Playing with Research in Health and Physical Education

Playing with Research in Health and Physical Education
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We discuss research, theory and current issues in the fields of health and physical education in an easy to understand way. Our aim is to make research accessible to educators and university students from all over the globe.

  1. 5D AGO

    401: Aussie Book Club "How students choose to behave when placed in competitive environments in PE"

    The article examines learning that occurs through ball games in Swedish Physical Education and Health (PEH), challenging critiques that such activities overemphasise competition and performance. Drawing on observations and interviews with upper‑secondary students, the authors show that ball games foster both subject‑specific learning (skills, techniques, rules, and game understanding) and generic knowledge such as cooperation, care, fairness, and inclusion. Using a non‑affirmative theory of education, the study highlights that student participation and learning increase when competition is de‑emphasised and unfamiliar game forms are used, prompting a re‑articulation of learning objectives in PEH. CITE to the article: Modell, N., Gerdin, G., & Schenker, K. (2026). ‘That’s how we all learn to get along’–learning in and through ball games in Swedish Physical Education and Health. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, 17(1), 1-15.

    1h 17m

  2. FEB 10

    400: The Podcast Keynote by Dr. Laura Alfrey

    I am happy to welcome you to the inaugural podcast keynote! This is the official episode 400, so if you’re listening to this in February there are 399 episodes to scroll beneath this one. I wanted to mark the 400th episode with something--- in episode 200 we had a town hall and it went really well. I am not sure where this will go on Laura’s CV, but I am really happy she accepted the invitation to make something new and to be creative with me on this podcast! Dr. Laura Alfrey –is an associate professor at Monash University in Australia her research interests are in HPE and the ways which policy, professional learning and practice contribute to inclusive and educative experiences for everyone. Today she will share her innovative research in fitness testing…. But beyond publishing copious articles, getting cited hundreds of times a year for her work- Laura also serves the field by being on the Editorial Board for Curriculum Studies in HPE, Sport Education and Society, and the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education…AND MANY MORE! This podcast keynote is about fitness testing in PE, from an Australian lens, with a few notes about the American context, and some commentary by US based researchers as well. Here is a link to the video Laura showed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcH_IErqIXM This is the article Chuck noted in his comment: Charles B. “Chuck” Corbin (2026)National Youth Fitness Tests and Awards: Dispelling Misconceptions andMisinformation, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 97:1,3-5, DOI: 10.1080/07303084.2025.2579444 To link to this article:https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2025.2579444

    1h 6m

  3. FEB 6

    399: A Master's Degree at George Mason

    This is a quick episode about our Masters Program at GMU, it’s 100% online and we start in May of 2026 with a new cohort, and this podcast is about that program. If you’ve stumbled here seeking to become a better teacher, then I hope you listen through the podcast. LINK to Masters Program: https://education.gmu.edu/advanced-teaching-studies/med-physical-education-concentration   Link to Video: https://youtu.be/8evkKmlFV7A My email for questions: rmarttin@gmu.edu

    11 min

  4. FEB 5

    398: Launch of AIESEP's co-designed EDI Policy

    This episode is a recording of the AIESEP Connect from January 2026. It served as the launching of the EDI policy of AIESEP that was co-designed with members and board members. You can read more about the speakers here: https://aiesep.org/aiesep-edi-policy-launch-at-january-aiesep-connect/ Here is the translation in the middle that was in Spanish: Bueno, sí, quiero hablar. Primero, quiero agradecerles la oportunidad de estar aquí y hablar. No en mi lengua materna, que es el mapudungun (idioma mapuche), sino en español, que muchos de ustedes quizá no conozcan. Primero, quisiera reflexionar sobre la importancia de vivir y escuchar un idioma que no se entiende para implementar una verdadera política de inclusión. Solo así podremos sentir realmente la importancia de implementar políticas que permitan a las personas comunicarse en el idioma en el que se sienten más cómodas, el idioma en el que mejor pueden expresar sus ideas. Esto es muy importante, y por eso estoy aquí, intentando cada segundo asimilar que este es un proceso histórico para ustedes como organización. María, José, Marina y Carla, ¿podrían traducir lo que dije? Gracias. Good, yes, I want to talk. First, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be here and talk. Not in my mother tongue, which is the Mapudungun (Mapuche language), but in Spanish, which many of us wanted in the Spanish language. First, I would like to reflect on the importance of living and listening to a language that is not understood to implement a true inclusion policy. Only then can we really feel the importance of implementing policies that allow people to communicate in the language in which they feel most comfortable, in the language in which they can best express their ideas. This is very important, and that's why I'm here, trying every second to assimilate that this is a historical process for us as an organisation. María, José, Marina and Carla, can you translate what you say? Thanks.

