TY - JOUR
T1 - Health and physical education (HPE): implementation in primary schools
AU - Lynch, Timothy Joseph
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - This research investigates Australian Government Primary School Principal perceptions of
how health and physical education (HPE) is implemented. Principals of primary schools in
the state of Victoria (Australia) were deliberately chosen as participants as they are key
school leaders who have a high degree of autonomy and power to improve the quality of
teaching. The Victorian state Government Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development (DEECD) first listed outcome for children 0?8 years is: ?children have the
best start to life to achieve optimal health, development and wellbeing?. Hence, this
research offers pertinent results and recommendations in achieving this outcome. The
data were gathered using ex-post facto surveys completed by 138 principal participants
from a cross section of schools. The key findings were that principals: (1) strongly desire to
have specialist HPE teachers in their schools; and (2) want HPE specialist teachers who are
interested in and want to be working with primary aged children. Furthermore, there was
strong interest in HPE specialists who are able, willing and qualified to teach as generalist
classroom teachers.
AB - This research investigates Australian Government Primary School Principal perceptions of
how health and physical education (HPE) is implemented. Principals of primary schools in
the state of Victoria (Australia) were deliberately chosen as participants as they are key
school leaders who have a high degree of autonomy and power to improve the quality of
teaching. The Victorian state Government Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development (DEECD) first listed outcome for children 0?8 years is: ?children have the
best start to life to achieve optimal health, development and wellbeing?. Hence, this
research offers pertinent results and recommendations in achieving this outcome. The
data were gathered using ex-post facto surveys completed by 138 principal participants
from a cross section of schools. The key findings were that principals: (1) strongly desire to
have specialist HPE teachers in their schools; and (2) want HPE specialist teachers who are
interested in and want to be working with primary aged children. Furthermore, there was
strong interest in HPE specialists who are able, willing and qualified to teach as generalist
classroom teachers.
UR - http://goo.gl/uLlism
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijer.2015.02.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ijer.2015.02.003
M3 - Article
VL - 70
SP - 88
EP - 100
JO - International Journal of Educational Research
JF - International Journal of Educational Research
SN - 0883-0355
ER -