The recent emergence of primary school generalist teachers with physical education (PE) expertise has addressed calls for some form of specialisation in primary PE provision in Ireland (Marron et al., 2018). It was hoped that these teachers could advance the quality of PE taught within schools, through their own teaching and by supporting…

This paper presents the lived experience of a practitioner researcher working as a teacher educator engaging in action research with primary pre-service teachers (PSTs). Aligning with the work of Cook (2009) ['The Purpose of Mess in Action Research: Building Rigour Though a Messy Turn.' "Educational Action Research" 17 (2): 277-291] this…

Despite growing attention on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in education settings (Jones, S. M., McGarrah, M. W., & Kahn, J. (2019). Social and emotional learning: A principled science of human development in context. "Educational Psychologist," 54(3), 129-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2019.1625776), there also has been…

Background: Musculoskeletal injuries are common in adolescents, and recently schools have been suggested as an opportune location for injury prevention strategies. This study aimed to identify the current practices and perceptions of post-primary PE teachers in Ireland on injury prevention exercise programs (IPEP), which are key to informing…

Neoliberalism is a pervasive phenomenon. A fundamental neoliberal concept allows for the selection of the best and most suitable option available for a specific course of action in any aspect of society. Not unexpectedly, the educational field, including physical education (PE), has been influenced by neoliberal ideas. A key element of…

Background: There is continual support for teacher educators to play a more significant role in equipping teachers with the skills necessary to undertake practitioner research (Ellis, N., and T. Loughland. 2016. "The Challenges of Practitioner Research: A Comparative Study of Singapore and NSW." "The Australian Journal of Teacher…

Perceptions of quality physical education (QPE) can vary among teachers, due to the many discourses influencing physical education (PE) provision. There are concerns that the educative purposes of PE are not being fulfilled in its current state. This study aims to investigate PE specialism graduates' (PESGs') understanding of QPE, and how these…

Background: The imperative for social justice in education means that pre-service teachers should learn how to teach for and about social justice, including pedagogical and content knowledge. Understanding how physical education (PE) pre-service teachers and teacher educators construct and develop their knowledge of social justice pedagogies and…

Drawing on the concept of agency and teacher agency and engaging with figurational sociology, this paper explores the extent to which teacher agency plays a role in one teacher's enactment of a new school subject (Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), an examinable subject assessed in a high-stakes environment) in a period of curriculum…

Examinable physical education (i.e. physical education as a certificate subject in a high-stakes environment) has distinctive forms of practical and theoretical knowledge, and the concept of 'integration' has been identified as a means to bridge such forms of knowledge. This paper explores how teachers interpret, translate, and enact curriculum…

Background: The meaningful assessment of motor competence is well positioned for school-based curricular emphasis, through the integration of motor skills and movement patterns in both primary, and second level school physical education. Aligned with the growing interest in holistic motor competence assessment in physical education, the aim of…

Digital technology is growing in popularity in the enacted teaching and learning process. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the evidence of its impact on teaching and learning in physical education. With increasing use in education, digitally competent teachers are essential to the success of its integration. The primary aim of this study…

Since the publication of the Education for People with Special Educational Needs Act in 2004, inclusion in Ireland has become a priority for the educational system. Despite the promotion of physical education (PE) as a key setting for facilitating inclusion in schools, research has shown that the children with special educational needs and…

Drawing on social constructivist learning theory and a conceptual framework for meaningful physical education (MPE), the purpose of this self-study was to present and explore how one teacher-researcher (TR) evolved their approach to implementing pedagogy promoting MPE in an alternative secondary/high school education setting. Utilizing self-study,…

This research investigated the self-efficacy, beliefs, and practices of generalist primary school teachers who undertook the Bachelor of Education with a specialism in PE between 2016 and 2019. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey, and 80 valid responses were received. The findings suggest self-efficacy is high among these…