Critical Pedagogies in Physical Education, Physical Activity and Health

Julie Stirrup, Oliver Hooper, Julie Stirrup, Oliver Hooper

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781000422238
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Physical Education

Critical Pedagogies in Physical Education, Physical Activity and Health explores critical pedagogy – and critical work around the body, health and physical activity – within physical education. By examining the complex relationships between policies and practice, and how these are experienced by young people, it elucidates the need for critical pedagogy in contemporary times.

With contributions from leading international experts in health and physical education, and underpinned by a critical, socio-cultural approach, the book examines how health and physical education are situated across various international contexts and the influence of policy and curriculum. It explores how health is constructed by students and teachers within these contexts as well as how wider spaces and places beyond formal schooling influence learning around the body, health and physical activity. Finally, it considers what progressive pedagogies might 'look like' within health and physical education. Chapters utilise empirical work within the field to explore various topics of relevance to critical pedagogy, drawing on theoretical insights while providing practical applications and concluding with reflection points to encourage readers to consider the relevance for their own contexts.

Designed to support pedagogical study in a range of contexts, this book will be of particular interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students, teachers and researchers with an interest in physical education, physical activity and health and the role they play in young people's lives.

Section IV

Engaging with progressive pedagogies in health and physical education

Introduction

Rachel Sandford

Though examining different concepts and exploring various contexts, the four chapters included within this section all centre on the notion of developing progressive pedagogies in the areas of physical education (PE), physical activity and health. They each outline how educational systems, processes and practices are shaped by broader social and cultural factors, which become embedded over time in ways that reflect wider power relations and, ultimately, serve to privilege some and marginalise others. Moreover, they consider how the reproduction of dominant ideas (and ideals) over time can perpetuate inequalities in pedagogical practices and call on practitioners to both recognise and reflect on their own role within this process; encouraging them to consider if and how they might shape more equitable practice. As such, in their own way, each chapter articulates a social justice agenda and recognises the need for critical pedagogies that can challenge inequalities within practice.

In Chapter 11, Williams, Wiltshire and Gibson explore the relationship between health inequalities and PE in the UK through an equity lens. Recognising that physical activity is often considered a ‘best buy’ in public health discussions and that PE is an ‘intuitively appealing’ educational context in which interventions can be implemented, the authors consider key issues involved in shaping equitable and inclusive practice. Drawing on a case study of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), they remind us that despite there being ‘robust’ evidence for social determinants of health, there is still a notable focus on lifestyle factors that seek to initiate individual behaviour change. Williams and colleagues argue that this reflects the process of ‘lifestyle drift’ (Hunter, Popay, Tannahill & Whitehead, 2010) that is evident in many government policies, which sees broad intentions of addressing wider social processes shift to embrace the rhetoric of individual choice and personal responsibility. However, in taking a critical approach to examining these issues within the chapter, the authors contest whether achieving a healthy lifestyle is indeed as ‘logical, simple, and achievable’ as political rhetoric would suggest. Moreover, they call on practitioners to ensure that their own practice does not reproduce such views.

Williams and colleagues explore both the causes and ‘the causes of the causes’ of poor health, noting that while people across all levels of society are affected by various health issues, those lower down the socio-economic spectrum are disproportionately disadvantaged – as the authors put it, ‘less wealth translates into poorer health’ (p. 171). Importantly, the authors also acknowledge the significance of considering the sustained nature of disadvantage, noting that ‘the effects of social deprivation are far more likely to disadvantage people over time’ (p. 172). While lifestyle interventions might therefore have some positive outcomes – and this is an important point to note – it is also possible that they might contribute to the perpetuation of inequalities. In looking to address this, Williams and colleagues make the case for social factors to be taken into account when designing interventions and call for consideration to be given as to whether targeted interventions might result in more equitable outcomes than universal approaches. By doing so, they argue that PE can become a context which facilitates more equitable experiences and, as they note, practitioners have a central role in this process.

In Chapter 12, Luguetti and McDonald continue the focus on practitioners and discuss the transformative potential of a pedagogy of love, suggesting that this offers a valuable means of rethinking pedagogical practices in the area of health and PE (HPE). Drawing on the work of Freire (1987), Noddings (1984) and hooks (2001), among others, the authors look to provide a rationale for a pedagogy of love and consider how it may best be enacted in practice, sharing learning from a field example in Brazil. In the early sections of the chapter, Luguetti and McDonald highlight how student teachers within the HPE field often articulate more humanistic ideas about equality that are underpinned by ‘a common-sense perspective of individual ethics’ (p. 184). Such views of equality, they argue, are problematic, as they fail to recognise subtle oppressions within the field – such as those related to racism, sexism or ableism – and suggest a rather narrow understanding of inequities. As such, the authors propose that there is a need for practitioners to engage in reflection to enable them to consider if/how they might work more effectively within a social justice framework. A pedagogy of love, it is suggested, can support this transformative agenda.

