Call for Papers - European Physical Education Review

Proposal for a special issue in European Physical Education Review
20 May 2014
Student learning through interaction in physical education
Special issue guest editors:
Dean Barker, Gothenburg University, Sweden
Tristan Wallhead, University of Wyoming, United States
Mikael Quennerstedt, Örebro University, Sweden
Over the last 50 years, constructivist ideas have shaped educational practices and educational
science profoundly. Amongst other things, constructivist thinking suggests that (1) learning involves
the construction of meaning and, (2) individuals construct meaning during interactions with others –
this is one way in which the process of learning can be thought of as social (Rovegno & Dolly, 2006).
In physical education, this thinking is reflected in contemporary student-centered pedagogical
models such as Teaching Games for Understanding, Sport Education and Cooperative Learning (Casey
& Dyson, 2012). Indeed, the idea that students learn while interacting and that teachers should take
on ‘less directive and more facilitative’ roles (Kirk & Kinchin, 2003, p. 229) appears to underpin many
PE practices.
Despite the assumed centrality of student interactions to learning in PE, the topic has received
relatively little scholarly attention. The work of Lafont and colleagues (Darnis-Paraboschi, Lafont, &
Menaut, 2005; Ensergueix & Lafont, 2010; Lafont, Proeres, & Vallet, 2007) constitutes one of the
most sustained attempts to understand interactive learning in PE. Lafont and colleagues have
examined conversations, interactive dynamics and speaking turns occurring in PE settings and have
provided important insights into group work and co-constructive activities. A didactique framework
(Amade-Escot, 2006) has also proven fruitful, with its focus on the irreducible triad of teacher,
student and content while examining the evolution of the content actually learned within peerassisted learning tasks (Hennings, Wallhead & Byra, 2010; Wallhead & O’Sullivan, 2007).
Complementing this work, Barker, Quennerstedt, and Annerstedt (2013) have suggested that peerlearners have a key role to play in interactions and that in order to learn in groups, all students must
engage in some kind of shared communication. Brock, Rovegno and Oliver (2009) have drawn
attention to the role that student status has on the nature of social interactions, suggesting that
factors such as athletic involvement, personality and even attractiveness influence how students
interact.
There are still however important issues to be resolved and explored. How do teachers interact in
“less directive and more facilitative” ways in practice? How do interactions shape content
development within pedagogical models, such as co-operative learning, where positive
interdependence and interpersonal skills are critical to the success of the model? How are the microdynamics of situations affected by social and cultural factors? These kinds of questions constitute the
focus of the proposed special issue.
Timeline for special issue
Confirmation of interest including author and co-authors, approximate research question/topic and
working title: 1 July
Abstracts submitted to Dean, Tristan and Mikael: 300 words: 1 September 2014
*Abstracts submitted to AIESEP: 300 words: 1 September - 31 December 2014
*Presentation of papers at AIESEP: 8-11 July 2015
Full papers submitted via EPER: 1 August 2015
Papers in review: 1 August – 15 September 2015
Final papers submitted by: 31 October 2015
* For authors interested in presenting in a symposium at the AIESEP international conference in
Madrid. Note: symposium abstracts may be due earlier than normal presentation abstracts.
References
Amade-Escot, C. (2006). Student learning within the didactique tradition. In D. Kirk, M. O'Sullivan &
D. Macdonald (Eds.), Handbook of research in physical education (pp. 347-365). Thousand
Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Barker, D. M., Quennerstedt, M., & Annerstedt, C. (2013). Inter-student interactions and student
learning in Health and Physical Education: A post-Vygotskian analysis. Physical Education and
Sport Pedagogy. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2013.868875
Brock, S., Rovegno, I., & Oliver, K. L. (2009). The influence of student status on student interactions
and experiences during a sport education unit. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 14(4),
355-375.
Butler, J. (2006). Curriculum constructions of ability: Enhancing learning through Teaching Games for
Understanding (TGfU) as a curriculum model. Sport, Education and Society, 11(3), 243-258.
Casey, A., & Dyson, B. (2012). Cooperative learning in physical education. In B. Dyson & A. Casey
(Eds.), Cooperative learning in physical education: A research-based approach (pp. 166-175).
London: Routledge.
Darnis-Paraboschi, F., Lafont, L., & Menaut, A. (2005). A social-constructivist approach in physical
education: Influences of diadic interactions on tactical choices in an instructional team sport
setting. European Journal for Psychology of Education, 20(2), 171-184.
Ensergueix, P. J., & Lafont, L. (2010). Reciprocal peer tutoring in a physical education setting:
influence of peer tutor training and gender on motor performance and self-efficacy
outcomes. European journal of psychology of education, 25(2), 222-242.
Hennings, J., Wallhead, T. L., & Byra, M. (2010). A didactic analysis of student content learning during
the reciprocal style of teaching. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 29, 227-244.
Kirk, D., & Kinchin, G. (2003). Situated learning as a theoretical framework for sport education.
European Physical Education Review, 9(3), 221-235.
Lafont, L., Proeres, M., & Vallet, C. (2007). Cooperative group learning in a team game: Role of verbal
exchanges among peers. Social Psychology of Education, 10, 93-113.
Rovegno, I., & Dolly, J. P. (2006). Constructivist perspectives on learning. In D. Kirk, D. Macdonald &
M. O'Sullivan (Eds.), Handbook of physical education (pp. 242-261). London: SAGE.
Siedentop, D., Hastie, P., & van der Mars, H. (2011). Complete guide to Sport Education (2nd ed.).
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Wallhead, T., & O'Sullivan, M. (2007). A didactic analysis of content development during the peer
teaching tasks of a sport education season. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 12(3),
225-243.
Ward, P., & Lee, M. (2005). Peer-Assisted Learning in Physical Education: A Review of Theory and
Research. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 24, 205-225.

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