Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy

Background: Interest in circus activities (CA) has increased in recent years within the educational field, particularly among Physical Education (PE) teachers. These CAs are characterized by being inclusive and motivating, and they encourage the development of motor and social skills among students. In addition, scientific evidence is emerging that demonstrates the benefits of hybridizing different pedagogical models, such as cooperative learning (CL) and self-made material (SMM), in the teaching of PE. The objectives of this research were twofold: (a) to examine the affective, attitudinal, and social impact of implementing a CA unit in which the CL and SMM pedagogical models were hybridized in PE, and (b) to analyze the physical and motivational impact of this intervention from the perspective of the three agents involved: students, teachers, and parents. Material and method: A total of 143 educational agents from a private school in the Basque Country (Spain) participated in this qualitative study, undergoing semi-structured interviews: 88 students from 1st to 6th grade of Primary School (M = 9.49 ± 1.66 years), 16 students from 1st grade of Secondary School (M = 12.38 ± 0.50 years), 11 Primary School teachers (M = 33.27 ± 5.12 years), and 28 parents (M = 45.79 ± 5.56 years). The unit lasted ten weeks, culminated in the creation of a circus act involving all the Primary School students in PE. Data analysis by categories was based on data reduction, descriptive analysis, and interpretation. Results: The authors constructed four dimensions shared by the educational agents: Self-made materials, Psychological effects, Physical effects, and Obstacles and facilitators. Additionally, there were two dimensions exclusive to teachers and parents: Knowledge of the program and Socialization. The CA unit was very satisfactory for the agents involved, and the results derived from the interviews with the participants were aligned with Self-Determination Theory, as well as with the positive effects corroborated by previous research on the implementation of the pedagogical models of CL and SMM. The intervention was shown to be effective in increasing satisfaction, CA learning, active participation, motivation, social interaction, and sustainability awareness among the participating students, as well as in enhancing collective community awareness. Conclusion: The results corroborate the hybridization of CL and SMM models to enhance the teaching of CA and promote the holistic development of students within PE.

Background: Despite well-documented health benefits, children's engagement in physical activity remains insufficient, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Schools provide structured opportunities for PA, yet interventions often fail to increase overall moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Recent approaches suggest that focusing on physical activity opportunities (contexts where movement is encouraged) rather than overall volume may yield better results. The Écolo'coteaux programme aimed to explore whether an outdoor and cycling-based intervention could enhance PA engagement by reshaping daily physical activity opportunities. While outdoor education and cycling interventions have independently demonstrated benefits, their combined effects remain unexplored. Methods: A total of 96 children were assigned to either an intervention or control group. The intervention group participated in an outdoor and cycling education programme (4h/week, October to June), while the control group followed the standard physical education curriculum. PA levels were measured using accelerometers, and daily diaries were used to track PA opportunities. After applying exclusion criteria, 28 children (intervention: n = 10; control: n = 18) were included in the analysis. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis post-hoc tests assessed changes in MVPA and sedentary behaviour (SB) across PA opportunities. Results: No significant effect of the intervention on overall SB and MVPA was observed. However, PA patterns were significantly reorganized: the intervention group showed increased MVPA during physical education lessons (+13%) and active transport to school (+6%), while the control group experienced a decline in MVPA during weekend afternoons (-3%) alongside an increase in SB (+7%). Conclusion: Rather than increasing overall physical activity levels, the intervention influenced the redistribution of physical activity opportunities, promoting physical activity within structured contexts. These findings suggest that outdoor and cycling education can help children better engage in PA opportunities. Future interventions should adopt a multi-level approach, including family involvement, to enhance long-term physical activity engagement.

There would be little debate that sport education is the most researched pedagogical model. From the earliest descriptive accounts of student and teacher behaviors to quantitative studies testing the efficacy of the model’s objectives, there are now meta-analyses of students’ motivation, knowledge, skill and motor performance. However, the early research using student's voice involved small sample sizes and focused on what Kretchmar ([2000]. “Moving and Being Moved: Implications for Practice.” Quest 52 (3): 260–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2000.10491714) would call surface level explanations such as fun and enjoyment. Consequently, what is missing in the literature are rich descriptions of the lived experience and meanings that students attach to their experience in classes informed by the model.

