Playing with Research in Health and Physical Education

425: Integrating AI Literacy into PETE 15.09.2026 32мин

If you've ever caught yourself in a conversation with a colleague and wondered whether you were actually talking to them or to whatever chatbot drafted their last email, you already have a feel for why AI literacy has quietly become a PETE issue. It's easy to file AI under "someone else's problem" — a computer science concern, a K-12 policy question, not something that touches lesson planning or gym space. Dr. Xiaolu Liu, lead author of a new call-to-action piece in Quest titled "Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy into Physical Education Teacher Education," argues that this framing is already out of date. I talked with her on the podcast about what the paper actually calls on PETE faculty to do, and the case is a compelling one.To cite this article: Xiaolu Liu, Yin-Chan Liao, Xiaoping Fan, Liyan Tang & Deborah Shapiro (29 May 2026): Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy into Physical Education Teacher Education: A Call to Action, Quest, DOI: 10.1080/00336297.2026.2680060

424: Bildung! A Scandinavian take 08.09.2026 57мин

This is a Scandinavian Article Club episode hosted by Robin Fjellner and Dean Barker. This episode is with Professor Marc Esser-Noethlichs from Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. We are discussing his research on Bildung and reflection. Two papers are discussed: Esser-Noethlichs, Marc ; Bjørke, Lars; Lund, Siv (2025). Bildung encountering core reflection: an outline of a theoretical framework to guide reflective processes in physical education teacher education (PETE). Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2025.2606038Esser-Noethlichs, Marc ; Hegland, Linn (2025). PE teachers’ experiences with teaching outdoor swimming, self-rescue and lifesaving: A context for skill development or Bildung?. European Physical Education Review.https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X251358128

423: The Physical Educator Journal Re-imagined 01.09.2026 25мин

The Physical Educator first published an article in 1940. It's been around for a long time, but lately it has not been the destination of top tier research articles. The new editor in chief and associate editor say they are ready to change that. My guests are Dr. Kevin Richards (EIC of The Physical Educator) and Dr. Tori Shiver (Associate Editor). They discuss their plans for the revived journal and talk about their vision for the future. Here is the editorial that is open access that Kevin mentioned: https://js.sagamorepub.com/index.php/pe/article/view/13795/9671 Here is a link to the home page: https://js.sagamorepub.com/index.php/pe

422: Recess, Fitness Testing, and the Policy Gap — A Conversation with Dr. Chad Killian 25.08.2026 42мин

If you've ever wondered why the amount of recess or PE your students get seems to depend entirely on which school, district, or state they happen to be in, two new studies from Dr. Chad Killian (University of New Hampshire) and his School Health Map collaborators put hard numbers behind that frustration. I talked with Chad on the podcast about both papers, and the findings should matter to anyone standing in a gym or a statehouse.Papers Featured in This EpisodePaper 1: Killian, C. M., D'Agostino, E. M., Kern, B. D., Kim, C. Y., King, D., Albeke, S. E., & Thompson, H. R. (2026). Revitalizing the US Youth Presidential Fitness Test: Are states prepared to support implementation? Preventing Chronic Disease, 23. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd23.250456Paper 2: [Killian et al.,]. (under review). State patterns and disparities in scheduled daily recess access and withholding in U.S. elementary schools.─────────────────────────────────────────👤 Guest BioDr. Chad Killian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of New Hampshire. His research focuses on physical education policy, school-based physical activity infrastructure, and access to PE across U.S. states. He has been a prolific contributor to the field's understanding of how state-level policies translate — or fail to translate — into equitable physical activity opportunities for children. He is a co-first author on both papers discussed in this episode.

421: An Aussie view on Nordic PE! (Aussie Book Club) 18.08.2026 1ч 8мин

The Aussie Book Club is back with an August edition. Brendan SueSee, Dave Robinson and Michael Davies jump back in and discuss Implementation of the renewed PE curriculum in Norway. An Aussie view on Nordic PE! Algrøy, E., Vinje, E. E., Aaring, V. L., Brattenborg, S., Fon, K. P. N., Nilsen, A. K., & Røynesdal, Ø. (2026). Implementation of the renewed PE curriculum in Norway: examining alignment between curriculum enactment, pedagogy and assessment in upper secondary school. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 1–20. The study examines how teachers connect curriculum intent with everyday teaching and assessment, revealing that alignment is a negotiated and context-dependent process marked by positive perceptions, ambitious learning outcomes, and complex assessment practices.

