From PE experiences to PE teaching practices? Insights from Scottish primary teachers' experiences of PE, teacher education, school entry and professional development

Abstract

suggest that further research is needed to explore how non-specialist primary teachers approach and teach physical education (PE) based on their personal school PE backgrounds, teacher education experiences and ongoing professional development. This paper adopts Lawson's socialisation model, a theoretical framework subsequently used by many other researchers, to explore how primary teachers' experiences in various contexts 'shape [their] knowledge and beliefs about the purpose of physical education, its content and teaching approaches'. Examining teachers' beliefs and attitudes towards PE is arguably important as it highlights how they approach the profession and enact particular teaching practices. We examine the views of 327 non-specialist primary teachers who participated in a postgraduate certificate in primary PE run by the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. This article reports findings from the baseline data of our longitudinal research*arguably crucial in ascertaining teachers' starting point and useful in monitoring the programme's impact. Our findings suggest the prevalence of negative PE experience during primary and secondary years, which we considered part of Lawson's 'acculturation' phase. Experiences during initial teacher education (ITE) or 'professional socialisation' showed that teachers were only given a basic starting point, which was inadequate for teaching PE effectively. The initial teaching experience or 'organisational socialisation' stage also presented major challenges for teachers who endeavoured to apply knowledge and skills acquired during 'professional socialisation'. We suggest that how teachers' conceptions about PE are formulated and the accounts of challenges they encountered upon school entry are vital for the design and delivery of effective ITE and PE-CPD. Additionally, these findings underpin the need for more critical and reflective learning experiences at all levels of PE.

Who teaches primary physical education? Change and transformation through the eyes of subject leaders

“…The perceived shortcomings of generalist class teachers in this study adds weight to a wellrehearsed view (see, for example, Elliott, Atencio, Campbell, & Jess, 2013;Harris, Cale, & Musson, 2012;Morgan & Hansen, 2008) neatly summarized by Tsangaridou (2012, p. 281) thus: "A significant number of primary school teachers have low levels of confidence, do not possess the skills and knowledge to deliver appropriate PE instruction, have limited content knowledge and do not feel competent teaching PE". All-in-all, then, the main argument for sports coaches tended to be an implicitly negative one: put starkly, sports coaches were deemed better than many primary teachers because of the inherent weaknesses among the latter.…”

‘Really on the ball’: exploring the implications of teachers' PE-CPD experience

“…Furthermore, the role of PE as 'a core activity linked to healthy lifestyles, lifelong learning, improved health, an inclusive society' (Scottish Executive, 2004a, p. 2) has been emphasised in the new curriculum by requiring two hours or two periods per week of PE for every pupil in Scotland between 5 and 16 years of age (p. 10). These recent policy and curricular developments bring into focus the significance of professional growth and teacher development in general, particularly in primary PE where it was found that teachers lack the knowledge, skills and confidence to teach PE due to the limited subject input in primary ITE (Blair & Capel, 2011;Elliot et al, 2011;Morgan & Bourke, 2008).…”

The Influence of Occupational Socialization on Novice Teachers’ Practical Knowledge, Confidence and Teaching in Physical Education

“…Tsangaridou (2012) concluded that many primary school teachers have limited CK, do not have appropriate skills or knowledge for good PE teaching and do not feel confident teaching PE. Similarly, Elliot, Atencio, Campbell and Jess (2013) noted among non-specialist primary school teachers in Scotland that their early school experiences of PE formed their beliefs of the subject, influenced their teaching confidence and affected their PE teaching practices. Teachers also commented that TE did not adequately prepare them, which was partially related to limited time in PEspecific training.…”