For decades, physical education (PE) scholars have called for a change to how PE is conceptualised and enacted, highlighting that its current (and persistent) form and focus – organised around physical activities and sports – are not fit for purpose. Much of this change-oriented discourse highlights what is wrong with PE, leading to suggestions about how PE should change in and for the future, for example, by adopting critical approaches and connecting more to the lives of young people. While we do not disagree with these perspectives and ideas, it is important to note that, in general, they have had little impact on PE curricula or pedagogy. In this paper, we suggest an alternative, strengths-based approach. Drawing from discussions with a range of professionals from the PE community (teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate pre-service teachers and teacher educators) across five national contexts – Canada, England, Ireland, Norway and Scotland – we generated narratives about ‘what's right with PE’. The narratives highlighted that PE can be ‘fit for purpose’ when it connects to the wider school and community, when everyone has a shared understanding of its purpose, and when PE teachers enact a broad, holistic and inclusive curriculum. We present the narratives as a reflective tool, encouraging all professionals within the PE community to consider how they align with (or against) their current experiences. We hope that these reflections facilitate critical thinking and problem solving to ensure that the subject is (and remains) fit for purpose now and in the future.

Recent interest in physical literacy, meaningful physical education (PE), and bodily pleasure has brought renewed attention to the notion of embodiment in PE (EPE). Yet embodiment remains conceptually complex and often poorly understood. Building on previous theoretical work that identified five attributes of EPE, intentionality, affect, meaning, shared, and unity, this study sought to consolidate and refine an emerging EPE approach. We examine how these attributes are evidenced in empirical literature and use this analysis to elaborate and, where necessary, extend an emerging pedagogical EPE approach. A deductive content analysis was conducted on 48 peer-reviewed empirical articles published between 2010 and 2025, sourced from three academic databases. Using the five attributes as an analytical framework, the study examined how these concepts are represented and understood within PE research. Findings show that all five attributes, and most sub-attributes, were evident across the empirical literature. This process clarified the attributes and highlighted some additional details. We present these refinements alongside five key insights that extend theoretical interpretations of embodiment and further detail how EPE can be understood and enacted in practice. Together, these contributions offer additional conceptual clarity and pedagogical guidance for educators seeking to design more embodied and meaningful learning experiences. While engagement with EPE remains a complex and evolving endeavour, the revised attributes and associated pedagogical insights provide a valuable starting point for planning and enacting more embodied approaches in PE.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been declared one of the top 10 global public health challenges of our age by the World Health Organization, and the World Bank describes AMR as a crisis affecting the finance, health, and agriculture sectors and a major threat to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. But what is AMR? It is a phenotype that evolves in microbes exposed to antimicrobial molecules and causes dangerous infections. This suggests that scientists and healthcare workers should be on the frontline in the search for sustainable solutions to AMR. Yet AMR is also a societal problem to be understood by everyone. This review aims to explore the need to address the problem of AMR through a coherent, international strategy with buy-in from all sectors of society. As reviewed here, the sustainable solutions to AMR will be driven by better understanding of AMR biology but will require more than this alone to succeed. Some advances on the horizon, such as the use of bacteriophage (phage) to treat AMR infections. However, many of the new technologies and new therapeutics to address AMR require access to biodiversity, where the custodians of that biodiversity-and the traditional knowledge required to access it-are needed as key partners in the scientific, clinical, biotechnological, and international ventures that would treat the problem of AMR and ultimately prevent its further evolution. Many of these advances will be built on microbial assessments to understand the extent of AMR in our environments and bioprospecting to identify microbes that may have beneficial uses. Genuine partnerships for access to this biodiversity and sharing of benefits accrued require a consideration of ethical practice and behavior. Behavior change is needed across all sectors of culturally diverse societies so that rapid deployment of solutions can be implemented for maximum effect against the impacts of AMR.