Caloric-unbalanced lifestyles have been documented as one critical reason for childhood obesity. Educating students about caloric-balanced living with a focus on healthy eating and physical activity may help raise their awareness to address obesity. Gender preference has limited the benefits of acquiring such knowledge because it impacts how students acquire knowledge. It is necessary, therefore, to identify the extent to which gender preference is associated with caloric-balanced living conceptions to enhance the literature about gender roles and to develop equitable interventions to promote healthful living. Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of gender preference on high school students’ caloric-balanced living conceptions, including naïve- and mis-conceptions and scientific conceptions. Method This research adopted a mix-method design and recruited 72 students. A semi-structured interview was conducted with each student to acquire their conceptions toward caloric-balanced living. After coding their responses, we tallied the number of responses consistent with naïve- and mis-conceptions as well as the scientific conceptions. Then a χ2 analysis was conducted to determine the association between gender and naïve-, mis-, and scientific conceptions, respectively. Findings Students possessed three types of naïve conceptions that were specified as power, eating, or exercising to represent caloric-balanced living and two types of misconceptions that were specified as an object and activity. Gender preference was identified in naïve conception; female students preferred to exclusively conceptualize caloric-balanced living as eating, while male students as exercising only. No gender preference was identified in misconceptions and the scientific conception. Conclousion This study is significant in that it revealed potential flaw of the physical education curriculum where the core science of kinesiology may not be taught systematically, and gender-related issues may not address appropriately. It advocates that teaching scientific conceptions should be given the priority in curriculum design and teaching practices to help students acquire scientific conceptions that subsequently develop a coherent knowledge system and behavior of caloric-balanced living.

Background The professional education of coaches, coach developers and academics is a pressing challenge for national governing bodies and educational institutions. Central to this challenge is the cultivation of coaching proficiency and the ability to foster meaningful interactions with athletes and teams. Constructive Alignment has emerged as a valuable approach in higher education to enrich teaching and learning practices. However, as Constructive Alignment has shifted from a theoretical concept to practical implementation, it has encountered certain challenges. Critics argue that its apparent step-by-step simplicity can inadvertently create an illusion of administrative control, thereby misaligning with the intricate reality of pedagogical work and student learning. These misalignments may, in turn, perpetuate traditional teacher-centred approaches. Purpose In this paper, we propose an innovative solution: integrating James J. Gibsons’) epistemological distinction between different ways of knowing into coach education modules to support Constructive Alignment. This integration acknowledges the epistemological distinction that underlies different ways of knowing and provides a means to alleviate tensions, fostering a more cohesive learning environment. The integration supports coach educators and coaches to grapple with the complexities of teaching and learning in higher education and national governing body coach education programmes. Focus Our primary focus centres on designing a coach education module that immerses students in strategically tailored learning activities, optimising their prospects of achieving intended learning outcomes while contributing significantly to the design of assessment tasks. To illustrate the practical application of our approach, we present an in-depth ‘walk-through’ of a coach module grounded in the principles of Constructive Alignment and underpinned by the epistemological distinction between different ways of knowing. Concluding thoughts Exploring these concepts can help equip coaches, coach developers, and academics with a more effective and dynamic educational framework that aligns theory with practice within the coaching domain. Furthermore, recognising the epistemological distinction that guides different ways of knowing can alleviate tensions and create a more cohesive learning environment. Supporting Constructive Alignment can promote meaningful learning activities, enhancing students’ knowledge of coaching and optimising their chances of achieving intended learning outcomes.

Background: Despite its ubiquity in education discourses, social justice is a highly contested concept that can be framed in different ways [Dowling, F., H. Fitzgerald, and A. Flintoff. 2012. Equity and Difference in Physical Education, Youth Sport and Health: A Narrative Approach. Routledge]. The ‘social’ element of social justice is always framed by broader cultural and socio-political contexts. Therefore teaching for social justice cannot be conceptualised as a single pedagogy that can be enacted without regard for the learning content and the learning context. Purpose: The rationale for this research is to bridge the gap between advocacy for pedagogies for social justice and practices done in the name. The specific aim of this paper was to explore how specialist primary school physical education teachers in Spain enact democratic practices that promote social justice by engaging students in decision making in ways that ensure their voices are heard and considered. Method: The research was informed by Critical Incident Technique (CIT) methodology. Data were generated through six classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews with three Spanish primary PE teachers. Data analysis was informed by Paulo Freire’s [1970. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Seabury Press] democratic pedagogy and associated concepts of dialogue, problem posing and critical consciousness. Findings: The findings demonstrate how the teachers’ PE teachers’ practices have strong roots in democratic principles that are consistent with the scholarship of Freire. The two themes; (1) ‘Student-led dialogical encounters’ and (2) ‘Pedagogy of questioning and exploration’ provide insight into how the Spanish primary school PE specialists in this study teach for and about social justice in contextually relevant ways. Discussion: These findings remind us that PE provides a fertile educational context for implementing democratic pedagogies due to its interactive activity-based context and curricular focus on holistic development. The findings provide insight into both how democratic pedagogies in PE are possible even with very young students. Conclusion: We argue that democratic pedagogies are essential to social justice outcomes in school PE. They can enhance student participation, foster relationships, and empower individuals to become active agents of change. Democratic pedagogies in primary schools provide a sound foundation for scaffolding a critical consciousness in secondary school PE contexts.

