On being critical in health and physical education

Abstract

Background: This paper is a reflection on being a critical teacher of health and physical education. It is a conversation of sorts between the two authors: a critical educator and researcher, and a critical teacher. It is based on the shared experiences of one of the author's (Dan) high-school PE and health classes over the course of a year during a critical ethnography of health and PE undertaken by the other author (Katie). The study was conducted at a multiethnic and low-socioeconomic high school in New Zealand.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to reflect on what it means to undertake and embody a critical pedagogical approach to health and PE teaching. We explore the key tenets of Dan's approach and engage in a dialogue about the challenges and possibilities of such work.

Design and analyses: The argument here is informed by the aforementioned critical ethnographic study but the authors take a step back from that study in this paper to reflect on critical pedagogy in the field of health and PE and what drives one practitioner to forward his approach despite the difficulties he encounters. We draw on a range of analytical tools including critical approaches to gender, embodiment and pedagogy.

Conclusions: We argue that, despite the difficulties of being critical in health and PE, such work is greatly needed in health and physical education. We suggest that, perhaps, a more embodied form of critical pedagogy is required.

Keywords:

• critical pedagogy
• critical inquiry
• teacher identity
• health and physical education

Notes

1. In New Zealand, health education and physical education are one subject area in the national curriculum policy and, as such, are connected here in relation to Dan's practice. Although the two subjects are, at times, taught separately, we use the term ‘health and PE’ in this article to denote the connection in policy and practice in this context.