In the realm of critical social theory, the application of intersectionality is crucial for addressing social inequalities and advocating for social justice. Our research focuses on the growing integration of intersectionality in Australian sport systems, a development observed in government documents and sports organisations' operational procedures. Despite this trend, challenges persist in effectively implementing intersectionality due to the common practice of viewing social categories like race, gender and class in isolation. This paper aims to examine the use of intersectionality in Australian sports, particularly in online policy and content. To understand how intersectionality is conceptualised in the context of Australian sports, we conducted a conventional content analysis. This involved purposeful sampling of the websites of the top ten participation sports in Australia, chosen for their significant impact on the national sporting landscape. Our analyses categorised the data into three distinct levels: surface level (explicit mentions and implications of intersectionality), policy level (how policies support or undermine intersectional approaches) and a deeper level (the conceptual understanding of intersectionality in these sports). Our findings suggest that intersectionality is not being adequately conceptualised in Australian sports. Where it is mentioned, it often appears superficially and inconsistently, lacking in-depth understanding or guidance on practical implementation. The dominant trend in sports policy and online content is to silo different social groups, indicating a limited grasp of how these categories intersect and affect individuals. This paper discusses the implications of these findings and proposes ways sports in Australia can adopt a more intersectional approach. To harness its potential, a significant shift is needed from siloed perspectives on diversity and difference to a more integrated, intersectional approach. Such a transition would not only align with the broader societal movement towards equity and inclusion but also enhance the effectiveness of sports policies and practices in addressing complex social dynamics.

Research increasingly focuses on intersectionality to advance existing approaches to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in sport. Intersectionality is a complex concept that has been defined and operationalized in various ways. Using a systematic review comprising 41 peer-reviewed publications, this paper examines the extent to which and how research on EDI in sport engages with intersectional thinking and practice. The authors used three theory-informed approaches to evaluate the intersectionality characteristics of the literature, attending to intersectionality categorization, styles, and modes of engagement. The findings show a recent increase in the use of the language of intersectionality in research on EDI in sport, especially since 2018. Most of the published scholarship is situated in the Global North and is predominantly qualitative. The findings suggest that intersectionality is more than a buzzword and is increasingly taken seriously in this research field, theoretically and empirically. There is room for greater engagement with intersectional research methodology and with calls for intersectionality as critical praxis.

LGBTQ + students from diverse ethnic backgrounds studying in higher education institutions (HEI) continue to face high levels of marginalisation due to the intersections of their identities. These students have distinct needs and require specialised support that are currently not being met. This scoping review aims to consolidates literature of diversity and inclusion strategies implemented by HEIs to support LGBTQ + students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. It also strives to determine the degree to which these strategies have been evaluated and their level of efficacy. This study utilised Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) scoping review framework, yielding 28 relevant publications. The diversity and inclusion strategies outlined in the studies for this scoping review include tangible strategies such as dedicated queer inclusive spaces on campus, and support services such as mentoring, counselling and peer programmes. While diversity and inclusion strategies exist in HEI, they are sporadic, lack theoretical grounding, and are often inaccessible to LGBTQ + students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. This scoping review calls for HEI diversity and inclusion efforts to be reimagined through a queer and intersectional perspective. This scoping review can inform policy, practice, and enhance understanding of diversity and inclusion strategies in HEI.

Introduction: There are established protocols for staged return to physical activity in sport and military settings following concussion. Currently, there is no evidence-based staged return to shooting protocol in use by the U.S. military despite the unique challenges and stresses shooting places on the vestibular-ocular and cognitive systems often disrupted by a concussion. The primary purpose of this scoping review was to summarize available evidence and current practices on return to shooting post-concussion, with the goal of optimizing an evidence-based return to shooting protocol for military service members. Our secondary aim was to identify individuals who may benefit from a return to shooting progression. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Google Scholar was performed from the earliest dates to April 2023. A gray literature (Google) search was also performed. Articles were included if they studied a population with concussion, addressed return to shooting, and were written in English. Articles were excluded if they discussed health conditions other than concussion, focused on non-shooting interventions, did not use human subjects, or were written in a language other than English. Results: Our search strategy yielded 134 articles: 1 article met our inclusion and exclusion criteria, whereas the other 133 articles were rejected. The gray literature search yielded one item. Conclusions: Based on our results, there is insufficient evidence to inform current practices on return to shooting post-concussion. In the absence of a published return to shooting protocol, we offer recommendations for identifying individuals who may benefit from a return to shooting progression and a revised version of a U.S. Army Special Operations Command Return to Range Progression. This protocol follows a conceptual framework for progression for variables such as environment, weapon type/caliber, and shooter position/movement. Further research is needed on identifying individuals who may benefit from a return to shooting protocol and safely and effectively progressing these individuals through a return to shooting protocol post-concussion.