420: The Preservice Pipeline in JOPERD 10.08.2026 27мин

Dr. Bob Knipe comes on to discuss a new column in JOPERDThis is based on an editorial that launches the new column. It is open access (for now) and can be found here:Full CitationKnipe, B. (2026). Introducing "Preservice Pipeline" — Why this column, why now. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 97(5), 85–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2026.2634603Bob Knipe is an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Movement Sciences at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT. He serves as the column editor of JOPERD's new Preservice Pipeline department. His work focuses on the professional development and socialization of preservice health and physical education teachers.Submissions should be sent directly to [email protected] via email. Please include “JOPERD (AUTHOR NAME)” in the subject line. https://shapeamerica.org/publications/journals/joperd/authorguidelines/

419: Physical Literacy Across the World (AIESEP Connect) 05.08.2026 58мин

This episode is the audio from the AIESEP connect in June 2026 – #AIESEPConnect #CoffeeWithColleagues Physical Literacy Across the World: From a Global Framework to Action Featuring: Johannes Carl – Technical University of Munich, Department Health and Sport Sciences, Germany Kasper Salin – University of Jyväskylä, Faculty of Sport & Health Sciences, Finland Emiliano Mazzoli, PhD – Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Australia Dora Carolo & João Martins – Centro de Estudos em Educação, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana and UIDEF, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal Jean Pierre-Weerts & Alexandre Mouton – University of Liège, Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Unit for a Life-Course Perspective on Health & Education, BelgiumSession Video Recording: youtube.com/watch?v=zA-5y4FGELw&feature=youtu.be

418: Aussie BookClub Navigating the Future of Secondary School Education in Aotearoa New Zealand 29.07.2026 1ч 7мин

Dave and Brendan discuss NZ PE in the July Aussie Book Club. The document is a foresight provocation—not a prediction—intended to challenge assumptions and stimulate strategic thinking for those working at the intersection of sport, recreation, and secondary education in Aotearoa New Zealand. It aims to help organizations prepare for a range of plausible futures between 2026 and 2040, especially as profound changes in curriculum, technology, demographics, and equity reshape education.The documents central question is: How can the sport and recreation sector secure and strengthen its place in secondary education across unpredictable futures?

417: Implementing Restorative Approaches in the Irish Primary Physical Education Classroom 16.06.2026 49мин

Gráinne Regan from Mary Immaculate College, Ireland, joins guest host Dr. Michael Hemphill to discuss the article Restorative Practice in PE? Implementing Restorative Approaches in the Irish Primary Physical Education Classroom, published with Michelle Dillon and Richard Bowles. They discuss how one Irish primary school teacher used restorative practice (RP) to support children's social wellbeing in PE, and what this meant for the teacher's own professional identity and development.Full Cite: Regan, G., Dillon, M., & Bowles, R. (2026). Restorative practice in PE? Implementing restorative approaches in the Irish primary physical education classroom. European Physical Education Review, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X261423791

416: Teaching Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in PETE (Scandinavian Article Club) 09.06.2026 45мин

This Scandinavian Article Club is with Professor Kristin Walseth and we (Robin Fjellner and Dean Barker) are talking about indigenous knowledge in PE as it has become mandatory in Norway. We are discussing a paper produced by Walseth and her PhD student and colleagues that is called:Teaching Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in physical education teacher education (PETE): discursive tensions at the cultural interface. It appeared in Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education in 2024. The authors are Sandro Claudio Vita, LeAnne Petherick, and Hayley McGlashin Fainu.

415: AIESEP Connect Technology SIG Early Career Perspectives 02.06.2026 1ч 2мин

May 2026 – #AIESEPConnect #CoffeeWithColleagues Early Career Perspectives on Digital Technology in Health, Physical Education, and Physical Activity: A Community Dialogue Featuring Pablo Lope García – PhD Candidate, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain Dr. Hung-Ying Lee – Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education and Kinesiology, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan Dr. Xiaolu Liu – Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health, Georgia State University, USA Dr. Omar Albaloul – Faculty Member, College of Education, Kuwait University, KuwaitSession Video Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi2slj6ZK7E

414: AIESEP Connect April 2026 26.05.2026 1ч 5мин

April 2026 – #AIESEPConnect #CoffeeWithColleagues Navigating EU Funding Opportunities in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy Research Featuring Ana Filipa Silva – Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (Erasmus+) António L Palmeira – Universidade Lusófona (Horizon Europa Calls) Wolfgang Laschet – Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (Erasmus Capacity Building of Global Mobility)Session Video Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpBygVuW2j8

