Differentiated Pedagogy to Address Learner Diversity in Secondary Physical Education

Abstract

This article discusses the challenge of addressing student diversity in secondary physical education (PE) classes. Contemporary curriculum documents and teacher standards emphasize differentiated pedagogy in order to engage and challenge all learners. However, the reality of designing effective learning experiences for diverse students represents a departure from traditional approaches to secondary PE teaching, and research indicates that secondary teachers often feel ill-prepared to make the necessary adjustments to plan and teach in a differentiated manner. This article employs the example of a team sports unit (volleyball) to make plain a general approach to planning for and teaching diverse learners.

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Notes on contributors

Jane M. Jarvis

Jane M. Jarvis ([email protected]) is a senior lecturer, Shane A. Pill is an associate professor, and Anna G. Noble is a lecturer, in the College of Education, Psychology & Social Work at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.