Trainee PE teachers get the alternative physical activities bug

New PGCE and School Direct PE trainee teachers began their initial teacher training with an introduction to alternative physical education. These included introductory sessions on how to implement non-contact boxing and the Canadian game of Kinball into the secondary school physical education curriculum. Other sessions focus on the teaching and learning of street surfing.

With more secondary schools moving towards an alternative PE curriculum rather than traditional forms of provision, the PGCE and School Direct PE now focuses on introducing trainee PE teachers to the positive benefits of promoting lifestyle activities in order to reach a broader population of pupils and increase participation rates in secondary school PE lessons.

The PGCE and School Direct PE course has a distinct emphasis on the ‘A-list’ of PE activities (aquatic, artistic, athletic, alternative, aesthetic, aerobic & anaerobic, adventurous) alongside the exploration of ‘traditional’ PE activities, trainee PE teachers are encouraged to explore and consider different methods for enhancing levels of physical competence in secondary school pupils.

PGCE and School Direct PE course leader Dr Gary Stidder said: “Offering pupils a choice of different and ‘alternative’ physical activities can raise participation and achievement in physical education and set pupils on a path to lifelong activity through the promotion of active, healthy lifestyles as opposed to performance-related outcomes often associated with very traditional, sex-segregated and gender-stereotyped competitive team games.

“We therefore need to be preparing our future generation of PE teachers to design and deliver a PE curriculum that is appropriate and relevant for pupils with a variety of different learning needs. This will also help to dispel the myth that physical education teachers just coach sport.”