BackgroundInterest in and debates around meaningful movement and embodiment in physical education (EPE) have grown over the last ten years. The quality of these discussions centre on a degree of conceptual clarity for talking pedagogically about embodiment, and consideration of ways of applying it in practice in meaningful ways. The aim of this study is to systematically analyse the theoretical concept of embodiment presented within physical education (PE) literature, in order to support a conceptual clarity upon which to build well-grounded pedagogical insights and practices for school-teachers and their students, as well as PE teacher educators.MethodA narrative literature review methodology was used to identify twenty-three (23) papers from peer-reviewed literature between 2010 and 2021 that had some focus on embodiment. These were analysed using [Rodgers, B. L. 2000. "Concept Analysis: An Evolutionary View." In Concept Development in Nursing: Foundations, Techniques, and Applications, edited by B. K. Rodgers and K. A. Knafl, 77-102. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.] theoretical evolutionary concept analysis method to systematically identify characteristics associated with the concept in published literature. Evolutionary concept analysis typically involves a six-phase process of usage over time. Data analysis involved the systematic extraction and analysis of the literature for surrogate terms, related concepts, attributes, antecedents, consequences, and references to the concept.ResultsDespite conceptual variances across the articles analysed, a set of common attributes that included intentionality, affect, meaning, sharing, and unity were identified. The review identified potential consequences of EPE including deeply transformative and meaningful change in the learner, the context, and the teacher. Events, situations or phenomena that precede EPE are broadly linked to the teacher, the learner, and the context.ConclusionsThe concept of embodiment as it pertains to its theoretical/philosophical deployment in PE, is both complex and varied, limiting its potential to inform the pedagogical practices of teachers and therefore realise the consequences espoused. To temper this disconnect the paper provides accessible, yet provisional guidance for teachers via clusters of familiar characteristics with accompanying descriptions of what the literature suggests as important for embodied approaches. Together the tables and analysis encourage and enable educators and researchers to believe in, commit to, and to operationalise embodiment as practice in their work.

ABSTRACT Introduction The Head Shake Sensory Organization Test (HS-SOT) assesses postural stability while the head is moving and may also identify deficits in attention associated with the dual task conditions of moving the head at a specified speed while maintaining balance. Normative values for the HS-SOT have not been established in a healthy military population or other highly trained populations such as athletes. Establishing normative values in a military population will enable clinicians to compare the scores of patients with medical conditions that affect postural stability and sensory integration such as concussion or traumatic brain injury, vestibular dysfunction, or migraine to those of a healthy population to determine a need for intervention and for return to duty considerations. The purposes of this cross-sectional study were to establish normative values for the HS-SOT within the military population, to determine whether HS-SOT scores differed between men and women or among age groups, and to determine whether HS-SOT scores differed from scores on similar conditions of the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). Materials and Methods Active duty service members (n = 237, 54 female) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and the National Capitol Region (Washington, D.C, Maryland, and Virginia) completed the SOT and HS-SOT on the NeuroCom® Balance Master™. Parametric and non-parametric comparisons were analyzed for the equilibrium scores for the SOT and HS-SOT conditions 2 (SOT-2, HS-SOT-2, respectively) and 5 (SOT-5, HS-SOT-5, respectively) and the equilibrium score ratios (ESRs) for HS-SOT-2 and HS-SOT-5 for the total sample, men and women, and age group categories (18–26 years, 27–35 years, and 36–45 years). Results There were no differences in HS-SOT-2 or HS-SOT-5 equilibrium ratio scores between men (0.99 ±.029 and 0.83 ±0.25, respectively) and women (1.00 ±0.03 and 0.81 ±0.21, respectively). There were no differences in the SOT-2 equilibrium scores (F = 2.29, P = 0.10) or SOT-5 equilibrium scores (Kruskal-Wallis H = 3.26, P = 0.20) among the different age groups. SOT-2 equilibrium scores were higher than the HS-SOT-2 equilibrium scores (Z = –4.10, P < 0.001). SOT-5 equilibrium scores were also higher than HS-SOT-5 equilibrium scores (Z = –12.22, P < 0.001), and the HS-SOT-2 and HS-SOT-5 equilibrium scores differed from each other (Z = –13.26, P < 0.001). Conclusions This study established normative values for the HS-SOT in a military population. Equilibrium scores did not differ between men and women or among age groups, suggesting that these values can be used as reference points for most service members. Postural stability was found to be significantly challenged during head motion, indicating the HS-SOT is a valuable tool for identifying subtle impairments in postural stability. These findings have important implications for early detection and intervention in individuals with medical conditions affecting balance, particularly concussions or vestibular disorders.

