To Örebro University

As part of a longitudinal research project on the transition from physical education teacher education (PETE) to school physical education (PE) in Sweden and exploring whether and how PETE matters, this article uses narrative inquiry to ‘represent’ a PE teacher’s professional journey from PETE to the induction phase of PE teaching. The study focuses on his use of, and reflections on, ‘assessment for learning’ (AfL) at different stages of his teaching experience. The purpose of the study is to contribute knowledge about how positive experiences of AfL during PETE can enable the use of AfL in school PE for a newly qualified teacher. This is done by analysing one male PETE student’s reflections on AfL in the context of a campus-based course on PE assessment, his use of and reflections on AfL during his practicum, and in school PE as a newly qualified teacher. The data generation consisted of recordings of a PETE seminar, a stimulated recall interview with the participant during his final school placement, and two interviews with him in his role as a newly qualified PE teacher at two different schools. Through the PE teacher’s tale, we show how the campus-based course on PE assessment in PETE and the student teacher’s positive experience of using AfL during his practicum seem to have inspired him in his later positions. The results are discussed in relation to the perspective of occupational socialisation theory. This narrative inquiry suggests that PETE can make a difference for student teachers who are prepared to face the challenges of the induction phase of PE teaching and are able to navigate between the barriers that get in their way. We conclude the paper with some considerations regarding the study’s potential strength (trustworthiness), sharing (transferability) and service (usefulness).

As part of a longitudinal research project on the transition from physical education teacher education (PETE) to school physical education (PE) in Sweden, and exploring whether and how PETE matters, this paper ‘represents’ a PE teacher’s professional journey from PETE to the induction phase of PE teaching. The study focuses on the PE teacher’s use of, and reflections on, assessment for learning (AfL) (Wiliam, 2011) at different stages of the journey. The purpose of the study is to contribute knowledge about how positive experiences of AfL during PETE can enable the use of AfL in school PE for a newly qualified teacher. 

Using narrative inquiry (Casey, et al., 2018), supported by occupational socialisation theory (Lawson, 1983), this study focuses on one male PE teacher’s professional journey from PETE to the induction phase of PE teaching. The PE teacher’s tale is represented in first person, as if it were told by ‘the traveller’ on the journey. 

The underlying data consists of recordings of a campus-based PETE seminar, a stimulated recall interview with the participant during his school placement and two interviews with him in his role as a newly qualified PE teacher at two different schools.

Through the PE teacher’s tale, we show how the course on assessment for and of learning in PETE and the student teacher’s positive experience of using AfL during his practicum seem to have inspired him in his later positions. On his professional journey, the traveller encounters barriers such as his colleagues’ contrasting beliefs, dominating PE teaching traditions, and pupils’ resistance. Still, AfL is not washed out from his teaching practice. Rather, the key strategies of AfL, such as sharing learning intentions, providing feedback, and activating pupils as learning resources for one another, are used to create conditions for progression. 

In the discussion, we suggest that PETE can make a difference for student teachers who have gained positive experiences of AfL in authentic teaching situations and are able to navigate between the barriers to the use of AfL in the induction phase of PE teaching. The usefulness of this study is its potential to inspire teacher educators to implement AfL in different learning tasks during PETE and student teachers to practice AfL during their school placements. If this would occur more regularly, a content such as AfL would have a better chance of “surviving” the transition from PETE to school PE. 

Background: Scholars have suggested that students’ views of what is important for them to know as Physical Education (PE) teachers are a result of what is assessed in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE). Thus, there is a risk that students will reproduce content areas such as sports and assess sport-techniques without much critical consideration. In this study, however, the risk of reproducing what is prioritised in PETE is seen as an opportunity regarding the potential reproduction of other content areas than sports. Based on the regulative principles of PE and PETE that privilege sport skills and hinder creative movement learning, we focus on a content area in PETE that provides opportunities for students to engage in creative collaboration and examine how this content area is realised in school PE. Hence, we have chosen to explore ‘Movement Composition’, a content area which has a long tradition at one of the PETE universities in Sweden. Based on an overarching interest in whether and how PETE matters, this exploratory study focuses on the potential transferability of Movement Composition as a particular content area in the transition from PETE to PE.

Purpose and research question: The purpose of this study is to explore Movement Composition as a content area undergoing the transition from PETE to school PE. The research question is: How is the pedagogic discourse of Movement Composition constructed, recontextualised and realised in the transition from PETE to school PE?

Methods: Data was generated through an interview with one of the initiators of Movement Composition. Stimulated Recall interviews and Zoom interviews were also conducted with a group of five PETE students and three experienced PE teachers. In addition, documents such as the study guide, course literature, and written assignments associated with Movement Composition in the PETE programme were included in the empirical material. In the analysis, the combination of Bernstein’s pedagogic device and the Swedish didactics of PE research tradition was used to identify the pedagogic discourse of Movement Composition in the transition from PETE to school PE.

