Professional learning in physical education

Abstract

Professional learning in physical education is typically experienced as a coaching course where the predetermined content is delivered to teachers in short, one-off sessions. This approach can have value, but greater interest is now being shown in more transformative approaches to professional learning that are based on sustained collaboration with peers within the context of the teacher’s classroom. This paper examines three such approaches: Practitioner enquiry, lesson study, and the teacher research group. More specifically, it shares findings from relevant empirical studies, particularly the author’s own research, to understand the potential values of these approaches and identify the features that provide support for teachers and lead to progress in students’ learning.