413: Aussie Book Club Spectrum of Coaching Styles 24.05.2026 1ч 11мин

“Creating Coaching episodes for retrieval and creativity using the Spectrum of Coaching Styles and Game Based Approaches”. We discuss how the Spectrum of Coaching Styles can assist coaches alignment between intention and their coaching behaviour and do this through practical examples. The chapter is from the:“Handbook of Sports Coaching (2026)” – Eds Bettina Callary, Gordon A. Bloom, Steven B. Rynne & Brian T. Gearity. This enlightening Handbook draws on a broad array of interdisciplinary fields to provide a nuanced exploration of contemporary research in sports coaching.Esteemed scholars assess cutting edge scholarship, uncovering potential tensions and contestations while encouraging future debate.

412: Technology, Physical Activity, and Schools — A Conversation with Dr. Taemin Ha 05.05.2026 50мин

Dr. Taemin Ha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences at Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY). His research focuses on promoting physical activity and health among children and adolescents through a whole-of-school approach, with a particular interest in how technology can be integrated into K–12 school communities to facilitate and encourage physical activity. Dr. Ha is an AIESEP Early Career Scholar, an award he will receive at the AIESEP World Congress in Taipei.---## Episode OverviewIn this episode, host Risto Marttinen sits down with Dr. Taemin Ha to explore his growing program of research on technology integration and school-based physical activity. From the origins of his research agenda to his most recent systematic review, Dr. Ha walks us through the landscape of how — and how well — schools are using technology to get kids moving.Ha, T., Dauenhauer, B., Krause, J., McMullen, J., & Farber, M. (2025). Comprehensive school physical activity program technology practice questionnaire (CSPAP-TPQ). *Educational Technology Research and Development*, *73*(1), 283–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-024-10399-1Ha, T., Dauenhauer, B., McMullen, J., & Krause, J. (2025). Attributes contributing to the use of technology in school-based physical activity promotion: A diffusion of innovations approach. *Journal of Teaching in Physical Education*, *44*(2), 366–376. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2024-0052Ha, T., Chey, W. S., Fan, X., Oh, J., & Bernstein, E. (2025). Technology use in physical education: Insights from New York State teachers. *Journal of Teaching in Physical Education*. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2024-0343Ha, T., Moon, J., Yu, H., Fan, X., & Paulson, L. (2025). A systematic review of technology-infused physical activity interventions in K-12 school settings: Effectiveness, roles, and implementation strategies. *International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity*, *22*, 113. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01811-x---## About Dr. Taemin HaDr. Ha is an Assistant Professor at Queens College, CUNY. His scholarship centers on promoting physical activity and health among children and adolescents through whole-of-school approaches, with a specific focus on technology integration in K–12 school [email protected]

411: Evaluating the Impact of Content Knowledge Instruction on Preservice Teacher Content Knowledge of Volleyball and Basketball 28.04.2026 1ч 2мин

Evaluating the Impact of Content Knowledge Instruction on Preservice Teacher Content Knowledge of Volleyball and Basketballhttps://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jtpe/45/1/article-p118.xmlChey, W. S., Ward, P., Meyerhoff, S., Watanabe, R., Dillon, L., Arroyo-Rojas, F., & Trainer, S. (2026). Evaluating the Impact of Content Knowledge Instruction on Preservice Teacher Content Knowledge of Volleyball and Basketball. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 45(1), 118-128. This article targeted Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) coursework significantly improves preservice teachers' subject mastery in volleyball and basketball, though posttest scores only reached moderate proficiency. The research indicates that while targeted instruction boosts specialized content knowledge—particularly error analysis and task sequencing—it should be prioritized over general activity courses for effective teacher training. We think this article is really thought provoking if you work in the PETE space and defiantly food for thought about what we are doing to prepare our students.