Findings: The findings show how the pedagogic discourse of Movement Composition as a content area is constructed, recontextualised and realised in the transition from PETE to school PE. The construction of Movement Composition as a pedagogic discourse in PETE is about how the content area (the what) is selected and organised for pedagogical purposes. The recontextualisation of Movement Composition is about how the pedagogic discourse is interpreted and translated in relation to the PE syllabus. The realisation of Movement Composition involves how the content area in PETE is implemented in PE practice.

Conclusions: This exploratory study has shown that what is articulated as a relevant content area and the way it is taught, learned, and assessed in PETE in many regards survives the transition to school PE. The transition from PETE to school PE does not only involve reproduction of sports and sport-techniques from one context to another. PETE also contributes to the use of creative, collaborative, and student-centred learning tasks in school PE.

Peer assessment has been proven to improve learning for both the observer and the observed. One dimension of peer assessment that has been given little attention in the context of physical education teacher education (PETE) is the tension that exists when peers give feedback on each other’s work. In this paper, we report on Swedish preservice teachers’ (PST) views on peer assessment used in PETE school placements. Our findings reveal four mechanisms of peer assessment assigned value in PETE: (i) building social relations, (ii)making ‘what to learn’ visible, (iii) giving correct feedback, and(iv) handling sensitive and gendered comments. Inspired by Bourdieu, we discuss learning potentials and complex challenges with peer assessment, where the combination of social capital and physical capital decides what is possible to say and to whom when peer assessment is used in the PETE school placement and in school physical education (PE).

Spänningen mellan olika synsätt på vad som bör prioriteras i lärarutbildningen kan förstås som avståndet mellan det första rummet av vetenskapligt “veta-varför” och det andra rummet av praktiskt “veta-hur”. Syftet med denna studie är att utforska hur detta gap mellan teori och praktik överbryggs av en lärarutbildare, mer specifikt en adjungerad adjunkt, som verkar inom ett tredje rum (Zeichner, 2010). Genom en narrativ undersökning av det tredje rummet för undervisning i skolämnet idrott och hälsa och idrottslärarutbildningen är syftet att återberätta historien om den adjungerade adjunktens erfarenheter av vilken kunskap som utvecklas och överförs mellan olika utbildningsmiljöer till förmån för studenters och elevers lärande. Med hjälp av Clandinin och Connellys (2000) ramverk för narrativa undersökningar genererades data genom intervjuer (interaktion), med fokus på deltagarens undervisningserfarenheter över tid (kontinuitet) i olika utbildningsmiljöer (situation). Resultaten presenteras i form av en berättelse, framförd med Saras röst. Saras berättelse analyseras sedan utifrån Bernsteins (1999) vertikala och horisontella diskurser och Zeichners (2010) tredje rum. I diskussionen relateras även denna berättelse på mikronivå till makronivån (Dowling et al., 2015). Slutsatsen är att de som ansvarar för idrottslärarutbildning bör överväga hur tredje rum kan utvecklas, exempelvis med hjälp av adjungerade adjunkter, som medvetet kan ”väva samman teori och praktik” (Laughlin, 2021, s. 31). Detta skulle hjälpa lärarstudenter att omsätta det de har lärt sig under lärarutbildningen i praktiken till förmån för ”barn och ungdomar i trygga idrottsmiljöer”.

"Sara's story" är publicerad i Sport, Education and Society (2024). 

The tension between different views of what should be prioritised in teacher preparation can be understood as the distance between the first space of scientific ‘know-why’ and the second space of practical ‘knowhow’. The aim of this study is to explore how the gap between these spaces is bridged by a teacher educator, more specifically an Adjunct Lecturer, operating within a third space [Zeichner, K. (2010). Rethinkingthe connections between campus courses and field experiences incollege-and university-based teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 61(1-2), 89–99]. Through a narrative inquiry into the third space of physical education teacher education (PETE) and school physical education (PE), the purpose is to retell the story of the Adjunct Lecturer’s experiences of what knowledge is developed and transferred between different educational settings for the benefit of student learning. Using Clandinin and Connelly's (2000) narrative inquiry space, the data was generated through interviews, focusing on the participant’s teaching experiences over time in different educational settings. The findings are presented in the form of a story based on Sara’s experiences of bringing the craft to PETE, transforming PE practice, supporting school placements, and promoting assessment literacy. Sara’s story is then conceptualised in terms of [Bernstein, B. (1999). Verticaland horizontal discourse: an essay, British Journal of Sociology ofEducation, 20, 157–173] vertical and horizontal discourses and Zeichner’s third space, while relating the micro-level narrative to the macro level. In the discussion, the various forms of knowledge, developed and transferred in the third space of PETE and school PE, correspond to practical ‘know-how’, scientific ‘know-why’, supervision and cooperation skills, and a tacitly acquired ‘gaze’. In the conclusion, it is argued that student teachers are receptive to the messages delivered inthe third space, which is why there is a need for those responsible for PETE to consider how third spaces are generated. Within these spaces, Adjunct Lecturers can help weave together practice and theory, which will facilitate student teachers to put into practice what they have learned during teacher education.

