Assessment of the Feasibility of a National Curriculum for Improving the Quality of Physical Education in the United States

ABSTRACT

In response to the global pressure that has led to an increased emphasis on international comparisons of student achievement since the 1980s, multiple federal reforms aimed at producing greater consistency in curricula have been initiated in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a national curriculum and whether it has the potential to improve the quality of physical education. Twenty-eight national leaders in physical education teacher education participated in formal and informal interviews. The themes that emerged indicated a uniform curriculum would not be readily realized or successfully implemented in the US due to the polyphonic governance structure and anti-federal sentiment, and widespread convictions among the educational community about an idiosyncratic curriculum approach.

KEYWORDS:

• National curriculum
• standards-based learning
• education policy
• physical education teacher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).