Forum Q&A
１．The point that over-expanding the scope of inclusion in physical education leads to less attention being paid to children with disabilities is understandable. However, I think that there are many different types of disability.
I think that there is considerable difficulty in including people with their various disabilities. Is it possible that this would make the scope for inclusion more narrow?
Response: Yes you are correct to say there are many kinds of disability. I think, traditionally, physical educators have tended to think about disability in physical terms, as might be expected. And in that respect, ‘adapted’ physical education as a field has provided a rich source of ideas and resources for including young disabled people. I think we (physical educators) are less well-prepared to deal with other forms of disability such as neurophysiological conditions like Autism. But this, along with the many other issues that are now discussed in relation to conclusion, is the challenge that faces us. I suspect that expansion is the most likely future scenario than narrowing.
２．In Japan, it is still general for children with disabilities to attend special-needs schools, which are different from regular schools. This means that, to use the language in your presentation, the 1980s shift has not occurred in Japan.
In addition, Japanese physical education focuses on competitive sports in the national curriculum. Therefore, 'skill development' tends to be the basic goal in classroom teaching.
Moreover, teacher socialization in PE is problematic in Japan. In your book "Precarity", you discussed the differences between the situation in the UK and the US in relation to the teaching/coaching conflict in the teacher socialization in PE. In Japan, it is showed that teacher socialization in PE occurs as a process becoming a coach.
Considering these, there is no doubt that Japanese schools, and in particular physical education, are an area where the emphasis on being able-bodies is more robust than it is in UK. And it seems that the possibility for change is considerably smaller than in UK.
What do we need to do to make change happen? What can we learn from the history of the UK?
Response: I would say that, in practice, physical education in the UK generally continues to focus on what I called in my 2010 book Physical Education Futures sport techniques (rather than sport in the fullest sense). So learning physical (as well as occasionally tactical) skills remains the dominant scenario in many school physical education lessons. However, with increasing numbers of children with disabilities being included in general schools, physical educators have had to raise their awareness of disability and other factors that exclude children from their regular lessons based on sports techniques. As Eishin’s research in Scotland found, there are teachers who recognize the importance of the affective domain, for example, and practice what we called pedagogies of affect. But I would say these teachers remain in the minority. Change is a long, slow process!
To Professor Jennifer Walton‐Fisette
１．What is Decolonization of PE? Can you explain it by introducing specific examples of its practice?
Response: I suggest reading the chapters in the Lynch, Walton-Fisette, & Luguetti book to best guide you. However, I will provide a short response here. As written in the book “Colonialism represents a legacy of suffering and destruction where one country assumes control over another by establishing colonies. Colonialism ensured that there was European control, which meant subjugating indigenous populations as ‘Others’ (Smith, 2012). In this process, colonizers imposed their religion, language, economics, social relations, and other cultural practices on indigenous peoples (they even created ‘races’ so the very idea of race is colonial). Historically, colonialism reinforces whiteness as an ideology/belief system and silences non-Western voices.” Considering this, educators should critique the power structures and be prepared to challenge their own culture and cultural norms. This can include reflecting on your own positionality and culture and consider incorporating indigenous cultures. Please know that Colonialism is a Western issue as non-Western knowledge is the issue here, so this may not be pertinent to you.
２．Physical literacy is attracting worldwide attention, so do you think that physical literacy education can be a way to teach social justice to students and improve social awareness and culture? What is your opinion on the application of physical literacy?
Response: It really does depend on how physical literacy is being interpreted. Is it Margaret Whitehead’s version of SHAPE America’s interpretation? Either way, yes, social justice can be integrated into physical literacy. Social justice should be integrated in all of the teaching and learning we do in physical education/physical education teacher education.
3．Thank you for your wonderful presentation. I felt teacher's awareness is important to transform their practice and perception to promote social justice in their PE class. I would like to ask how teacher educator enhance pre service teacher awareness about inclusive and social justice. Do you have any recommendation to help pre service teacher gain more awareness?
Response: Sure. This could be a long response so I will refer you to some of the books I have written with other scholars such as Drs. Shrehan Lynch, Carla Luguetti, Sue Sutherland, and Joanne Hill. First and foremost is to get students to reflect about their own self and social identities. They need to know and understand who they are and how they are positioned within the world (privileged, marginalized, other), along with their lived experiences, before they can start to have an awareness and knowledge of different social issues. Often times when a person is marginalized they are more aware because they know what it is like to be treated differently, not have an opportunity, etc. However, it is more challenging when a person is privileged. Then it is important to teach them about the different isms (e.g., racism, genderism/sexism, heterosexism, etc.). What do they mean? What may this look like in schools? In PE? How can we go about preventing any marginalization in PE? Then, if students are willing, they teach overtly and explicitly about social issues. PE is a great space to be able to do so.
