The Role of Health in Physical Education

Teaching Physical Education is more than just skills and drills. Join Nathan Horne from iPhys-Ed.com to discover how you can deliver your PhysEd program with a more conceptual focus. Dive into the big ideas and make your PE program more meaningful and engaging.

Why do so many PE programs adopt the game TGfU categories as the dominant way that games and sports are delivered? Is this the most effective method to engage our students and help them become physically active for life? In this episode I am joined by Justen OConner from Monash University as we discuss his recent paper "Rethinking the classification of games and sports in physical education: a response to changes in sport and participation" Full Article is available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17408989.2022.2061938

Skills-based health education is “a planned, sequential, comprehensive, and relevant set of learning experiences implemented through socio-ecological and sociocultural perspectives and participatory methods, in order to support the development of skills, attitudes and functional knowledge needed to maintain, enhance or promote health and well-being of self and others across multiple dimensions of wellness” Holly Alperin has over 20 years’ experience in both public health and education and holds an Ed.M. in Policy, Planning and Administration from Boston University, a B.S. in Health Education/Health Promotion from Central Michigan University, and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES). Currently, at the University of New Hampshire she is a faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology’s Health and Physical Education teacher preparation program. Prior to UNH, she worked for 16 years with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in a variety of roles that supported schools in their efforts to strengthen policies and increase capacity around school health education and programs, school nutrition programs, and improving professional development for educators. Through work at the local, state, national and international levels she supports the implementation of a skills-based health education program and collaborates with schools and communities as they create a culture of health and well-being for all young people. Ms. Alperin’s research interests include skills-based health education, creating a culture of health and well-being in schools that ensures safe and equitable health education experiences, and enhancing school-based physical and health education programming. Ms. Alperin currently serves in a variety of volunteer roles including the Publications Committee and Health Education Council for SHAPEAmerica and as the past-vice president for health education of the NH Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She lives in Atkinson, NH with her husband and two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys the beach, outdoor adventures, skiing with her family, and taking time to enjoy a good book. Sarah Sparrow Benes received her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching in 2010 and her Ed.M in Human Movement in 2006 from Boston University. She is on track to earn her Master’s in Public Health in 2021. She went to Boston University from the University of Connecticut where she earned her B.S. in Athletic Training. Sarah worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer and an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Boston University before transitioning to teaching full time and running the Physical and Health Education Programs for 6 years. Dr. Benes is now at Merrimack College as Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Health Sciences. She has taught a range of courses from curriculum and teaching methods, student teaching practicums, health education for elementary educators to, more recently, health behavior theory and introduction to public health. Dr. Benes developed and led the first short-term study abroad course in the School of Health Sciences taking students to Scotland as part of a course comparing public health in the US and abroad. Dr. Benes’ research interests include skills-based health education, physical activity in the classroom, and enhancing school-based physical and health education programming. Dr. Benes is currently on the Board of SHAPEAmerica and she has served as Chair of the Health Education Council of SHAPE America. She has done curriculum development with many districts in Massachusetts, has conducted skills-based health education professional development in multiple states across the country and internationally and has many health education presentations and publications. She currently lives in Natick, MA with her husband, two daughters and a yellow lab! She enjoys reading, hiking and going on adventures with her family.

Health Advocate and 2017 SHAPE America National Health Teacher of the Year, Andy Milne shares his ideas on how health education has changed over the years. He encourages the teaching of life skills and advocacy to help younger generations make smart choices and live healthy lives. Andy is a passionate teacher with over 24 years of experience in education and was awarded the SHAPE America National Health Teacher of the Year in 2017. This award was recognition for his engaging teaching ideas and commitment to delivering a personalized curriculum that best suits his students' needs. He seeks to develop health skills that his students will need to navigate a life of healthy living, improving not only personal health but advocating for the health of others. Andy shares his passion for education and innovative teaching methods at conferences across the country, via social media, and through his global teaching blog. In 2017 he launched a fundraising initiative that provides financial support for teachers in need of professional development opportunities. Originally from London, England, Andy has taught on four continents and currently teaches at New Trier High School, residing in Barrington where he lives with his wife Caroline and two young sons, Harrison and Jack.

This episode is something a little different. Rather than interviewing a leader in the PhysEd world, Nathan shares his knowledge on Teaching Games for Understanding. This is the first in our PhysEdcast Learn series where we will break down topics and provide listeners with some professional learning on the go. In this episode, Nathan will cover What TGfU is, how to implement it and where to find resources to help you on your TGfU journey.