Background: Critical thinking underlies tactical ability, and in the sporting context, it is known as reflective thinking that is used to make reasonable and defensible decisions in movement tasks. Critical thinking and sports tactics can then be described as analytical processes that involve solving situations in a reflective way. It is through experiences and discussions around experiences that more meaningful learning is generated (Godbout and Gréhaigne Citation2022). If we want to develop the tactical ability of players and, therefore, their decision-making ability, we should try to improve their critical thinking skills. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review French Professor Jean Francis (J.F.) Gréhaigne's research on tactical development in team sports from a critical thinking perspective to enhance player decision-making. Gréhaigne, a professor in the Department of Sports Science and Physical Activity at the Institute for Teacher Education of Franche-Comté in Besancon, France, has dedicated his research career to identifying the elements associated with the teaching and pedagogy of team sports. His work is particularly noteworthy in that it proposes that critical thinking underlies tactical ability; it means that before a motor action, there must be an analysis of the situation, and this analysis must be explicit for the current moment. Method: A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted using electronic databases of research articles published before September 2021. The databases utilized were SCOPUS and Google Scholar. The search did not target any exclusive journal but focused on articles where Professor J.F. Gréhaigne was the lead or co-author, specifically related to tactical development and critical thinking in team sports. Although the search was primarily conducted in English, French works were also considered due to the author’s linguistic capabilities and the relevance of Professor Gréhaigne's contributions. A total of twenty articles were included in the documentary analysis. Results: According to the contributions of Professor J.F. Gréhaigne, it is possible to recognize that the proposals based on tactical development in team sports arose from the need, mainly, to identify a pedagogical didactic process that sought to develop analytical abilities in line with the reality of the game. Recognizing the game as a dynamic, chaotic, and uncertain system reveals that the way in which its development should be approached should be far from rigid pedagogical structures. Conclusions: Critical thinking is always essential for team sports players during the game. Pedagogical proposals should focus on developing players’ critical awareness and analytical capacity so that they can solve spontaneous situations on their own. This study is the first reflexive thematic analysis of the work developed by Professor J.F. Gréhaigne related to critical thinking and tactics in team sports. The findings of this study provide significant information and directions for the future development of tactical skills in team sports.

Background The Activist Approach is a pedagogical approach that includes a wide range of possibilities to understand girls’ needs during their physical activity practice. However, the teachers or coaches who implement this approach must be aware that in the process they will face multiple challenges, such as managing the uncertainty generated by the transfer of power to the participants or the critical reflection on their own beliefs and practices. To date, many studies have focused on negotiating with girls the barriers that limit their participation in Physical Education or other physical activity contexts. However, few studies have examined the challenges of implementing this approach in sporting contexts where gender issues are particularly relevant, such as in traditionally male-dominated sports. Purpose Drawing on a poststructuralist feminist lens, this study analyses the process of transformation and learning undergone by the first author (Lucía) in overcoming the challenges of her first experience with the Activist Approach in a football club, a competitive sporting context where gender issues play an important role. Context and participants The study was carried out with a female football team and the participants were 31 girls aged 12–14, their three coaches, and Lucía and her three critical friends (co-authors). Data collection and analysis The study was conducted over two sport seasons and a total of 34 sessions were delivered (February 2021-June 2022), following the two phases of the approach: the building the foundation phase and the activist phase. The data collection included the recordings of the sessions conducted with the girls (34), the peer-debriefings (24), the artefacts created by the girls, Lucía’s field journal, the interviews with coaches (4) and the focus groups with the girls (2). A reflective thematic analysis of the data was carried out (Braun and Clarke Citation2021), providing this with credibility and reflexivity throughout the entire process. Findings and conclusions Lucía actively negotiated two main challenges in implementing her activist programme with the girls’ football team. The first was finding a balance between her position as a researcher and sharing power in the work sessions with the diversity of femininities. Lucía constructed a good relationship with all the girls but had difficulties getting them to perceive this environment as a learning context. The second challenge was finding a way to support all the girls’ voices and managing the male-dominated and oppressive elements of the competitive masculine culture at the football club, which constrained the development of the educational programme. Although frustration and uncertainty were feelings that the activist researcher experienced throughout her transformative journey, these were part of her learning and personal growth process. This journey allowed her to discover the potential of this approach and her own agency to advocate for social change, addressing the gender inequalities that are still pervasive in football clubs.

