Perspectives in Physical Education presents a summary of some of the important forces influencing the development of graduate study and research at universities; the origins of professional training for teachers of physical education; and the origins of a scientific or quasi-academic discipline of physical education. The book then discusses the first graduate study programs in physical education and the developments in graduate education. The dimensions of a profession; the research productivity in physical education; and the research laboratory in physical education are also considered. The book further tackles the scientific method in perspective; the unscientific problems in the development of a scientific model; and the establishment of priorities in research. People who teach and those who take courses in research methods, scientific foundations, seminars dealing with professional problems and curriculum issues, or independent research will find the text useful.

This book draws together global scholars, researchers, and practitioners to provide a review and analysis of new directions in physical education and health world-wide. The book provides descriptive information from 40 countries regarding contemporary practices, models, and challenges facing the physical education and health profession globally. This exchange will offer a basis to inform and improve current practices throughout the world.

The discipline area of physical education has historically struggled for legitimacy, sometimes being seen as a non-serious pursuit in educational terms compared to other subjects within the school curriculum. This book represents the first attempt in nearly thirty years to offer a coherent philosophical defence and conceptualisation of physical education and sport as subjects of educational value, and to provide a philosophically sound justification for their inclusion in the curriculum. The book argues that rather than relegating the body to “un-thinking” learning, a person’s essential being is not confined to their rationality but involves an embodied dimension. It traces the changing conceptions of the body, in philosophy and theology, that have influenced our understanding of physical education and sport, and investigates the important role that embodiment and movement play in learning about, through and in physical education. Physical education is defended as a vital and necessary part of education because the whole person goes to school, not just the mind, but the thinking, feeling and acting facets of a person. It is argued that physical education has the potential to provide a multitude of experiences and opportunities for students to become aware of their embodiment, explore alternative modes of awareness and to develop insights into and new modes of being not available elsewhere in the curriculum, and to influence moral character through the support of a moral community that is committed to that practice. Representing a sophisticated and spirited defence of the educational significance and philosophical value of physical education and sport, this book will be fascinating reading for any advanced student or researcher with an interest in physical education, the philosophy of sport or the philosophy of education.

Sport and physical activity are embedded in our education systems and in wider society. This book takes the broadest possible look at this topic, across every key discipline and on different continents, opening up important new directions for the future development of sport and physical activity education. The book examines education in sport coaching, sport management, PE teacher training, physical activity and health promotion, and the emerging discipline of outdoor studies, considering how trends such as globalisation, digitalisation, and privatisation are having a profound impact on education programs. It identifies some of the most important societal issues that must be addressed by sport and physical activity educators, including healthy lifestyles, inequality, intercultural aspects, human rights, and emerging technologies, and looks at how sport and physical activity education in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Australasia is evolving to meet these challenges. Designed to invite self-reflection, to provoke debate and to open up new cross-disciplinary and international perspectives within sports organisations and higher education institutions, this book is fascinating reading for advanced students, researchers, teachers, and policy makers with an interest in sport and physical activity.

This book examines public policy in physical education and sport and provides insights into practices of school curriculum and after-school sport programs from a global context. The authors reflect on the continuously shifting understanding of the field of physical education, articulate issues that face physical education and sport programs in the context of historical and contemporary dilemmas, and suggest a new direction for the profession in the twenty-first century.