JOPERD: Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

Supporting the Cognitive, Emotional, Social, and Physical Development of Adolescent Students through Dance

Anne Holdren

The transition to middle school during early adolescence presents a range of challenges for students, which can negatively impact both academic performance and overall development. Involvement in dance and incorporating dance into the middle school curriculum can provide opportunities for academic, emotional, social, and physical growth and success. Through dance, adolescent learners adapt to new ways of acquiring skills and new pedagogical approaches for learning and development. Dance offers students from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to build community and work toward a common goal. Dance is a universal art form that transcends cultural boundaries, providing a rich platform for self-expression and creativity. It integrates movements, rhythms, and techniques from various cultures around the world, allowing adolescents to explore and connect with diverse traditions. By exploring diverse dance styles, students develop a greater appreciation for global cultures, fostering inclusivity, understanding, and empathy. Dance also provides students with a powerful outlet to express emotions, explore their social identities, and develop physically, factors that are closely linked to academic success. This article explores key themes from existing research on how incorporating dance can support middle school students’ overall cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and academic development. It also offers middle school educators strategies to incorporate dance into their curriculum.

How Would You Treat a Friend? Part 2: Activities to Boost Self-Compassion within School Health Curricula

Val Altieri, Jr., Sierra Cordova, Robert Diehl, John McCarthy, and Mariah Rooney

While self-compassion refers to being kind and understanding toward oneself during tough times, mindful self-compassion (MSC) focuses on teaching individuals how to develop and strengthen the skill of offering themselves self-compassion. Through MSC, students can learn to advocate for their own mental health by integrating mindfulness practices that deepen and enhance the experience and benefits of self-compassion. This article (Part 2 of a three-part series) highlights the practice of MSC and includes a lesson plan that provides instant exercises, discussion prompts, readings, scenario-based practices, videos, future planning exercises, and journaling reflections. It also addresses important considerations for teachers, such as engaging in cultural responsiveness, follow-up strategies, and self-compassion practices. By incorporating these practices into their curriculum, health educators can empower students to build emotional resilience and enhance their overall well-being.

How Would You Treat a Friend? Part 3: Trauma-Informed Considerations for Teaching Mindful Self-Compassion

Val Altieri, Jr., Sierra Cordova, Robert Diehl, John McCarthy, and Mariah Rooney

Teaching mindful self-compassion (MSC) can foster emotional resilience, helping students to develop a kinder relationship with themselves. However, implementing trauma-informed care (or practices) is necessary for creating spaces where students can safely engage in personal reflection that supports self-compassion skill development. Trauma-informed care recognizes the pervasive impact of trauma — defined as a psychological and emotional response to distressing events — and emphasizes the importance of creating spaces where individuals feel safe, supported, and empowered. Because many students may have faced trauma or emotional hardships, their engagement in MSC activities or discussions could be influenced by these experiences. By utilizing trauma-informed strategies, educators can create classrooms that minimize the fear of judgment from others (or worse, retraumatization), encouraging students to participate with greater confidence. This approach not only nurtures emotional resilience but also promotes deeper engagement with the learning process. Part 3 of this series builds on the MSC activities presented in Part 2 by exploring the practical application of trauma-informed practices during an MSC lesson. This involves planning activities and fostering a climate where students can engage with manageable challenges, opportunities are provided for to lead and shape their own learning experiences, and where trust is safeguarded and peer support is encouraged.

Optimizing the AI Revolution in Physical Education: Strategies for Integration, Adoption, and Risk Mitigation

Mohsen Vahdani, Amir Hossein Labbaf, and Lorcan Cronin

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a transformative force across various sectors and its significance in physical education (PE) is increasingly being recognized. While AI presents numerous opportunities for enhancing teaching and learning in PE, it also introduces challenges and potential risks that require careful consideration. This article explores key strategies for optimizing the integration, adoption, and utilization of new generations of AI in PE. These strategies include proactive policymaking, a comprehensive needs assessment, fostering AI literacy among educators, supporting adoption pathways, ensuring equitable infrastructure, and safeguarding ethical and security standards. The article also highlights key risks that should be addressed to ensure responsible AI use, including data privacy concerns, algorithmic bias, an over-reliance on technology, reduced human interaction, and the digital divide. By presenting both opportunities and risks, the article provides a balanced roadmap that empowers policymakers and educators to adopt AI effectively while safeguarding student well-being.

