Abstract
In this chapter I explore the transitions and transformations involved in my quest to develop a pedagogy of critical theorising as a physical educator working in teacher education. I draw on writing as a method of inquiry, employing performative writing as a contemplative practice to reflect on the trajectory of my professional biography and the significant transitions involved. The narrative helps highlight that becoming a teacher educator is not a process made against a static backdrop, but is the result of living in and being part of a constantly changing personal and professional context; of being challenged by and challenging the status quo; of giving myself the license to experiment and enact what I believe to be good teaching. When one is enabled in this way, I believe we are in an effective position to confront the forms of rationalism that work against our ability to actually enact a pedagogy of critical theorising in a meaningful way.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bain, L. (1990). A critical analysis of the hidden curriculum in physical education. In D. Kirk & R. Tinning (Eds.), Physical education curriculum and culture: Critical issues in the contemporary crisis. London: The Falmer Press.
Brown, D. (1999). Complicity and reproduction in teaching physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 4(2), 143–159.
Brubaker, N., & Ovens, A. (2012) Implementing individualized grading contracts: Perspectives of two teacher educators. In J. R. Young, L. B. Erickson, & S. Pinnegar (Eds.), Extending inquiry communities: Illuminating teacher education through self-study. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices, Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex. Provo: Brigham Young University.
Coylar, J. (2009). Becoming writing, becoming writers. Qualitative Inquiry, 15(2), 421–436.
Garbett, D., & Ovens, A. (2012). Being a teacher educator: Exploring issues of authenticity and safety through self-study. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(3), 44–56.
Giroux, H. (1996). Counternarratives: Cultural studies and critical pedagogies in postmodern spaces. New York: Routledge.
Green, K. (2002). Physical education teachers in their figurations: A sociological analysis of everyday ‘philosophies’. Sport, Education and Society, 7(1), 65–83.
Ingram, D., & Simon-Ingram, J. (1992). Critical theory. New York: Paragon House.
Kirk, D. (1992). Physical education, discourse, and ideology: Bringing the hidden curriculum into view. Quest, 44, 35–56.
Leistyna, P., & Woodrum, A. (1996). Context and culture: What is critical pedagogy? In P. Leistyna, A. Woodrum, & S. Sherblom (Eds.), Breaking free: The transformative power of critical pedagogy. Cambridge: Harvard Education Publishing Group.
Osberg, D. (2008). The politics in complexity. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, 6(1), 3–13.
Ovens, A. (1996). Field experience: An analysis of students’ problems. Journal of Physical Education New Zealand, 29(1), 17–22.
Ovens, A. (2004a). The (im)possibility of critical reflection. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Ovens, A. (2004b). Using peer coaching and action research to structure the practicum: An analysis of student teacher perceptions. Journal of Physical Education New Zealand, 37(1), 45–60.
Ovens, A. (2009). Personal politics and identity in student teachers’ stories of learning to teach. In A. Mattos (Ed.), Narratives on teaching and teacher education: An international perspective (pp. 65–76). New York: Palgrave McMillan.
Ovens, A. (2010a). The New Zealand curriculum: Emergent insights and complex renderings. Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical Education, 1(1), 27–32.
Ovens, A. P. (2010b). Lesson study as preservice teaching strategy. In L. Erickson, J. Young, & S. Pinnegar (Eds.), The eighth international conference on self-study of teacher education practices (pp. 200–203). Provo: Brigham Young University.
Ovens, A. P. (2013). Disturbing practice in teacher education. Journal of Physical Education New Zealand, 46(2), 20–21.
Ovens, A. (2014). Disturbing practice in teacher education through peer-teaching. In A. Ovens & T. Fletcher (Eds.), Self-study in physical education: Exploring the interplay between scholarship and practice (pp. 87–98). London: Springer.
Ovens, A., & Fletcher, T. (2014). Doing self-study: The art of turning inquiry on yourself. In A. Ovens & T. Fletcher (Eds.), Self-study in physical education: Exploring the interplay between scholarship and practice (pp. 3–14). London: Springer.
Ovens, A., & Garbett, D. (2008). Using peer teaching to understand pedagogy in teacher education. In M. Heston, D. Tidwell, K. East, & L. Fitzgerald (Eds.), Pathways to change in teacher education: Dialogue, diversity and self-study. The Seventh International Conference on Self Study of Teacher Education Practices (pp. 263–267). Cedar Falls: University of Northern Iowa.
Ovens, A., & Tinning, R. (2009). Reflection as situated practice: A memory-work study of lived experience in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(8), 1125–1131.
Ovens, A., Hopper, T., & Butler, J. (2012). Complexity thinking in physical education: Reframing curriculum, pedagogy and research. London: Routledge.
Ovens, A., Garbett, D., Heap, R., & Tolosa, C. (2013). Sustaining high quality pedagogy in the changing technological landscape. Computers in Schools: Learning, Teaching, Technology, 25(1–3), 21–37.
Ovens, A., Garbett, D. L., & Heap, R. (2014). Using assessment to enhance learning for the net generation. In C. Koh (Ed.), Motivation, leadership and curriculum design – engaging the net generation and 21st century learners. Singapore: Springer.
Pelias, R. (2011). Leaning: A poetics of personal relations. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press.
Richardson, L. (2000). Writing: A method of inquiry. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials (pp. 499–541). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Segall, A. (2002). Disturbing practice: Reading teacher education as text. New York: Peter Lang.
Smith, W. & Ovens, A. (2014). Learning bodies – Embedded, embedding and always emerging. In P. O’Connor & K. Fitzpatrick (Eds.), Embodiment in education. Pearson.
Tinning, R. (1995). We have ways of making you think, or do we? Reflection on ‘training’ in reflective teaching. In C. Pare (Ed.), Better teaching in P.E.? Think about it! Proceedings of the international seminar on training of teachers in reflective practice in physical education. Quebec Department des science de l’activité’ physique, Universite’ du Quebec a Trois-Rivières.
Tinning, R. (1997). Performance and participation discourses in human movement: Towards a socially critical physical education. In J.-M. Fernadez-Balboa (Ed.), Critical postmodernism in human movement, physical education and sport (pp. 99–120). Albany: State University of New York.
Tinning, R. (2001). Physical education and the making of citizens: Considering the pedagogical work of physical education in contemporary times, Paper presented at AIESEP, Taipei.
Tinning, R. (2002). Toward a “modest pedagogy”: Reflections on the problematics of critical pedagogy. Quest, 54(3), 224–240.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ovens, A. (2016). A Quest for a Pedagogy of Critical Theorising in Physical Education Teacher Education: One Physical Educator’s Journey. In: Williams, J., Hayler, M. (eds) Professional Learning Through Transitions and Transformations. Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices, vol 15. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22029-1_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22029-1_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-22028-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-22029-1
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)