Introduction: The vestibular system, essential for gaze and postural stability, can be damaged by threats on the battlefield. Technology can aid in vestibular assessment and rehabilitation; however, not all devices are conducive to the delivery of healthcare in an austere setting. This scoping review aimed to examine the literature for technologies that can be utilized for vestibular assessment and rehabilitation in operational environments. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed was performed. Articles were included if they related to central or peripheral vestibular disorders, addressed assessment or rehabilitation, leveraged technology, and were written in English. Articles were excluded if they discussed health conditions other than vestibular disorders, focused on devices or techniques not conducive to the operational environment, or were written in a language other than English. Results: Our search strategy yielded 32 articles: 8 articles met our inclusion and exclusion criteria whereas the other 24 articles were rejected. Discussion: There is untapped potential for leveraging technology for vestibular assessment and rehabilitation in the operational environment. Few studies were found in the peer-reviewed literature that described the application of technology to improve the identification of central and/or peripheral vestibular system impairments; triage of acutely injured patients; diagnosis; delivery and monitoring of rehabilitation; and determination of readiness for return to duty. Conclusions: This scoping review highlighted technology for vestibular assessment and rehabilitation feasible for use in an austere setting. Such technology may be leveraged for prevention; monitoring exposure to mechanisms of injury; vestibular-ocular motor evaluation; assessment, treatment, and monitoring of rehabilitation progress; and return-to-duty determination after vestibular injury. Future Directions: The future of vestibular assessment and rehabilitation may be shaped by austere manufacturing and 3D printing; artificial intelligence; drug delivery in combination with vestibular implantation; organ-on-chip and organoids; cell and gene therapy; and bioprinting.

Background : As a curriculum learning area, physical education (PE) has continually struggled to gain status within an increasingly crowded curriculum. This frequently leads to a reduction in available time within the curriculum for PE. In Australia and internationally, this may be explained by a focus on standardised testing, though questions are also raised about the capacity of PE to contribute to broader learning outcomes within the school context. Whilst the links between physical activity (PA) more broadly and cognitive performance, brain development and executive function (EF) have been recognised, the specific role physical education (PE) has on student's academic achievement (AA) is less well established. Consequently, researchers have sought to evidence the 'value-add' of PE in order to justify its relevance and importance in the curriculum.Purpose This literature review sought to explore the association between physical education (PE) and academic achievement (AA) in other curriculum learning areas. It was guided by the research question, does physical education have measurable educative benefits/impact on student academic achievement in other curriculum learning areas?Data analysis : Six databases/database platforms were searched: Informit, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, ERIC and Ovid (including AMED, DARE, Cochrane CCTR and CDSR and PsycINFO) for articles published in English between 2004 and 2020. A total of 5,599 unique articles were returned from the searches and alerts after duplicates were removed. Articles were then screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria with 88 articles identified for full text review. This literature review reports on the final 48 peer-reviewed research articles to meet the inclusion criteria.Findings : The review of the literature suggests mixed findings regarding the association between PE and AA in other curriculum learning areas; the findings are reported as having 'effect', 'no effect' or 'inconclusive effect'. Collectively, the 'effect' studies indicate that relationships exist between PE, AA and EF. This conclusion is consistent across school settings, study methodology and intervention design. However, the 'no effect' studies indicate that there is no relationship between PE, AA and EF. Whilst, the 'inconclusive effect' studies collectively indicate an array of inconclusive relationships between a variety of indices associated with PE, PA, AA and/or EF. The 'no effect' and 'inconclusive effect' conclusions are irrespective of methodology or intervention design, regardless of the approach used and measurement tools, the findings were the same. Studies that increased the amount of PA students were undertaking by the increasing time dedicated to PE did not report any negative impact of student achievement and grades.Conclusion : In regards to the research question, the evidence is highly mixed as to the potential impact PE can have on AA in other learning areas. What is certain from the studies reviewed is that participation in PE does not have any negative impact on student AA. The review highlights a number of limitations with existing literature.

