Explores the careers of physical education teachers from two perspectives, firstly teachers' life-stories illustrate how eight teachers became involved with sport, and secondly, from a broader thematic analysis.

First published in 1988. It is now well over fifty years since the publication in Britain of the Board of Education's (1933) Syllabus of Physical Training for Schools. It is still a remarkable document, not only for the amount of detail it provides on the teaching of PE but also for the status and position it accorded Physical Education (then called Training) in the elementary school curriculum. The contributors to this reader together begin to provide descriptive and illustrative insights into the lives of teachers on the contemporary educational scene, into the problems and the possibilities which many face when trying to realize their hopes and ambitions for themselves and their children.

`This is simply the physical education book of its time. The editors must be congratulated on bringing together so many quality authors from so many different parts of the world. As a handbook, it represents how far the study of physical education has moved forward in recent times. What we have is a clear portrayal of physical education at the start of the 21st century′ - Mike Jess, University of Edinburgh `This Handbook is a "must read" for all physical educators who are serious about understanding their subject and developing their practices. The list of authors involved reads like a "who′s who"′ of physical education at a global level - the editors are to be commended on bringing together such collective expertise - this is a key strength of the book. The Handbook successfully expresses a view of knowledge about physical education pedagogy which embraces different research traditions and emerging areas of interest across the global scholarly community′ - Jo Harris, Loughborough University `This comprehensive and eclectic exploration into the field of physical education draws on the vast expertise of its renowned international contributors with astounding results. The Handbook of Physical Education serves to firmly reinstate physical education to its position as the core discipline of sport and exercise science. The Handbook is destined to become an indispensable academic resource for scholars, students and enthusiasts of physical education for years to come′ - Pilvikki Heikinaro-Johansson, University of Jyväskylä What is the current condition of the field of physical education? How has it adapted to the rise of kinesiology, sport and exercise science and human movement studies over the last thirty years? This Handbook provides an authoritative critical overview of the field and identifies future challenges and directions. The Handbook is divided in to six parts: - Perspectives and Paradigms in Physical Education Pedagogy Research; - Cross-disciplinary Contributions to Research on Physical Education; - Learners and Learning in Physical Education; - Teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education in Physical Education; - Physical Education Curriculum; - Difference and Diversity in Physical Education. This benchmark work is essential reading for educators and students in the field of physical education.

Contributors offer challenges to conventional thinking on physical education and sport, considering a wide range of issues in light of phenomenology, ethnography, life histories, discourse analysis, feminist research, curriculum history, and action research. The sophistication of these studies may someday trickle down and influence that mean P.E. teacher who bosses your eight-year-old. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Organized around four themes key to the study of sport (perspectives, inclusion, commercialization and the international context), this text provides a student introduction to the field.