4．I think that the background is that sports are designed by people without disabilities to design the rules. If this is the case, then it is expected that teachers and children without disabilities, who are the majority, will be unaware of the inclusion of children with disabilities in inclusive physical education classes. In such a situation, can teachers and children without disabilities be aware of social justice?
Response: Absolutely. Just because a person is able-bodied doesn’t mean they cannot learn and teach about and for inclusion and modify instruction for people with disabilities. But, it will take work. It will take learning about the different disabilities that the persons have, knowing one’s space, and what equipment/resources they have to work with. It is making a conscious effort to consider all of this in their planning even prior to teaching and of course, giving voice to the young people with the disabilities as to what they feel/do not feel comfortable with. We tend to make assumptions, but each person is different and we need to consider that – which gets to equity vs. equality. I am privileged in the U.S. because I am white, but I still need to teach about racism in my classes. I do not know what it is like to be Black or Brown in the U.S. so I do not know what it feels like; however, I can do all that I can to not marginalize individuals due to their race in my classes.
To Dr Kanae Haneishi
１．In sports education, since sports are the material, it is required that everyone be able to participate substantially in sports. Substantial participation is a state in which everyone can enjoy the unique fun of the sport. Therefore, the important object of learning is considered to be the "rules" that govern the sport. The need to create rules arises from the assertion of individual rights. Then, consensus is formed through confrontation. Under these agreed rules, playing with all our might will lead to recognition of each other as "equal others."
Considering the above, I think it is important to consider how children understand and accept the idea of using a "different ball." Is such a forum for discussion and agreement envisaged in class settings?
Response: It is crucial to elucidate to students the significance of offering diverse forms of support to individual students, ensuring equitable access to success for all. In addition to considerations related to physical abilities, it is essential to acknowledge potential barriers, including those stemming from socio-economic factors, which may impact a student's ability to participate in or access certain sports. The primary objective of physical education is to provide all students, irrespective of their backgrounds, with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead healthy lifestyles.
２．Thank you very much for your very insightful presentation. Last year, Japan received a recommendation from the United Nations to improve inclusive education. Looking at the themes of general presentations at this conference, there are currently very few presentations on inclusive education and inclusive physical education.
There are various and complex situations and reasons, but one of the reasons why inclusion in physical education has not progressed in Japan is how to encourage the understanding of children without disabilities, and the different needs of each child, such as differences in amount and intensity of exercise. I think it's because we haven't accumulated the know-how on how to respond. For example, rather than practicing basketball shots, the question is how to meet the diverse needs of children during a basketball game. Professor Haneishi's talk was very stimulating in that respect. For example, if you have a child with cerebral palsy who moves slowly and has weak strength, please tell me what kind of basketball game class you would use, and whether students without disabilities would be satisfied with the class as well.
Response: Numerous strategies can be employed to adapt lessons according to the unique requirements of individual students. For instance, when addressing a student with cerebral palsy, educators should explore alternative methods to engage the student and foster a sense of inclusivity. This may involve adapting game rules or customizing equipment to accommodate the student's needs. Central to this approach is the ability to offer diverse challenges tailored to each student's capabilities, thereby enhancing their engagement and enjoyment of the activity.
Furthermore, it is of paramount importance to impart a comprehensive understanding of the principles of inclusion and equity to the entire class prior to commencing the activity. By elucidating the rationale behind accommodating certain students with distinct conditions, it ensures that all participants comprehend the significance of these adaptations and fosters an atmosphere of mutual respect and acceptance.
To all three of them
１．That’s very impressive session. I have a question about assessment and evaluation. Do you have any opinions to assess and evaluate how much teachers conduct inclusive teaching practice in the PE class? I believe if the teacher educator can provide criteria of assessments and evaluations, it encourages and promotes inclusive pedagogy.
David: This is a good question . Assessment is a very challenging topic for physical education teachers who have long struggled with it in regular lessons, never mind in relation to inclusion. I think the basis of the problems they have is their practice, which remains rooted in teaching decontextualized sports techniques. I believe assessment may become more ecologically valid and appropriate if it related to different practices, as eg. in Models-based Practice. Yes I agree, good assessment practices would provide teachers with evidence of what works and what doesn’t and so support, at least as a possibility, better and more inclusive pedagogical practice.
