Welcome to the first edition of Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education for 2020. The Journal is scheduled to introduce a number of initiatives this year which can be monitored on the Journal website, which is readily accessible as part of the Taylor and Francis Online portal. Through the introduction of an Editorial Internship Program we will offer early/mid-career researchers an opportunity to experience editorial management of manuscripts from submission to production for a double-blind refereed journal. The Journal will also establish a College of Reviewers this year as a way of recognising the distinguished and sustained commitments of its reviewers. These and other initiatives will be disseminated on the Journal’s website and other relevant social media platforms.
This edition brings together an interesting collection of papers connected to issues of curriculum associated with health and physical education. The opening paper by Roberts, Gray and Miñano explores the experiences of a group of girls who challenge normative gender constructions within a ‘progressive’ PE setting in the UK. At the heart of this was the school’s acknowledgement of gender inequalities and the promotion of pedagogies that sort to challenge them. Using Foucauldian tools the authors reveal how, despite its progressive intent, enduring structural and discursive barriers continue to privilege masculine over feminine in the curriculum practice of PE. In the following paper, Maher and Fitzgerald delve into the level of training teachers receive to effectively manage PE in special school settings. The warrant for their work is framed within international concerns about the opportunities afforded to young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Recognising that these students tend to have negative experiences of PE within mainstream settings, this paper gives particular focus to the provision of PE in special schools. Using situated learning theory, the authors examine the extent to which in-service and pre-service training prepares teachers for the context-specific demands of a special school setting.
In the third paper, Sato and McKay report on a study undertaken to explore the experiences of Japanese graduate students in fulfilling course demands around conducting individual research projects. Using an interview-based methodology the authors gather insights from five graduate students as they set about completing a physical education research study as part of their graduate teaching education program. While the learning objectives of this task are laudable, all students expressed difficulties with its implementation. Here, their general lack of research skills is exacerbated by shortcomings in language translation, critical analysis and research design transference. The authors call for more support to be given to Japanese graduate students to ensure to maximise the learning value of research training. In the next paper Thorjussen and Sisjord investigate the ways in which the principles of diversity and inclusion are integrated into PE lessons in the Norwegian school system. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork comprising participant observations and semi-structured interviews the investigation takes place in an ethnically diverse school in Oslo. Across a rich dataset incorporating over 50 students the study shows that despite strong policy impetus for celebrating diversity the dominant culture continues to be omnipresent in the construction and delivery of PE.
The fifth paper in the edition takes us to Canada, wherein Robinson, Randall and Andrews interrogate the lack of gymnastics instruction in the PE curriculum. Despite a strong presence in curriculum policy, the study is propelled by strong domestic and international evidence that gymnastics is under-represented in the day to day practice of PE. Through their qualitative investigation of teacher perceptions and practices they report that, although teachers claim to value gymnastics as a learning medium, they lack confidence and competence in its delivery. The article concludes with recommendations on how to reconcile these and other barriers. The final paper in this edition looks at the potential benefits associated with the inclusion of martial arts in the PE curriculum. Grounded in a case study methodology Akehurst, Southcott and Lambert report on a school that teaches Taekwondo as part of its elective PE curriculum. While the authors acknowledge a range of resource provisions (financial and structural) are associated with the successful delivery of the Taekwondo program their research highlights a wide range of valuable learning outcomes. Corroborating these, they argue that the provision of martial arts in the PE curriculum has considerable potential to appeal to learners who might otherwise be marginalised within traditional sports-based programs.
I hope you enjoy the papers presented in this edition of Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education and find the issues they reveal interesting and engaging. On behalf of the Editorial team, I wish you all a safe and productive 2020 and look forward to sharing the work of the Journal with you across the year.