Where Good Intentions Meet Harsh Realities: Teaching Large Classes in Physical Education
in Journal of Teaching in Physical EducationClick name to view affiliation
This paper examines the practices and experiences of three elementary school physical educators as they attempt to provide quality learning experiences to classes as large as 75 students. Through a series of lesson observations and interviews, it was determined that while these teachers were providing high quality instruction to their students, they were working under considerable hardship. They had, in particular, feelings of marginalization and powerlessness over their situations. While the notion of daily physical education is praise-worthy, the results of this study would suggest caution in mandating such practice without concurrent increases in staffing and funding.
The authors are with the Department of Health and Human Performance at Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5323.
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