Social Pedagogy in Physical Education: Human-Centred Practice

This is the first book to examine social pedagogy within the context of physical education, enabling more inclusive, and meaningful educational experiences for all students. It introduces the key concepts of social pedagogy and outlines practical strategies for implementing social pedagogy in physical education.

Written by a team of leading international scholars and practitioners, the book assesses the research base for social pedagogy, and explores how social pedagogy can be embedded in the physical education curriculum, in teaching and in assessment. Every chapter includes vignettes from both school and after-school contexts, and features a practitioner voice, from a teacher or a community member. The book also looks at social pedagogy in the context of key themes across physical education, from digital assessment methods and systems thinking, to models-based approaches and physical education teacher education. As the chapters of the book unfold, the reader gets to know how to apply social pedagogy as a framework for physical education, choose strategies to enable human-centred practice, and use assessment to align the curriculum with social pedagogy principles.

The book makes a major contribution to our understanding of teaching and learning within physical education as processes of interacting for a good life though communication, connection, contribution, and creation. Concise, practical, and full of real-world examples, this is essential reading for any student, pre-service and in-service physical education teacher or coach working with children or young people across various educational levels and country contexts.

Aspasia Dania is Assistant Professor in Physical Education Teacher Education in the School of Physical Education and Sport Science, at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She teaches physical education and sport pedagogy and leads the Social Pedagogy Professional Association Special Interest Group on Social Pedagogy, Sports and Physical Education. She is also Chair-Elect of the Teaching Games for Understanding Special Interest Group. Her research interests focus on teacher education and professional development, game-based education, qualitative research methods, and curriculum planning, all focusing on social justice.

Cláudio Farias is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Sport at the University of Porto, Portugal (FADEUP) and a research member in the Centre of Research, Education, Innovation, and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D). He lectures on the Doctoral Program, the Master (hons) of physical education and sports training, and the Bachelor (hons) program in sport sciences. He has conducted research in sport pedagogy and sport coaching (physical education, teacher education, coach education) with a principal focus on student-centred, models-based practice.