Background: The use of the Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI) in schools has increased in recent years. Other instruments have been employed to measure tactical-technical components in sports such as the Game Performance Evaluation Tool. However, it is necessary to consider the context for employing each instrument because it is important to consider learners’ skill level to adjust the criteria definitions for evaluation. Purpose: The objective of this systematic review was to review interventions using the GPAI instrument in the physical education educational field (2015-2024), and to deepen how the instrument has been used and how it has been attended to some critical issues related to this implementation. This study updates the Aguilar, Martín and Chirosa’s (2016, “The Assessment in Physical Education through the “Game Perfomance Assessment Instrument” (GPAI).” Estudios Pedagógicos 42 (2): 7–19) systematic review. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted across 5 databases (WoS, ERIC, ProQuest, SPORTDiscus, SciELO) using key words related to the Game Performance Assessment Instrument, Physical Education (Spanish or English), and the Boolean operators ‘OR’ and ‘AND’. The authors conducted a manual search of reviews including instruments evaluating game performance in young people. All searches were exported to Mendeley®, and duplicated documents were removed. The first level of exclusion criteria was to remove not original articles reading titles and abstracts. The second exclusion criteria were: (1) using GPAI out of PE lessons/fields (i.e. sports training), (2) articles not applying intervention on PE (i.e. theoretical articles or data collection only), and (3) interventions on PE but not using GPAI. The PRISMA guidelines was followed during the process. Finally, the quality of the included articles was measured using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: 27 papers were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. The results showed most of the included articles analysed the influence of pedagogical models on the students’ learning. In comparison to previous reviews, there was greater use of this instrument along with the implementation of the models’ hybridization that seemed to have better results than the application of one model. Conversely, invasion or net games were evaluated while previous reviews included more sport categories. The most analysed game components were Decision-Making and Skill execution and most researchers employed indexes of these components despite it could mask the nature of the students’ learning. 23 papers used video recordings to evaluate the GPAI but only 12 studies detailed the training time received by expert coders. Only one paper used the GPAI in live situations by students, and explained they received a previous training session. Knowledge tests were linked to the GPAI to measure cognitive/physical learning among students. Conclusions: The evaluation of game performance and its components has been linked to the application of pedagogical models and within the school context. It is suggested that the GPAI be used teachinglearning by involving the student in the peer evaluation process and with knowledge tests to confirm learning acquisition. The benefits of using technology can facilitate the implementation of GPAI through standardized software by students and teachers. Future studies should explore the involvement of students in their assessment, use of technology, and different games.

(Open Access in: https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2024.2425346). Background: Adolescents frequently struggle with body-related concerns, making Physical Self-Concept (PSC) a crucial component of their overall self-concept. Prior research in Physical Education (PE) has suggested various physical training programmes aimed at improving PSC. However, these studies often overlook the underlying sociocultural influences to PSC, such as social media or peers. Therefore, the present study examines the role of critical PE in addressing the sociocultural influences on PSC during adolescence. // Purpose: The purpose was to examine the effects of a critical PE unit designed to enhance students’ PSC and their critical consciousness of it. Research questions included the effects on students’ PSC, the relationship between PSC and their critical consciousness of it, and the students’ perceptions of the critical PE unit approach. // Method: The research design followed a mixed methods approach. A single-case intervention was conducted which involved 70 students aged 14–15 in a Spanish high school. The intervention comprised a 9-hour critical PE unit focused on fitness, emphasizing the exploration of body issues prevalent in social media and fitness culture. Data were generated before and after the unit using the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire (PSCQ) to evaluate changes in PSC. Post-unit ad-hoc questionnaires offered insights into students’ perception of improvement in PSC and critical consciousness, reflections on the unit's content and overall evaluation. Qualitative insights came from ad-hoc questionnaires, a focus group, field notes and assessment activities. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used for the qualitative data analysis. // Findings: No significant changes were observed in PSC after the unit. However, students expressed heightened awareness of sociocultural influences on PSC, particularly concerning gender-based beauty ideals, though discussions were often limited to physical attractiveness. Many students did not critically examine how biomedical knowledge shapes cultural perceptions, as seen in their proposal of body mass index as a criterion for body validation. For a few students, learning new concepts was transformative, enabling them to challenge dominant body-related narratives. Despite this, many maintained neoliberal individualistic self-empowerment narratives without adopting a more politicized perspective on PSC. Moreover, the unit received positive feedback, especially from girls, with Instagram facilitating critical discussions and amplifying students’ voices. A supportive teacher created a safe space for meaningful dialogue, though some concerns were raised about the emphasis on reflection over physical activity. // Conclusions: This study underscores the complexity of developing PSC in adolescence and highlights the need for critical PE to address it effectively. Future research should expand the focus of PSC beyond physical attractiveness to examine how biomedical discourses shape cultural perceptions of the body. Additionally, greater emphasis should be placed on encouraging students to challenge neoliberal narratives that influence body perceptions.