Background: Principles such as instructional alignment and step-by-step progression are often seen as crucial features of good assessment practices in school physical education (PE). These features are problematic from nonlinear educational perspectives, which are based on the idea that movement learning cannot be expected to take place in the same manner for all students. Without some resolution of the contradiction between nonlinear pedagogies and principles of good assessment, the likelihood of physical educators fully embracing any kind of nonlinear approach to movement education remains doubtful.

Purpose and research question: Our purpose in this paper is to illustrate how assessment for and of learning (AfL and AoL) can look when implemented in nonlinear movement education practices.  

Methods: Illustrations of AfL and AoL are drawn from an investigation in which one educator implements a nonlinear movement education module. The module focuses on juggling for students at high school (grade nine students aged approximately 15 years). The module provided students with 10 x 50-minute lessons to explore juggling. Data were generated through observations (film clips and field notes) and ethnographic-type interviews that were conducted with the students during the lessons.

Findings: In the context of the nonlinear movement education module, AfL became: Interacting with students in joint exploration; Introducing learning strategies; Encouraging students to clarify and verbalize the object of learning; Helping students identify critical aspects of the movement activity, and; Inviting students to consider alternative learning trajectories. The educator then evaluates the students’ learning experiences in the context of a group performance at the end of the module. This performance can be seen as an instance of holistic assessment within a nonlinear movement education practice. 

Conclusions: The suggested holistic perspective on PE assessment could help educators to: circumvent dichotomies such as mind-body and theory-practice; approach students as active meaning-makers; re-frame students’ actions as emergent and context-dependent; and replace direct instruction with explorative teaching and learning methods. The major contribution of this study is that it shows how assessment for and of learning can be implemented in nonlinear movement education practices within a linear, goal-related and criterion-referenced, education system.

Introduktion

Linjära principer såsom ett instruktivt länkande mellan mål, undervisning och bedömning och ett främjande av en stegvis progression i olika rörelseaktiviteter betraktas ofta som avgörande aspekter av en legitim bedömningspraktik i skolämnet idrott och hälsa (idh). Dessa aspekter är problematiska från ett icke-linjärt perspektiv, som bygger på idén att lärande inte kan förväntas ske på samma sätt för alla elever, vilket även kan medföra konsekvenser beträffande bedömning. Utan en lösning på motsättningen mellan linjära principer för en legitim bedömningspraktik och ett icke-linjärt perspektiv på undervisning och lärande är det tveksamt om idrottslärare kommer att anamma ett icke-linjärt förhållningssätt i någon större utsträckning. Därför är motiverat att undersöka hur bedömning för och av lärande (formativ och summativ bedömning) skulle kunna hanteras i en icke-linjär undervisningspraktik. 

Syfte och teoretisk ram

Syftet med denna studie är att illustrera hur bedömning för och av lärande kan se ut när dessa bedömningsformer appliceras i en icke-linjär undervisningspraktik i ämnet idh. Det teoretiska ramverket består av tidigare forskning om icke-linjära perspektiv på undervisning och lärande (såsom Nyberg, Barker och Larsson 2021) och om bedömning i idrottsämnet (till exempel AIESEP, 2020; Tolgfors, 2019).

Metod 

Våra illustrationer av bedömning för och av lärande är hämtade från en empirisk studie av hur en idrottslärare implementerar icke-linjär pedagogik i ämnet idh på högstadiet. Eleverna (både pojkar och flickor) går i årskurs nio och är därmed i femtonårsåldern. Arbetsområdet fokuserar på jonglering under 10 lektioner (á 50 min). Data genererades genom lektionsobservationer (inklusive videofilmning och fältanteckningar) och samtalsliknande intervjuer med eleverna under lektionerna. 

Analysen genomfördes genom att (1) de forskare som deltagit vid lektionsobservationerna gick igenom filmer och fältanteckningar för att välja ut sekvenser i vilka de uppfattade att det förekom situationer som kunde relateras till bedömning. (2) Två av forskarna författade provisoriska illustrationer av de valda sekvenserna, inklusive de bedömningskomponenter de identifierat. (3) I nästa steg fick förste-författaren möjlighet att tolka och översätta de provisoriska beskrivningarna till andra kategoriseringar som var kompatibla med de fem nyckelstrategierna i bedömning för lärande och Skolverkets nya riktlinjer för en sammantagen bedömning. (4) Avslutningsvis verifierades analysen av de tre medförfattarna.