Mental health conditions are a significant global health concern. To address this concern, sport settings are increasingly being viewed as environments in which to support individual mental health and wellbeing. Not all sports settings are, however, conducive to supporting mental health. Efforts to improve mental health in sport settings are likely to be less effective if the club culture, policy, and environment do not promote behaviors known to support mental health. Understanding the extent to which sport clubs offer environments conducive to mental health and wellbeing is important for mental health initiatives targeting sport clubs. Currently and to our knowledge, there is no known instrument that captures member/participant perceptions of how supportive the sport setting is regarding mental health and wellbeing. This study explored the content validity, internal construct validity and external construct validity of the Supporting Mental Health in Sport Instrument (SMHSI) intended to measure the extent to which sport clubs provided a supportive environment for mental health promotion. A process of reliability analysis, principal component analysis and Rasch analysis was conducted confirming the psychometric fit of the items to the overall construct. The instrument could distinguish between two sport club environments providing different levels of mental health support, demonstrating external construct validity. The instrument can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the sport club context to support mental health, to identify suitable club targets for mental health programs, to better determine training needs, or to better understand the impact of mental health programs on wider club contexts.Lay summary: Mental health promotion in sport clubs is becoming increasingly popular. The effectiveness of these promotion efforts may be compromised by the contexts in which they are delivered. This paper describes the properties of the Supporting Mental Health in Sport Instrument designed to measure the contextual support for the promotion of mental health in sport clubs. This instrument can be used by sport organizations and researchers to measure the extent to which sport club environments are supportive of the mental wellbeing of members and identify suitable targets for mental health programs.Mental health organizations looking to use sport club settings to deliver mental health interventions can use the instrument to tailor their mental health programs and resources as well as better understand the context in which their intervention is being delivered.Organizations and researchers looking to promote mental health in sport club settings can use the instrument to determine the impact of programs on the wider sporting context.Organizations and researchers can direct scarce funding and resources toward supporting sport clubs that demonstrate greatest need in relation to improving their culture and environment to better support mental health.

This critical narrative review draws on bell hooks' engaged pedagogy to examine the pedagogies deployed by PE teachers and PETE educators in response to COVID-19. Full-text, empirical studies between 2020 and 2022 were accessed through Academic Search Complete, Education Database (ProQuest), Education Research Complete (EBSCO), ERIC (EBSCO), Scopus, and SPORTDiscus. In total, 86 articles were considered for full-text review, with 38 articles moving to data extraction after having met the study's inclusion criteria. We used inductive and deductive methods of data analysis. Findings are reported and discussed according to (a) the inductive identification of pedagogies deployed by PE teachers and PETE educators during COVID-19; and (b) the deductive analysis of the literature using bell hooks' engaged pedagogy as a theoretical lens. This review determined that whilst the COVID-19 pandemic may have signalled an opportunity to advance an engaged pedagogical approach in PE and PETE, there was scant evidence of teachers or researchers choosing this path. Instead, innovation, criticality, creativity, mutuality, engagement and meaningful learning was suspended in favour of day-to-day survival. Most papers focused on remote learning enablers rather than engaged pedagogy; that is, they focused on the communication technologies required to connect to online spaces and then to teach within them. We outline directions and critical challenges for PE teachers and PETE educators to develop equitable, inclusive, and empathetic classroom spaces which seek to create learning that is transformative, dynamic and holistic.

ObjectiveCommunity sport can support mental health promotion and prevention initiatives. The aim was to establish the impact of a mental health literacy program (Tackle Your Feelings) delivered to Australian Rules Football clubs, on a range of mental health literacy measures.MethodsA mixed-method approach was undertaken with four community sporting clubs allocated to treatment or control (n = 155). Study 1) involved linear mixedeffects modelling to determine if the intervention differed in effect to a waitlist control over time across five outcome measures. Study 2) determined if differences were sustained post-intervention. Study 3) analysed interview data to establish qualitative insights into impacts of the program.ResultsLongitudinal mixed-effects modelling found significant effects for confidence to support (p<.001), knowledge of resources to support mental health (p<.042) help seeking (p=.030), supportive club environment (p<.001), and program content knowledge (p<.001). Post-hoc analyses revealed a positive effect across measures and Study 2) found this was sustained for four months post-program. Qualitative data highlighted the value of this type of program but also where improvements could be made.ConclusionFindings highlight the potential value of community sport as a setting to support mental health promotion across a wide range of club members whilst demonstrating enhanced member perceptions of a sporting club environment to support mental health. Qualitative data highlighted opportunities to embed such programs across multiple layers of the sporting club context.