410:Heard from the Source: LGBTQ+ Youth and the Barriers in PE 21.04.2026 49мин

What do LGBTQ+ young people actually experience in PE and sport — and what are they telling us about why they disengage? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Craig Nieman and Dr. Sara Flory from the University of South Florida to discuss their groundbreaking mixed-methods study, "LGBTQ+ Youth Perceptions of Barriers to Physical Activity in Sport," published in Sport Education and Society (March 2026).Rather than relying on adult recollections or teacher perceptions, Nieman and Flory went directly to LGBTQ+ youth themselves — at Camp Rainbow, an inclusive summer camp in a conservatively legislated southeastern state. What they found should reshape how every PE teacher, administrator, and professional organization thinks about their work.In this episode, we cover:How three years of relationship-building made an 87% participation rate possible — and what that model means for researchers working with marginalized communitiesWhy community mapping (drawing safe and unsafe spaces) became an unexpectedly powerful research tool — and almost cathartic for participantsThe two dominant barriers LGBTQ+ youth identified: surveillance and body dysphoria during physical activity, and being stuck in a gender binary that leaves no safe optionThe student who was failing PE — not because of ability, but because they refused to change clothes in a hostile locker roomHow accommodations designed for LGBTQ+ students benefit all students (the curb-cut principle in PE)Small, immediate changes teachers can make right now — starting with the words they useWhat the removal of SHAPE America's transgender inclusion resources signals to teachers on the groundA reminder of the real stakes: one participant in the study linked exclusion from a recreational running group to suicidal ideationGuests:Dr. Craig Nieman, University of South FloridaDr. Sara Flory, University of South FloridaFull CitationNieman, C. V., Barnard Flory, S., Cavazos-Wylie, R., & Burger, L. R. (2026). LGBTQ+ youth perceptions of barriers to physical activity and sport: A mixed methods study. Sport, Education and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2026.2639532

409: Using Critical Friends in Research, A systematic review 14.04.2026 38мин

Dr. Lee and Dr. Kim join me in discussing their recent paper about the use of critical friends in S-STEP.Yongjin Lee is a doctoral student in Kinesiology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His research focuses on physical education teacher education and self-study methodology.Dr. Youngjoon Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at California State University Fullerton, with interests in teacher motivation and physical education teacher education.Hyungsik Min is a doctoral student at the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation at Arizona State University, specializing in student-centered pedagogy.Dr. Wonhee Lee is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at Lindsey Wilson University in Kentucky, with expertise in physical education and teacher preparation and teacher reflection.Full CitationLee, Y., Kim, Y., Min, H., & Lee, W. (2026). How are critical friends utilized? A systematic review of self-study in physical education teacher education. Quest. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2026.2642801

408: Let us wear our own goddamn clothes! 07.04.2026 38мин

This line is from the paperO’Keeffe, B. T., Grady, C., McHale, F., & Murtagh, E. (2026). ‘Let us wear our own Goddamn clothes’: Students’ perceptions of school uniform as a barrier to physical activity and physical education participation in schools. European Physical Education Review, 1356336X261422164.Dr. Brendan O'Keefe joins me to discuss an article that was recently published in EPER and it is all about school uniformsHere is the position statement we discussedhttps://www.peai.org/latest-news/peai-position-statement-on-school-uniforms/

407: AIESEP Connect March Exploring curriculum possibilities in PE through cross-border conversations 04.04.2026 50мин

March 2026 – #AIESEPConnect #CoffeeWithColleagues Exploring curriculum possibilities in PE through cross-border conversations. Featuring: Shirley Gray, Anna Bryant, Julie Stirrup, Rachel Sandford, Oliver Hooper, Stephanie Hardley, Nicola Carse & Lowri Edwards. Session Video Recording

406: Aussie Book Club: Mastery learning environments in PE – idealistic or an attainable future? 31.03.2026 1ч 5мин

This month’s Aussie Bookclub chews the fat about Mary Rudisill and Jerraco Johnson’s “Mastery Motivational Climates in Early Childhood PE: What have we learned over the years (2018) in JOPERD.Decades of research on mastery motivational climates (MMCs) as an instructional approach in early childhood physical education are reviewed in this article. MMC’s are grounded in achievement goal theory, emphasizing effort, persistence, autonomy, and student-directed learning, rather than teacher‑driven performance standards. The concept is best reflected in Inclusion Style E from the Spectrum of Teaching Styles.If you are interested in:Effectively supporting motor skill development in young children.Increasing children’s intrinsic motivation and enjoyment in physical activity by fostering a mastery‑oriented goal structure.Promoting higher engagement in physical activity compared to performance‑oriented climates.Citation of Article:Rudisill, M. E., & Johnson, J. L. (2018). Mastery motivational climates in early childhood physical education: What have we learned over the years?. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 89(6), 26-32.