Transformative Learning and Teaching in Physical Education

Malcolm Thorburn is a lecturer in Education and Physical Education at the Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh. He has taught extensively in secondary schools and occupied a number of curriculum development roles at local authority and national level. He has also published widely on aims and values, policy and professionalism and planning and practice issues in education and physical education.

• Introduction Malcolm ThorburnPart 1. The Societal Perspective1. Physical Education, Economic Liberalism and the Free Market: Professional changes ahead? Malcolm Thorburn2. Aims and Values in Physical Education: Can rival traditions of physical education ever be resolved? Steven A. Stolz and Malcolm ThorburnPart 2. The Theoretical Perspective 3. The Transformational Wind of Theoretical Change: A historic and contemporary view of physical education Mike Jess and Matthew Atencio4.The Primary School Teacher Perspective: Using an ecological framework and complexity principles as the basis for analysing teachers’ professionalism Mike Jess, Nicola Carse and Jeanne Keay5. Start Young: The possibilities of physical education Mike Jess6. Physical Education Teachers as Agents of Policy and Curriculum Change Justine Maclean7. The Role Professional Learning Communities Play in School Based Curriculum Development Andrew Horrell and Rosie MulhollandPart 3. The Practice Perspective8. Creating Autonomy-supportive Learning Environments to Improve Health and Wellbeing in Physical Education Shirley Gray, Fiona Mitchell and John Wang 9. Pedagogy for Student Motivation, Learning and Development in Physical Education Shirley Gray, Kevin Morgan and John Sproule10. Understanding Teachers’ Day-to-day Practice: Challenging the ‘unfair’ picture Paul McMillan11.The Digitized Future of Physical Education: Activity trackers, personal analytics and algorithmic biopedagogies Ben WilliamsonPart 4. A Futures Perspective12. Past, Present and Possible Futures Steven A. Stolz13. Conclusion Malcolm Thorburn

‘This text provides an innovative perspective on the role of transformative physical education teaching and learning within the complex school context. Transformation is a lofty goal that builds valued and sustainable pedagogical change on a solid foundation of theory, practice and context. These authors, working from a critical perspective, first discuss the issues and challenges, and then give meaningful presentations of rich and refreshing curricular alternatives and practices with the potential to transform physical education to positively affect learning.’ - Catherine D. Ennis, Professor, Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA‘Nowadays schools are tough places. Much is expected of them by governments, broader society and parents. The authors of this collection believe that school PE, well taught by teachers employing critical pedagogies, can be a transformative learning experience for young people. Transformative Learning and Teaching in Physical Education is no toolkit-type book offering teachers advice on what to teach and how to teach. The collection engages the reader across four dimensions of society, theory, schools and practice. It offers an activist perspective that is research-based and practice informed. Careful not to overstate their case, contributors to this collection offer both hope and an aspiration for teachers and graduate students alike. This is a book that needs to be read by prospective teachers, teachers and teacher educators alike.’ - Richard Tinning, Emeritus Professor, School of Human Movement & Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia