Teaching About Social Justice Issues In Physical Education

Addressing social justice issues in a physical education context is necessary both at the higher education and PK-12 settings. Limited undergraduate and graduate programs educate their students about social justice issues, thus, resulting in licensed teachers who lack the content knowledge, comfort level and pedagogical tools on how to educate students about issues related to social justice. Grounded in the transformative pedagogy theoretical framework, this book will offer practical lessons and strategies on a wide variety of social issues (e.g., body, race, self-identity, immigration) that can be used in teacher education and the PK-12 setting. The goal is for teacher educators and practitioners to feel more comfortable with teaching about and for social justice and believe this resource will enhance their content and pedagogical knowledge in the quest to achieve that goal. The purpose of this book is to provide physical education teacher educators and PK-12 physical education teachers with lesson plans and resources on how to address social justice issues in a physical education setting. This book will include sample lesson plans/activities that address a wide variety of social issues – the what, the how and the challenges and possibilities that the author(s) encountered when teaching such a lesson/activity. Addressing social justice issues has been limited in physical education, both in higher education and PK-12, especially in the United States. Numerous scholars, internationally, have engaged in research studies that explored how social justice issues are addressed in physical education teacher education. Although we have research to support the limitations and complexities of teaching about sociocultural issues and for social justice, a more practical resource for teacher educators and inservice teachers is needed. The market for this book will be physical education teacher educators and PK-12 physical education teachers throughout the world.

This book offers an overview of contemporary debates in social justice and equity within Physical Education (PE) and Youth Sport (YS). It gives the reader clear direction on how to evaluate their current PE or YS program against current research and provides ideas for content, curriculum development, implementation, and pedagogical impact. The book addresses key contemporary issues including healthism, sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, ableism and colonialism, and it highlights the importance of positionality and critical awareness on the part of the teacher, coach, or researcher. Presenting an array of case studies, practical examples, and thought-provoking questions, the book discusses equitable pedagogies and how they might be implemented, including in curriculum design and assessment. Concise, and avoiding academic jargon, this is an invaluable guide for pre-service and in-service teachers, teacher educators, coaches, and educators, helping them to ensure that all students and young people are included within the PE and YS settings for which they are responsible.

The physical education classroom can be a site of discomfort for young people who occupy marginalized identities, and a place where the normative beliefs and teaching practices of educators can act as a barrier to their inclusion. This timely edited collection challenges pre-service and in-service teachers to examine the pedagogical practices and assumptions that work to exclude students with intersecting and diverse identities from full participation in physical and health education. The contributors to this volume—who consist of both experienced and emerging scholars from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand—approach their topics from a range of social justice perspectives and interpretations. Covering a variety of areas including (dis)ability, gender, sexuality, race, social class, and religion, Social Justice in Physical Education promotes a broader understanding of the sociocultural, political, and institutional practices and assumptions that underlie current physical education teaching. Each chapter encourages the creation of more culturally relevant and inclusive pedagogy, policy, and practice, and the discussion questions invite readers to engage in critical reflection. Mapping a better way forward for physical and health education, this text will be an invaluable resource for courses on social justice, diversity, inclusive education, and physical education pedagogy.

Drawing on observations and teacher interviews across Sweden, Norway and New Zealand, the book explores successful school teaching practices that promote social justice and equitable health outcomes. Draws attention to the importance of building relationships, teaching for social cohesion, and explicitly teaching about and acting on social inequities as pedagogies for social justice. Argues that context matters and that pedagogies for social justice need to recognise how both approaches to, and focus on, social justice vary in different contexts.

Teaching Social and Emotional Learning in Physical Education is the ideal resource for understanding and integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies into the structure of a physical education program, alongside physical activity and skill development goals. This text should be incorporated as a key resource to guide physical education teacher education courses specifically focused on social and emotional learning while also providing supplemental readings for courses related to physical education curriculum, instruction, assessment, and/or models-based practice. Similarly, practicing physical education teachers who are interested in developing a stronger focus on SEL in their teaching will find that the book provides a comprehensive resource to guide their professional learning and practice.

For nearly a decade, Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice has been the definitive sourcebook of theoretical foundations and curricular frameworks for social justice teaching practice. This thoroughly revised second edition continues to provide teachers and facilitators with an accessible pedagogical approach to issues of oppression in classrooms. Building on the groundswell of interest in social justice education, the second edition offers coverage of current issues and controversies while preserving the hands-on format and inclusive content of the original. Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice presents a well-constructed foundation for engaging the complex and often daunting problems of discrimination and inequality in American society. This book includes a CD-ROM with extensive appendices for participant handouts and facilitator preparation.

