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ERIC Number: EJ1250614
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-May
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1356-336X
EISSN: N/A
Playing to Our Strengths: Generalist Teachers' Experiences of Class Swapping for Primary Physical Education
Clohessy, Liam; Bowles, Richard; Ní Chróinín, Déirdre
European Physical Education Review, v26 n2 p571-586 May 2020
Class swapping is the process whereby a generalist primary school teacher with a particular subject expertise and interest swaps classes with a teacher colleague and they teach each other's class a specific area of the curriculum. Instances of class swapping for physical education (PE) have been noted in many countries, but there is currently no explicit research into this practice. Consequently, this research investigated the experiences of two generalist teachers with additional PE expertise teaching PE to classes other than their own in two Irish primary schools over two separate intervention periods totalling 18 weeks. The participants' experiences of class swapping for PE were analysed using qualitative data generated by individual interviews, pupil focus groups, researcher observations and teacher reflections. Hargreaves and Fullan's theory of professional capital was used as a theoretical framework. The lead teachers' expertise and enthusiasm for PE provided the pupils involved with rich PE experiences. The opportunity to teach additional PE also increased the lead teachers' ability and motivation to provide further PE leadership within their schools. Furthermore, class swapping contributed to increased teacher interactions focused on teaching and learning. These findings make a worthwhile contribution to our understanding of class swapping and its potential to enrich pupil experiences in primary PE settings where generalist teachers operate.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ireland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A