Mikael Quennerstedt is Professor in Physical Education and Health at Örebro University, Sweden. Quennerstedt has worked as physical education teacher in Swedish compulsory school, and as a physical education teacher educator at Örebro University since 1994. His work focuses on teaching and learning in physical education from a Swedish didaktik research tradition, as well as health education from a salutogenic perspective. In his research, questions of health, body, gender, artefacts, subject content, learning processes and governing processes within educational practices has been prominent. In recent years he has also been passionate about exploring questions about education, digital technologies and health. Recent publications include themes such as professional development, indigenous knowledges, social media, wearable health technologies, power in group work and teaching dance in physical education using exergames. Mikael is associate editor of the international journal Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy and an editorial board member of the journal Sport, Education and Society. Social media Twitter Research blog Google Scholar page

Megan Hale is a blind college student-athlete who breaks down barriers and leaps over hurdles. Born with Leabers Congenital Amaurosis, a rare eye condition that affects the retina. She does not let that get in the way of her love for sports.  Finding a Camp in Saratoga, New York called Camp Abilities, Megan found her calling and never looked back. She joined the high school track team as a middle schooler and continued it through high school. Now she’s working with the Capital Region Nordic Alliance and Microsoft Soundscape to make Trail Orienteering accessible for the blind.   A recent graduate of Hudson Valley Community College Megan has earned her associate's degree in Physical Education and is moving on to SUNY Brockport for her master's in Adapted Physical Education. Megan and her guide dog Hero show no signs of stopping any time soon. Megan recently started a YouTube Channel called Blind Physical Education which I highly recommend subscribing to - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtI5TxfAT-h-ItUeYL7_1Tw

Our guest's Twitter bio reads: "Ph.D. in pleasure. Yes, you read that correctly. Board Director Physical Education New Zealand. Lecturer. Volunteer. Educator. Doing some cool projects. Cheeky." Dr. Susie Stevens is all of these things and more. This episode was one of the most fun I have ever recorded. Alongside the laughs come some pretty deep and insightful messages around changing the way that we look at teaching physical education.

What is the best way to teach health in schools? This complex issue is one that the physical and health education community has been struggling to find an answer to for some time. It is my hope that this podcast will provide you opportunity for thought, as we explore the role of health in physical education. And consider whether physical education teachers even have a responsibility to teach health at all? Join me for this very special episode of the PhysEdcast, featuring Mikael Quennerstedt, Holly Alperin, Sarah Benes and Andy Milne as we explore the role of health in physical education. References Armour, K., & Harris, J. (2013). Making the Case for Developing New PE-for-Health Pedagogies. Quest,  65(2), 201–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2013.773531 Benes, S., & Alperin, H. (2019). Health Education in the 21st Century: A Skills-based Approach. Journal of  Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 90(7), 29–37.  https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2019.1637306 Gray, S., MacIsaac, S., & Jess, M. (2015). Teaching “health” in physical education in a “healthy” way  (Abordar la «salud» en la Educación física de forma «saludable»). Retos, (28), 165–172.  https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v0i28.34950 Haerens, L., Kirk, D., Cardon, G., & De Bourdeaudhuij, I. (2011). Toward the Development of a Pedagogical Model for Health-Based Physical Education. Quest, 63(3), 321–338.  https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2011.10483684 Mong, H. H., & Standal, Ø. F. (2019). Didactics of health in physical education – a review of literature.  Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 24(5), 506–518.  https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2019.1631270 Nutbeam, D. (2008). The evolving concept of health literacy. Social Science & Medicine, 67(12), 2072– 2078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.09.050 Quennerstedt, M. (2008). Exploring the relation between physical activity and health—a salutogenic  approach to physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 13(3), 267–283.  https://doi.org/10.1080/13573320802200594 Quennerstedt, M. (2018). Healthying physical education - on the possibility of learning health. Physical  Education and Sport Pedagogy, 24(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2018.1539705 Quennerstedt, M., Burrows, L., & Maivorsdotter, N. (2010). From teaching young people to be healthy to  learning health. Utbildning & Demokrati – Tidskrift För Didaktik Och Utbildningspolitk, 19(2), 97– 112. https://doi.org/10.48059/uod.v19i2.930 Schenker, K. (2016). Health(y) education in Health and Physical Education. Sport, Education and Society,  23(3), 229–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2016.1174845

Shane Pill is one of Australia's leading coach educator's and developers, and thought leaders in physical education. Shane has been a mentor of mine as I develop my pedagogy around teaching purposeful games and it is always a pleasure to chat with him.