) the framing of the school placements determines how AfL can be used. As a consequence of these rules, AfL was transformed into three different fabrications: (1) AfL as ideal teaching; (2) AfL as correction of shortcomings; and (3) AfL as ‘what works’. One conclusion from this study is that increased collaboration between teacher educators and cooperating teachers in schools can help strengthen PETE’s influence on school physical education.

‘Same, same, but different?!’ Investigating diversity issues in the current Austrian National Curriculum for Physical Education

“…The absence of guidance through different recontextualisation fields made recontextualisation a difficult undertaking. In line with that, Tolgfors et al (2020) explored the transitions of Assessment for Learning between university courses and school placement courses within Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) and stated, 'the normative dream picture' ( 13) was mainly produced within university and hard to realise in school placements. In these educational contexts, PETE students encountered different contextual enablers and constraints.…”

“…Even though scholars highlight the intricate nature of production, recontextualisation and reproduction processes (e.g. Brown and Penney, 2016; Herold, 2020; Tolgfors et al, 2020), curricular documents can be considered insightful artifacts of recontextualised knowledge, fossilised into an authoritative text with a distinct power of interpretation at a certain point in history. Our research opens new perspectives by analysing the specific knowledge regarding diversity in current curricular documents for PE in light of recent aspirations to improve assessment and accountability using the example of Austria.…”

Enacting assessment for learning in the induction phase of physical education teaching

“…This gives beginning teachers the opportunity to adapt their feedback to both individuals and groups and not just restricting them to commenting on students' shortcomings. In relation to the contextual conditions for using AfL during school placements (Tolgfors et al, 2021), the teachers also used digital devices and learning platforms more in their AfL enactments as beginning PE teachers.…”

“…Nine preservice teachers attending a Swedish PETE program that finished in June 2019 took part in our initial study (Tolgfors et al, 2021). Their PETE program included the content area AfL followed by school placement studies, during which the preservice teachers were supposed to use AfL in their teaching.…”

“…AfL is also part of physical education teacher education (PETE) programs in several countries and, consequently, something future PE teachers are expected to practice in their teaching. In a previous study (Tolgfors et al, 2021), we showed how AfL was transmitted and transformed between a university course and a school placement course within Swedish PETE. In the current study, we have more closely followed three of the preservice teachers who took part in our initial study into their first year of PE teaching.…”