The purpose of this study was to examine how perceived generational differences influenced the occupational socialization of Korean physical education (PE) teachers. A qualitative case study was conducted with 30 secondary PE teachers (22 male and eight female) representing three generational groups—Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Data were collected through two rounds of semi-structured interviews and analyzed inductively using within-case and cross-case analyses. Findings revealed that teachers’ formative experiences commonly fostered enjoyment and perceived competence in sport, motivating their entry into the profession, yet the content and pedagogical features of their PE experiences differed markedly across generations. Student teaching served as a pivotal experience in professional socialization for all groups, although the pedagogical focus of teacher education programs reflected the educational discourses of their respective generational eras. Generational differences also emerged in teachers’ role perceptions, shaped by the interplay between formative experiences and professional socialization. Finally, teachers employed distinct strategies—strategic compliance, generational bandwagoning, and intergenerational mediation—to navigate generational differences. These findings suggest that socialization is not a unidirectional process dictated by generational hierarchy, but a dynamic and relational process continuously reconstructed through intergenerational interactions.
This study aimed to develop knowledge on how to incorporate critical pedagogy and forum theatre (FT) into physical education teacher education (PETE) to empower pre-service teachers to address anti-racism in physical education (PE). FT, inspired by Freire's critical pedagogy, is a form of participatory theater in which audience members are invited to join the performance, share perspectives, and initiate change through dialog, physical action, and reflection. This study used an action research methodology and involved 54 pre-service teachers at a university in Norway. The empirical material includes individual written reflection logs by pre-service teachers, a transcript of the recorded FT play, and transcripts from two group interviews and one full-class oral reflection held after the project. The findings indicate that the pre-service teachers generally enjoyed working with FT and highlighted the embodied nature of the learning experience. A key insight is that pre-service teachers typically understood racism as individual acts. Few pre-service teachers expressed an understanding of structural racism in PE, and some questioned whether addressing racism falls within their responsibilities as PE teachers. The results demonstrate the need for PETE faculty to better address racism at different levels, and how Whiteness impacts pre-service teachers’ willingness to address contours of racism. Our long-term objective of integrating FT as a pedagogical strategy in PETE is to cultivate students’ awareness of mechanisms of oppression within PE and to equip them with strategies to address these in their future roles as PE teachers.
Inclusive education has become a global imperative, yet physical education teacher education (PETE) programs remain inadequately prepared to meet this mandate. This study examines Taiwan's adapted physical education (APE) course syllabi through systematic content analysis of 18 syllabi from 12 teacher preparation universities, representing the first empirical investigation of APE curricula in East Asia. Most Taiwanese PETE programs offer only one introductory APE course, making its content critically influential in shaping future teachers’ competencies. We employed multi-stage qualitative coding with rigorous internal peer audit and external expert consultation to analyze course objectives, content topics, pedagogical paradigms, assessment methods, and practicum arrangements. Three major gaps emerged. Courses predominantly emphasized the medical model, with 33.3% of content devoted to disability categories while social-model strategies received minimal coverage (Universal Design for Learning: 0.4%; inclusion: 1.5%). Instructional strategies appeared fragmented rather than systematically integrated. 38.9% of courses included no hands-on experiences with disabled students. Taiwan's APE curriculum leans heavily toward disability-specific content, with comparatively limited attention to inclusive pedagogical strategies, raising questions about whether current PETE programs adequately prepare pre-service teachers for diverse classrooms. We recommend curricular rebalancing toward inclusive strategies, strengthening practicum requirements, and adopting an Infusion Model to embed inclusive competencies throughout PETE curricula rather than confining them to a single isolated course.
Societal and curriculum developments in Norway encourage teachers to develop practices that utilise digital technology. In physical education (PE), digital skills are recognised both as tools for developing subject-specific competence and as prerequisites for demonstrating competence. The national PE curriculum further emphasises play, movement learning, and practising over sports, and encourages student-centred teaching approaches. Meanwhile, pedagogical practices continue to be shaped by dominant discourses that promote particular understandings of PE. To gain insight into how preservice teachers (PSTs) develop knowledge about integrating digital technology into PE, we scrutinised their ways of reasoning about the use of digital technology during practicum teaching. We applied a Foucauldian framework to a reflexive thematic analysis of 16 PSTs’ reflective notes from their six-week practicum in upper secondary school. The analysis generated two themes that shed light on taken-for-granted truths about digital technology in PE. The first demonstrates how PSTs rejected digital technology as screen time that threatened their opportunities to activate pupils’ bodies. The second theme concerns how PSTs accepted videos as beneficial for activating and instructing pupils when they were included as ‘skilled instruction’ within a broader range of activities. The study suggests that when digital technology is implemented in PE practices dominated by an activation discourse and a PE-as-sport-techniques discourse, it is perceived as a threat to time devoted to physical activity. Furthermore, in this discursive space, integrating technology encouraged teacher-centred practices that prioritised skilled instruction across a range of activities, and limited the exploration of digital technology in PE for other purposes.
Personal and social development constitutes an important goal of physical education (PE) curricula worldwide. PE teachers aiming to implement the intended personal and social development goals may benefit from employing specific teaching strategies such as encouraging peer collaboration and creating opportunities to take on different responsibilities. In the Netherlands, PE teachers are encouraged to facilitate opportunities for children to manage PE activities independently. Through different tasks and roles, the teacher transfers responsibility to the students. Students can, for example, divide themselves into groups, count points, decide on how to take turns, act as a referee or coach, or provide help to other students. To date, few studies have explored PE teachers’ perceptions and teaching practices regarding this aspect of the PE curriculum. The current study adds to the literature by exploring PE teachers’ perceptions of the importance of teaching children to manage PE activities as well as their self-reported teaching practices. A total of 137 PE teachers completed an online survey. Findings suggest that PE teachers value and address this learning domain, but a systematic approach seems to be missing. To facilitate a more intentional and systematic focus on personal and social development goals, such as teaching children to manage activities, the development of a learning trajectory across age groups is recommended. Future research should explore how PE teachers in other countries perceive and address these goals. An observational approach is recommended to explore the quality of teaching personal and social development goals.