The practice of universal design—of making a product or environment accessible to all individuals—has been around for a long time. But, until now, that practice has never been explored in depth in the field of physical education. This groundbreaking text provides a much-needed link between universal design and physical education, extending boundaries as it offers physical educators a systematic guide to create, administer, manage, assess, and apply universal design for learning (UDL). Universal Design for Learning in Physical Education is for all physical educators—those who are or are preparing to become general PE teachers as well as those who are in the field of adapted physical education. This resource offers the following: Ready-to-use curricular units for grades K-12, with 31 universally designed lessons that demonstrate how teachers can apply UDL in specific content areas (teachers can also use those examples to build their own units and lessons) Rubrics for the 28 items on the Lieberman–Brian Inclusion Rating Scale for Physical Education (LIRSPE) to help teachers follow best practices in inclusion Tables, timelines, and paraeducator training checklists to ensure that UDL is effectively delivered from the beginning of the school year In her earlier text, Strategies for Inclusion, Third Edition, coauthor Lauren Lieberman included a valuable chapter about UDL that focused on detailed, practical steps for making classes inclusive. Universal Design for Learning in Physical Education approaches inclusion from the macro level, providing a comprehensive conceptual model of UDL and how to incorporate it into curriculum planning and teaching methods for K-12 physical education. Outcomes for Universal Design for Learning in Physical Education are aligned with SHAPE America’s physical education standards and grade-level outcomes. Given that 94 percent of students with disabilities are taught in physical education settings, this text offers highly valuable guidance to general physical educators in providing equal access to, and engagement in, high-quality physical education for all students. Part I of Universal Design for Learning in Physical Education defines universal design and explains how it relates to physical education. It identifies barriers that teachers may face in adapting UDL to their programs and how to overcome these barriers. It also addresses critical assessment issues and guides teachers in supporting students with severe or multiple disabilities. Part I also covers advocacy issues such as how to teach students to speak up for their own needs and choices. Readers will gain insight into where their programs excel and where barriers might still exist when they employ the Lieberman–Brian Inclusion Rating Scale, a self-assessment tool that helps measure physical, programmatical, and social inclusion. Finally, part I reinforces several UDL principles by sharing many examples of how physical educators have applied UDL in their programs. Part II offers a trove of universally designed units and lesson plans for use across grades K-12, with separate chapters on lessons for elementary, sports, fitness, recreation, and aquatics. Universal Design for Learning in Physical Education is the first text to delve deeply into the concept of universal design in physical education. As such, it is a valuable resource for all PE teachers—both those leading general classes and adapted classes—to learn how to successfully implement universally designed units and lesson plans that enrich all their students’ lives. The accompanying web resource provides 40 forms, tables, checklists, and a sample lesson plan from the book, as well as a list of websites, books, and laws. These resources are provided as reproducible PDFs for practical use.

Practice What You Teach follows three different groups of educators to explore the challenges of developing and supporting teachers' sense of social justice and activism at various stages of their careers.

This book presents a detailed analysis of the experiences of (minority ethnic) physical education (PE) teachers in both schools and higher education contexts. It examines and questions the lack of ethnic diversity in PE teacher education in high-income developed countries and suggests important new directions for transformative pedagogy to address the ‘whiteness’ of PE. The book draws on auto-ethnographical research conducted in Sydney, Australia—one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities—and in cities of the United Kingdom. The study is rooted in the concept of ‘trans-locality’, the networks that extend beyond the immediate community. It explores the challenges faced by PE teachers in culturally diverse workplaces, and the interconnections between place, institutions, and the parallel processes of mobility and globalisation. To understand and theorise the myriad of interactions and practice around diversity, differences, and social justice among lecturers, teachers, and students across the two locations, the book offers an emerging area of scholarship that focuses on a trans-local perspective in diversity and inclusion in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE). Diversity, Difference and Social Justice in Physical Education will be of significance to those who manage, teach, and research issues associated with diversity and advocate for diversifying the teaching workforce in PETE.

Racism is a sickness that permeates every aspect of Black life. But if the events of the past few years have taught us anything, it is that America has a hard time talking about issues that create disparity and inequality for Black people. This inequality extends not just into education but also into physical education. Blacks are stereotyped as physically superior and intellectually deficient. They are marginalized in PE just as they are in other aspects of their lives. Through a series of case studies, Critical Race Studies in Physical Education offers deep insights into the issues that Black students face. The text, geared to undergraduate and graduate PETE students and in-service teachers, does the following: Provides culturally aware teaching strategies that affirm the worth of Black students Amplifies the crucial issues that negatively affect Black students Addresses the litany of intentional and covert racist practices directed toward Black youth, thus broadening the book’s value beyond the sharing of teaching strategies The end goal is to elevate the perspectives of Black youths and teachers and to normalize positive experiences for Black students in physical education. To do so, Critical Race Studies in Physical Education provides the following: Eight case studies of situations that expose racism, disparities, and other issues affecting Black students’ well-being, self-worth, and healthy experiences in PE Critical race study discourse that stimulates discussion of relevant issues and enhances learning Reflective activities, resources, lesson considerations, and definitions to help students and in-service teachers use what they have learned through the case studies and discussions Each case study includes discussion and reflection prompts that are meant to lead the way to effective strategies and immediate implementation opportunities. Here is a partial list of the case studies: A white elementary student uses the N-word toward a Black teacher A Black female student endures gendered racism and racial disparities through her swimming experiences A white teacher is oblivious to why her Black students don’t want to be outside in the sunshine or get their hair moist A new PE teacher harbors toxic masculinity, white supremacy, and stereotypes of Black sexuality White student teachers grapple with accepting job offers in an urban area Black students need teachers to engage in anti-racist teaching practices that empower Black youth and aid in their success. For this to happen, teachers need to affirm students and make them feel safe, cared for, listened to, and recognized as worthy. Critical Race Studies in Physical Education will help teachers of all races adopt the teaching practices that create this supportive, empathetic, and nurturing environment—and, in doing so, validate Black students’ self-worth and swing the pendulum back toward a more equitable education in PE.