Luguetti and McDonald argue that a pedagogy of love starts with the process of reflection. It involves creating a space in which practitioners can begin to understand inclusive and exclusive experiences in their own lives and to consider the relevance of these experiences for understanding the lives of others. As part of this process, practitioners must be willing to step out of their comfort zone, position themselves as continuous learners and challenge their own perceptions and ideas. The authors argue that this reflective process has transformative potential which can support more honest, open and respectful relationships with students. Central to such an approach is the notion of student voice, and there is much focus on the need for practitioners to create democratic spaces in which they can engage in conversations with their students. Moreover, there is a recognition that these conversations should be transformative for both practitioner and student, empowering students to share their experiences and shape, collectively, more meaningful and authentic practices. Through supporting creativity and imagination, it is argued, a pedagogy of love can facilitate the identification of alternative possibilities and foster a social justice agenda within HPE contexts.

In Chapter 13, Wrench and Garrett similarly emphasise the need for collaborative conversations between practitioners and students. They argue that such collaboration can support culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and facilitate more equitable experiences for students within HPE, particularly for those who might be considered marginalised. Wrench and Garrett note that as classrooms become increasingly diverse, it is often particular ethnic minority students who disproportionately experience educational disadvantage. Moreover, they highlight that practitioners often report a lack confidence in working with marginalised students and that concerns have been raised about the preparedness of the teaching workforce to meet the needs of diverse students. Drawing on their work with pre-service teachers undertaking a final year HPE course within a Bachelor of Education degree programme in Australia, Wrench and Garrett reflect on such issues and explore the implications for practice with particular reference to working with Indigenous youth.

The authors note that CRP is framed by socio-cultural understandings of learning and underpinned by the notion that all curricula and pedagogies should be culturally based. CRP is therefore not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach but, rather, needs to be tailored to reflect the context and culture of the individuals within it to enhance both engagement and inclusion. A key point to note is the recognition of students (and more broadly their families/communities) as a valuable resource within this process, facilitating the creation of learning experiences that are culturally mediated (e.g. through the incorporation of culturally relevant games, language or values). The authors emphasise the strengths-based nature of this approach, but caution that while support for it is strong in theory, the practical enactment of CRP requires further attention. Within the chapter, Wrench and Garrett outline the significance of relational processes and identify three layers of relatedness that they argue represent a useful framework for shaping practice: ways of knowing, ways of being and ways of doing (after Martin & Mirraboopa, 2003). They argue that the implementation of these processes can enhance the confidence and capacity of pre-service teachers to engage with and enact CRP and also represent a means of moving past tokenistic efforts at incorporating cultural content into the curriculum.

Finally, in Chapter 14, Sperka, Stirrup and Hooper consider the place of outsourcing within (H)PE. Outsourcing has been of much interest in (H)PE in recent years, with some concerns expressed about its increasing prevalence – and pervasiveness – within the subject. Significantly, Sperka and colleagues emphasise that outsourcing is not inherently ‘bad’ but can perhaps result in inequitable experiences as a result of its application in practice. Moreover, they assert the need to focus on the context in which outsourcing is implemented, as there are often differences in the ways that outsourcing is enacted between countries, which typically reflect broader political agendas. Accordingly, drawing on recent work in this area, and examples of outsourcing implementation within the Australian and English contexts, the authors seek to offer research-informed proposals for ‘best practice’.

Sperka and colleagues highlight a number of issues that are significant in shaping outsourcing practice. Within the Australian context, for example, it is noted that the recent standardisation of the curriculum has created a context in which tailored approaches have given way to more generalised delivery – something perceived to facilitate more extensive use of outsourcing. Meanwhile, in the English context, the relevance of and reliance on outsourcing is perceived to be linked to the short-term nature of funding initiatives (e.g. Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links [PESSCL], Physical Education and School Sport for Young People [PESSYP]) and the lack of specialist physical educators within primary settings. Acknowledging that outsourcing is ‘here to stay’, however, the authors seek to identify and consider important questions for the field, namely, who should identify outsourcing needs, how are roles/responsibilities distributed and what monitoring and evaluation is required? In addressing these questions, the authors highlight, among other things, the importance of recognising teachers’ pedagogical knowledge/expertise, the relevance of listening and responding to student voice and the need for collaborative conversations between key stakeholders. They also emphasise the need to move away from deficit approaches to outsourcing and to consider the opportunities it can afford when shaped with educative intent. In this respect, they highlight the evolving role of practitioners as knowledge-brokers and boundary-spanners (Sperka, Enright & McCuaig, 2018) and point to the need for further attention to be paid to mapping this complicated landscape.

In considering these chapters together, it is evident that there are a number of shared ideas running through them. Firstly, each chapter highlights the complex landscape of educational practice and recognises the impact of historical, social and cultural factors in shaping lasting inequalities in student experience. Moreover, they all identify the need to check and...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of figures
• Contributors
• Introduction
• SECTION I Situating health and physical education within an international context
• SECTION II Exploring constructions of health within (physical) education
• SECTION III Locating places of and spaces for health
• SECTION IV Engaging with progressive pedagogies in health and physical education
• Index