Jennifer: I completely agree with you. There lies the problem. To my knowledge, in no country around the globe are their assessments/evaluations for teachers to showcase inclusive practices in their teaching. So, if it is not in the policy, if it is not an expectation, then why is it important? Especially in a time period that focuses so much on assessment and evaluation. This should be a high expectation/consideration, but it is not. Personally, I have pushed for the standards to center on social justice and equity overtly in the U.S., but have not succeeded. If they are included in the standards, then they will be included in the assessments. So right now it continues to be a personal choice despite organizations strongly encouraging a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Kanae: The assessment should be founded on a mastery-based approach, wherein the evaluation criteria shift from comparing individual students against their peers to a focus on gauging each student's progress and improvement throughout the lesson, unit, and the academic year, among other relevant timeframes.
２．In the context of physical education teacher education in Japan, I feel that while there are educators capable of creating a comprehensive physical education environment, there is a shortage of individuals who are inclined to design it as a structured learning experience. What factors do you believe contribute to this situation?
David: I’m not sure I am well-placed to answer this question since you refer specifically to Japan. Certainly, in Scotland, where we have a national curriculum, teachers have some support for designing structured learning experiences. But this is by no means straightforward, since a curriculum document only goes so far and teachers need other kinds of support such as professional learning experiences. These can be expensive if properly developed, and education authorities often have other priorities for their spending.
Jennifer: I have to admit I am not sure if I am understanding your question completely, but am assuming it is in relation to social justice, inclusion, and equity? If yes, the factors that contribute to this is that we are constantly perpetuating what is important in teaching and learning. Many teacher educators in Japan did not get an education that incorporated equity and justice through secondary education, undergraduate and graduate education (connecting to occupational socialization theory). If it is not part of the policy, the curriculum, the assessment/evaluations, etc. So it will take those individuals that can create an inclusive curriculum to do professional development, to get another educator on board, and slowly build that way as we have done with models-based practice, different teaching styles, etc.
Kanae: I hold the perspective that traditional approaches to physical education persist in Japan. An illustrative example of this can be found in the cultural expectation that students conform to uniform criteria and standards, rather than tailoring physical activities to accommodate individual needs. Initiating a transformation in the culture and mindset of physical educators and policy makers represents the inaugural and imperative step towards effecting change.
3．What initiatives do you think will be needed to ensure that PE teachers who have learned the importance of social justice and equity through PETE will be able to keep it in their organizations (i.e., that what they have learned will not wash-out and that they will be able to work as teachers without burn-out)?
And what kind of system do you think is needed for PE teacher educators to provide support and cooperation to young people working as PE teachers?
David: The occupational socialization literature suggests that wash-out is often a necessity for survival in school teaching. If this is the case, then unhappiness with this situation could explain, at least in part, why teacher attrition is at its highest in the first 5 years of a teacher’s career (see eg. Makela et al’s 2014 study in PESP). In this context, a simple answer to your question is that new teachers’ expectations about the nature of teaching are matched by their experiences when they start teaching. But context matters a lot here, with so many different circumstances among schools, that preparing teachers to know what to expect is very challenging for teacher educators. Better would be that schools are already practicing inclusion and so there would be no wash-out effect for new teachers who value inclusion. But as I have written often, this would require radical and wholesale change in physical education, which we have hardly begun to do in the UK. Australia is much further ahead with this process (at least in terms of their curriculum development) and so that is a useful place to look for answers to your question.
Jennifer: Integrating it into their curriculum and using any policy/national curriculum/standards to support this integration is key. Social justice should not be an add on, something that is danced around. As educators, we should be able to argue its importance and not be concerned about the reaction of others. With that being said, right now I live in the U.S. where it is very polarizing – and I currently live in a state that is very anti equity and justice, so I have adjusted my approach, but I am not going to abandon teaching about and for social justice because of it. At the end of the day it is about teaching what is right. And that is the message that we need to provide to our young people – why shouldn’t be include students with disabilities? Person of color? Someone who is gay? Why can’t we create a space for them to be included? Don’t we want all young persons to be willing to engage in physical activity and human movement? We all have bias, so we have to work through our bias’s to do what is right.
Kanae: Advocating for and catalyzing a transformative shift in the culture of physical education assumes a pivotal role in advancing social justice and equity within this domain. Furthermore, it is imperative to undertake a comprehensive revision of national standards, ensuring that elements of social justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity are explicitly incorporated into both the standards and related policies.