Sociocultural Issues in Physical Education: Case Studies for Teachers

Sociocultural Issues in Physical Education: Case Studies for Teachers is useful to a wide range of individuals interested in increasing their sociocultural awareness and knowledge in order to consider how students’ experiences are shaped in and through physical education classes. This book may be especially useful to teacher candidates and as a professional development tool. What happens in physical activity learning spaces is of great significance to the learners that occupy those spaces. Broadly speaking, one cannot deny that education is rife with error, nor can one ignore the presence of global-level issues in physical education. Using a case study approach, this book addresses social and cultural issues that can and do arise in physical education. This book offers a tool for studying and better understanding how social and cultural issues impact student learning in physical education. Chapter authors point toward possibilities for better understanding sociocultural issues in physical education settings.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Using Case Studies to Analyze Teaching and Learning in Physical Education Amy Tischler Chapter 1: Physical Education Curriculum in the Age of Cultural Relevance and Popular Physical Activity Culture Nate McCaughtry and Erin E. Centeio Chapter 2: Shifting Perspectives: Moving Boys to Move in Physical Education Amy Tischler Chapter 3: "PE Doesn’t Stand for Physical education it Stands for Public Embarrassment": Voicing Experiences and Proffering Solutions to Girls’ Disengagement in PE Ashley Casey, Joanne Hill, and Victoria A. Goodyear Chapter 4: When Boys Talk About Their Bodies: How Boys Learn “that persons useless” Michael Kehler Chapter 5: Social Class and School Physical Education: Teaching ‘Haves and Have-nots’ Matthew D. Ferry Chapter 6: “Lost in Translation” Brian Culp Chapter 7: The Dangers of a Single Story: Heteronormativity in Physical Education Leanne Coll, Eimear Enright, and Mary O’Sullivan Chapter 8: “I’m beautiful”: A Case for Adopting a Sociocultural Perspective in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) Laura Azzarito Chapter 9: Promoting Safe Physical Activity in a Challenging Environment Brian Culp Chapter 10: Establishing Relationships Built on Care in Urban Schools Sara Flory

About the Author :
Sara Barnard Flory is an assistant professor in the School of Physical Education and Exercise Science at the University of South Florida. She studies the role of culture in physical education and physical activity, and she is specifically interested developing culturally competent curriculum models, school-based health initiatives, and preparing teachers for culturally diverse school settings. Stephen Sanders is professor and director of the School of Physical Education and Exercise Science at the University of South Florida. He is the author of several books related to implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum and practice in early childhood physical activity settings. Amy Tischler is assistant professor in the Physical Education Teacher Education program at the University of Wiscosin-La Crosse. She studies how particular students and student groups are advantaged and disadvantaged in and through social practices in physical education and physical activity spaces.

Review :
This well-written, well-edited book appears very appropriately at a time when there is so much national attention on schools' roles in promoting healthful lifestyle choices. The editors have gathered an outstanding collection of case studies, discussions, and leading questions that get at both the value of physical education and the problems associated with the way physical education is often taught. The book deals in a down-to-earth way with [multiple] issues. . . .The editors wisely organize the book so that each chapter focuses on a specific topic and is written by a recognized expert on the issue. The case studies could be used in upper-level undergraduate or graduate teacher preparation classes, by practitioners, or by anyone—including parents and community members—concerned about physical education programs on a local school or school district level. The book would also make an excellent resource for any teacher preparation program focused on developmentally and socioculturally sensitive education—and not just for the area of physical education. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. This book is a timely collection of case studies of a range social justice issues as they impact learning and teaching in physical education. At a time when inequality is on the rise, the book will be an invaluable tool for teacher educators to assist their students to become socially sensitive teachers who inspire all children in their care to value the physically active life. The editors and contributors to this book are to be congratulated for tackling one of the most enduringly thorny problems in physical education: connecting the findings of social research with teaching practice. I commend its contents to teachers, students and researchers alike, but especially to anyone inclined to think they know enough about what makes students and teachers tick. As ever, there is always more to learn. Sociocultural Issues in PE: Case Studies for Teachers is designed to facilitate critical thinking and discussion, but most of all encourages teachers, future teachers, and those who implement physical activity programs for youth, to create socially just environments where ALL students can learn, thrive, and find personal meaning through and in physical activity. Flory and Tischler have compiled a collection of cases that are thought provoking and reader-friendly for any level student.