    54 min

  5. FEB 3

    397: National Board Certified Teachers and how to become one

    This podcast discusses the national board certified teacher (NBCT) process. Patrick Noel and Laurie Brady, two recent successful NBCT share their journey and explain the process. You can find the NBCT standards for PE here: https://www.nbpts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ECYA-PE.pdf And here are some resources to dig through if you're interested https://www.nbpts.org/certification/candidate-center/first-time-and-returning-candidate-resources/ Here is Patrick’s X account https://x.com/pm_noel?s=21&t=PngTDfH4xi-GvoAjl58XYw

    43 min

  6. JAN 13

    396: Academic Associations, why do we continue showing up?

    In this episode, host Risto Marttinen (George Mason University) is joined by Dr. Ben Williams (University of Melbourne) and Dr. Trent D. Brown (Deakin University) for a wide-ranging conversation about associational life in health and physical education. The discussion centers on Ben and Trent’s recently published article in Sport, Education and Society, where they use a collaborative autobiographical narrative inquiry to explore how academic careers become knotted with professional associations, service expectations, institutional reward systems, and broader changes in higher education. Together, we unpack: What professional associations used to mean—and how that has changed The shifting ethic of service in health and physical education Declining membership, rising costs, and questions of value The tension between associations as communities and associations as organizations How service work is (and is not) recognized by universities Issues of privilege, access, time, and representation in associational leadership Why many scholars stay involved—and why others quietly step away This episode will resonate with physical education teacher educators, sport pedagogy scholars, and higher education faculty who are navigating service expectations while trying to sustain meaningful professional engagement. Rather than offering simple solutions, the conversation invites listeners to reflect on a central question: What do we want professional associations in health and physical education to be—for us and for the next generation of scholars and teachers? Featured Article Williams, B., & Brown, T. D. (2025). Academic and associational life in Australian health and physical education: A collaborative autobiographical narrative inquiry of/as knotting. Sport, Education and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2025.2566239 Guests Dr. Ben Williams – University of Melbourne Dr. Trent D. Brown – Deakin University Host Dr. Risto Marttinen – George Mason University

    1h 8m

  7. 12/23/2025

    395 (Scandinavian Article Club) Models Based Practice

    In this episode Robin Fjellner & Dean Barker talk about pedagogical models in PE along with Dr. Lars Bjørke who is an associate professor at University of Inland Norway. They start by mentioning how they got to know models and then go into different aspects such as how models may be used and what models become relevant from a didaktik perspective. A truly Scandinavian analysis of models!

    1h 1m

  8. 12/16/2025

    394: Aussie Book Club on Flourishing PE

    Jamie Brunsdon’s “Towards the Virtuous Mover: A Neo-Aristotelian Interpretation of Physical Education” argues that physical education should be grounded in virtue ethics, viewing movement as a means to develop moral character rather than just physical skill. He critiques current approaches that treat character as a byproduct of sport and focus too heavily on performance virtues like discipline or competitiveness. Instead, he proposes the ideal of the “virtuous mover” — someone who learns through movement to cultivate wisdom, moral virtue, and lifelong human flourishing. The Aussie Book Club takes this article on in an engaging discussion.

    1h 8m
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We discuss research, theory and current issues in the fields of health and physical education in an easy to understand way. Our aim is to make research accessible to educators and university students from all over the globe.

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