In supermarkets and chemists worldwide, consumers are faced with an array of antimicrobial domestic cleaning and personal hygiene products purporting to kill germs and keep people safe. Many of these proven active ingredients (biocides) encourage the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in microbes and microbial populations, in turn increasing the likelihood of AMR infections. In order to understand and address the selective pressure towards AMR posed by the unrestricted use of biocides, it is necessary to understand which biocides are most frequently found in consumer products and the current regulatory framework that governs their use. In this research we survey the biocidal active ingredients in the major categories of cleaning and personal care products available from supermarkets and pharmacies in Australia, and comment on the regulations that dictate how these products are tested and marketed. Benzalkonium chloride and ethanol were the two most prevalent antimicrobial biocides in this study, while triclosan, which is banned in several jurisdictions, was found in a small number of products. In Australia, many antimicrobial consumer products are regulated for efficacy and safety under the Therapeutic Goods Act, but the potential to drive microbial adaptation and AMR is not considered. Overall this survey underscores the broad use and light regulation of antimicrobial biocides in products available to the general public in Australia, and provides an information resource to inform further research and stewardship efforts.

This article presents a retrospective autoethnopoetic study exploring a queer student's journey in Australian tertiary STEM education, employing queer research methodologies to illuminate the challenges encountered. Through personal narrative and poetic expression, we identify critical themes: microaggressions, discrimination, identity formation, cisheteronormative navigation, and resilience strategies. Although rooted in the first author's experiences, these insights reflect broader issues prevalent among queer students in STEM, such as the impact of discrimination and microaggressions on academic performance and well-being. This study underscores the significance of queer theory and autoethnopoetic methods in challenging normative assumptions in STEM education research, contributing to a deeper understanding of the queer academic experience. It advocates for the development of inclusive and supportive educational policies aimed at enhancing the learning environment for queer students, emphasising the need for visibility, representation, and support systems within STEM disciplines.

In this chapter, I consider the flexibility and transferability of the Activist Approach via a sensory (auto)ethnography derived from data collected in a six-day firefighting camp for girls in Sydney, Australia. In presenting the data as a sensory (auto)ethnography, I aim to position the ever-present researcher alongside insights about the potential for the Activist Approach to be transferred beyond school and sports settings to more fully engage youth. My conclusion is, maybe it can. To further extend this research and to guide others, I close by sharing what I have learned about the context, participants, and Activist Approach, and why this is important.

Politics and pragmatics are central and inseparable features of curriculum reform. In a federated system like Australia, many individuals and organisations are invested in reform at the national and jurisdictional level. This paper focuses on the policy work and roles of key actors positioned at the interface of national and state-based curriculum development, and at the juncture of curriculum policy and pedagogic practice. These were individuals formally identified as ‘curriculum leaders’ in the enactment of the Australian Curriculum in Health and Physical Education (ACHPE). The paper centres on data collected from eight (n = 8) curriculum leaders via semi-structured interviews. All were prospectively influential figures in shaping the path of the ACHPE. Our research explored the nature of their enactment work and how they were variously positioned and positioned themselves in relation to key ACHPE discourses. Analysis uses the policy actor/policy work framework as a starting point for deeper, Foucauldian informed analysis which provides insights into the complex nature of curriculum leadership by considering the additional (in)formal work and roles of these high-ranking policy actors. Data and discussion extends understanding of curriculum enactment as a process that spans policy networks and reveals the nuanced nature of curriculum leadership associated with curriculum reform.

Despite research demonstrating the poor mental health outcomes of transgender young people within the secondary school environment, little is known about the experiences of psychologists working in school counselling with this population. To address this gap, the current study explored the experiences of psychologists working with transgender young people in a school counselling context. Seven psychologists in Australia completed individual semi-structured interviews and the data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four superordinate themes were identified: affirming agency within transgender young people, perceived competency and transgender knowledge, expectations and surprises, and challenges during counselling. The findings demonstrated the importance of school psychologists promoting and celebrating the positioning of transgender young people within society, adopting a queer lens in their work with this population, being informed and knowledgeable regarding transgender issues, and managing the various challenges associated with this work. Practical implications for school psychologists include the need to engage with transgender training and education, helping transgender young people link-in with trans-inclusive services, as well as "queering" both the counselling space and the school environment . Future researchers should further explore the experiences of school psychologists and mental health professionals across different contexts, settings, and levels of practical experience.

