Exploring social justice pedagogies in physical education in Austria: Teaching practices for diversity and equity

Abstract

Embracing diversity and the demand for social justice are key concerns in modern societies, and it is imperative for physical education (PE) to address student diversity and promote social justice. However, achieving these goals presents challenges for PE teachers. In this context, social justice pedagogies (SJPs) provide guidance on how to address these demands. Although the concept of SJPs has been extensively theorized, there is a research gap concerning concrete teaching practices related to social justice. Despite a growing literature base, knowledge about specific teaching practices that PE teachers employ in their professional practice remains limited. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of how SJPs can be realized in PE. Following an exploratory qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Austrian secondary school PE teachers ( n = 20) to explore teaching practices aligned with SJPs. Qualitative content analysis, informed by SJPs, was applied to analyze the data. The results reveal various teaching practices related to SJPs, such as considering student diversity when selecting teaching content, making individualized adjustments, and promoting social skills and fairness. These teaching practices include teaching goals, content, didactic-methodical approaches, teacher–student(s) interactions, and grading. Based on the findings, this paper discusses how these teaching practices reflect the theoretical considerations of SJPs. It concludes that the explored teaching practices demonstrate opportunities for enacting SJPs in PE.