2025/01/01 by Justen O’Connor, Dawn Penney, Ruth Jeanes +3 · 1 voice
Health Professions · Social Sciences · Psychology · #Physical Education and Pedagogy #Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport #Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking
paper · doi:10.1123/jtpe.2025-0039
openalex publication_date 2025/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/11/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Purpose : This paper argues that shifting patterns of sport participation and emerging sport cultures offer an opportunity to evolve sport education by integrating informal practices into physical education. It proposes an evolution of the existing sport education model that aligns with contemporary, informal sporting trends. Approach : The paper synthesizes research on informal sport participation, emphasizing how informality impacts sport and challenges sport education as a model authenticated through institutionalized structures. Synthesis : Negotiated practice is proposed as the conceptual focus for evolving sport education to align with informal sport, promoting lifelong relevance in students’ lives. Core features of sport education are reframed to support this alignment. Discussion/Conclusion : Informal sport education can help bridge the gap between school-based physical education and contemporary movement cultures. By fostering negotiation, flexibility, and potentially inclusivity, it reorients pedagogy toward lifelong engagement, supporting the relevance of physical education in modern sporting contexts.