BackgroundPhysical education has been described as too instrumental and uncritical, where a focus on utility has limited the value of pleasure in movement. Decades of previous research has addressed the need for changes where embodied experiences and learning are emphasized [Kirk, David, and Richard Tinning. 1994. "Embodied Self-Identity, Healthy Lifestyles and School Physical Education." Sociology of Health and Illness 16 (5): 600-625; Kirk, David. 2010. Physical Education Futures. London: Routledge; Wrench, Alison, and Robyne Garrett. 2015. "PE: It's Just Me: Physically Active and Healthy Teacher Bodies." International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE) 28 (1): 72-91; Wright, Jan. 2000. "Bodies, Meanings and Movement: A Comparison of the Language of a Physical Education Lesson and a Feldenkrais Movement Class." Sport, Education & Society 5 (1): 35-49]. Accordingly, we align with the ongoing call for a 'corporeal turn' [Smith, Stephen J. 2007. "The First Rush of Movement: A Phenomenological Preface to Movement Education." Phenomenology & Practice 1 (1): 47-75, 66] in physical education, towards a more holistic understanding of learning and experience as embodied and emplaced [Pink, Sarah. 2011. "From Embodiment to Emplacement: Re-Thinking Competing Bodies, Senses and Spatialities." Sport, Education and Society 16 (3):343-355.]. This turn may involve a curriculum where pleasurable and meaningful movement experiences are educational goals. Building on this, we ask whether a pedagogy that gives room for playfulness may be a starting point for physical education being perceived as more meaningful and pleasurable. Our theoretical framework builds upon Wellard's model of body-reflexive pleasure, Hyland's understanding of playfulness as a responsive openness and Gibson's theories of affordances.PurposeIn this study we explore pupils' embodied experiences in physical education, using empirical findings from a sensory ethnography. The research questions asked are 'How do pupils' playfulness create possibilities for pleasure in physical education? And which opportunities for embodied learning are being offered through playful and pleasurable experiences?' Our aim is to inform and develop pedagogies of embodiment by including playfulness as a strategy for facilitating opportunities for pleasurable and meaningful experiences that enable embodied learning.MethodThe empirical data is based on a sensory ethnographic fieldwork conducted in a 10th grade class (23 pupils, age 15-16 years) in Oslo, Norway. The first author conducted the fieldwork as a participant observer. This included joining all physical education lessons for one semester and conducting 17 interviews with pupils by the end of the semester. In the analysis and interpretation process we have combined 'the ethnographic hunch' [Pink, Sarah. 2021. "The Ethnographic Hunch." Experimenting with Ethnography: A Companion to Analysis: 30-40] with an abductive analysis approach [Tavory, Iddo, and Stefan Timmermans. 2014. Abductive Analysis: Theorizing Qualitative Research. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press].Results and discussionThe findings are represented in three episodes that show how pupils playfully changed the teacher-given tasks, and in doing so created possibilities for pleasurable experiences. The findings are discussed using [Wellard 2012. "Body-reflexive Pleasures: Exploring Bodily Experiences Within the Context of Sport and Physical Activity." Sport, Education and Society 17 (1): 21-33] model of body-reflexive pleasures and phenomenological perspectives on playfulness [Hyland, D. 1977. ""And That Is The Best Part of Us:" Human Being and Play." Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 4 (1):36-49], and affordances [Gibson, James J. 1986. The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates]. Playfulness emerged as a criterium for perceiving activities as pleasurable. The pupils' playful stance assisted them in their search for meaning and pleasurable activities because it enabled them to be open and responsive to the possibilities that emerged in the physical and social environment. This led to pleasurable experiences of physical thrill and psychological flow in social interaction when moving with others. We discuss how pleasurable experiences may have potential for the pupils' embodied and emplaced learning, as participants in place-events. As illustrated in the three episodes, the playful and pleasurable activities offer opportunities for learning and practicing integrated competencies, e.g. physical, social, and creative competencies. Suggested implications for physical education teachers may involve giving pupils the freedom to be playful by being open to letting pupils' innovative initiatives influence the teaching and contribute to create a safe space for movement exploration.