Resultat 

I den icke-linjära undervisningspraktiken motsvaras de fem nyckelstrategierna i bedömning för lärande av att läraren: interagerar med eleverna vid ett gemensamt undersökande av rörelsekulturen; introducerar lärandestrategier, uppmuntrar eleverna att verbalisera vad de lär sig, hjälper eleverna identifiera kritiska aspekter av lärandeaktiviteten och uppmärksammar eleverna på att det kan finnas alternativa vägar mot sina uppsatta mål. Bedömning av lärande sker i slutet av perioden i form av en gruppuppvisning, då eleverna både får visa upp och sätta ord på vad de lärt sig. Denna redovisningsform erbjuder läraren en möjlighet att göra en holistisk bedömning av elevernas kunnande.

Diskussion och slutsatser

Det föreslagna holistiska perspektivet på bedömning i idh kan hjälpa idrottslärare att undvika dikotomier som kropp-medvetande och praktik-teori, betrakta elever som aktiva meningsskapare och därmed ersätta direkta instruktioner med undersökande arbetssätt. Studiens huvudsakliga bidrag är att den visar hur bedömning för och av lärande kan implementeras i en icke-linjär undervisningspraktik, vilket innebär att de konkurrerande perspektiven kan samexistera inom ett mål och kriteriestyrt utbildningssystem.

Studien är publicerad i tidskriften Physical Education and Sports Pedagogy, 2023.

Background: In this paper, we will address the question of how physical education teacher education (PETE) matters and suggest one way to explore the potential impact of PETE. A distinguishing feature of the studies of PETE's impact on physical education is that they either include perspectives from preservice teachers involved in PETE courses or perspectives from physical education teachers in schools looking back at their education. Longitudinal attempts to follow preservice teachers’ journey from education to workplace, in order to grasp how they perceive the relation between teacher education and teaching practice in schools, and the transition between these contexts, are few and far between. This gap of knowledge is a missing piece of the puzzle to further develop PETE, and to inform life-long professional development for teachers.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we develop and present a methodological approach for investigating the transition of content areas from courses in PETE into teaching practice in school physical education. Second, we will illustrate the potential utility of this methodological approach in longitudinal studies by showing how one particular content area, Assessment for Learning (AfL), was investigated through the use of methods and theories described in the first part of this paper.

Methodology: The suggested longitudinal approach involves Stimulated Recall (SR) interviews with pre- and postservice teachers, observations and communication with groups of students and teachers through social media. The construction, recontextualisation and realisation of pedagogic discourses regarding content areas are suggested to be analysed through a combination of Bernstein's concept of the pedagogic device and Ball's concept of fabrication.

Results and Conclusions: The longitudinal design and the suggested methodology can provide answers to how content areas are transformed in and between PETE and school physical education. A combination of the theoretical perspectives of Bernstein and Ball enables us to say something not only about how pedagogic discourses regarding content areas are constructed, recontextualised and realised in PETE and school physical education, but also about what content areas become in terms of fabrications in the transition between these contexts. To conclude, we argue that the methodological research design can be used to explore different content areas in PETE and that this methodology can contribute to knowledge about how PETE matters for school physical education.

Educational discourse is becoming increasingly globalized. This trend is particularly pronounced in the area of assessment, where notions of accountability, comparability, and competition have become prevalent in many countries. Scholars have critiqued this trend. They contend that global assessment discourse provides educators with decontextualized terms and concepts for teaching, which have little connection to the lives of learners. The specific purpose of the paper is to critically consider the encounter between global PE assessment discourse and local educational traditions. The International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP) position statement on physical education assessment is taken as a case of global assessment discourse and is considered in relation to Swedish physical education traditions. Robertson’s [(1995) notion of glocalization is employed as a theoretical perspective. We begin our consideration by outlining general tenets of the position statement and of Swedish physical education. We then examine areas of synergy and tension. This examination is structured according to six issues: (1) rationales for assessment; (2) underlying views of learning; (3) teachers’ role in teaching and assessment; (4) positioning of students;(5) understandings of subject content, and; (6) the ways in which contextual conditions are framed. Using a glocalization perspective, we raise three issues that have a strong bearing on the encounter between global discourse and local educational traditions and which provide insights into how assessment discourse within PE can be understood. These issues concern: (1) the risk of local educational traditions being appropriated by global assessment discourse; (2) the relation between assessment homogeneity and local diversity; and (3) meaningful PE practices. The paper is concluded with general reflections concerning implications for research and practice.