Making Learning VISIBLE in Health Education: Part 1

Kristen Ford and Julie Knutson

When contemplating a prevailing teaching philosophy for educators, it is critical to remember that a teacher’s job is not “just to teach;” rather, an educator’s job is to help students learn. There are a variety of ways to do this, starting with building quality student relationships and helping students feel emotionally (and physically) safe in the classroom. The next broad goal of health education involves ensuring that students have learned the functional information (information that is usable, applicable, and relevant) and essential skills (from National Health Education Standards 2-8) needed to be competent, confident, and able to go on to live health literate lives. As part of THE FUSED Health Education Series, this two-part article describes seven health education "power tools" that can make learning VISIBLE: V - View in the Mirror, I - Input < Output, S - Study Sessions, I - Intertwine, B - Back Away Slowly, L - Looping for Learning, E - The End. Part 1 describes the basic teaching and learning strategies in preparation for implementing formative and summative assessments.

Making Learning VISIBLE in Health Education: Part 2

Kristen Ford and Julie Knutson

This article builds on Part 1 by shifting the focus from instructional strategies to assessment design in health education. While the tools introduced in Part 1 aimed to enhance student engagement, understanding, and retention, this second article emphasizes how those same strategies can support both informal and formal assessment practices. Recognizing that "informal" and "formal" assessment can be interpreted differently, this article presents a new way to imagine some foundational assessment concepts, including key terms, purposes, components, and players. The goal is to support instructional alignment, continuous feedback, and performance-based learning to help health educators make student learning both VISIBLE (V = View in the mirror, I = Input < Output, S = Spaced Studying, I = Intertwine, B = Back Away Slowly, L = Looping for Learning, E = The End) and actionable. An overview of assessment types and approaches is provided, leading to the introduction of a five-point teaching model offered as one example of how to approach planning for and applying assessments within THE FUSED Technique framework.

VIEWPOINT

Inclusive PE Isn’t Just APE’s Job: Shifting the Mindset and Culture in Our Schools

James P. Barry and Allison R. Tsuchida

When students with disabilities walk into the gym, inclusion is often left solely to the adapted physical education (APE) teacher. However, inclusive PE should be a team effort, not just one person’s responsibility. General PE teachers, aides, and school leaders all play a role in making sure every student is included, and that every student feels included.

EDITORIAL

The Importance of a Multilevel Physical Activity Program for Elementary Schools

Han Chen

Physical education alone cannot solve children’s inactivity. Schools need a coordinated, multilevel approach that creates frequent opportunities to move, supported by high-quality strategies at each level. This Editorial briefly reviews each of the components of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program, along with common barriers and potential solutions.

TEACHING TIPS

Equity in Motion: Why Social Justice Matters in Health and PE

Ingrid L. Johnson and Rachel Fetterley

This article shares quick tips for teachers to help them think about their classroom culture and develop ways to foster and enhance social justice practices in their programs. Ideas that encourage educators to engage in personal reflection regarding social justice will be shared.

TEACHING TIPS

Using Task Analysis in Physical Education Routines for Elementary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mona F. Sulaimani, Yahya D. Alshegebi, and Ertan Tufekcioglu

Effective inclusion in physical education for students with autism spectrum disorder requires educators to establish a supportive and accessible learning environment. This article describes how the experiences of these students can be enhanced by using task analyses to break down complex skills and routines into smaller, manageable steps to teach them sequentially.

TEACHING TIPS

Cooperative Learning and the Jigsaw Model in Physical Education

Athanasia Chatzipanteli, Aglaia Zafeiroudi, Ioannis Tsartsapakis, and Nikolaos Digelidis

In physical education (PE), cooperative learning can foster teamwork, inclusive participation, and positive supportive relationships. This article describes how to effectively use the Jigsaw Model in PE environments to promote student-centered learning, increase motivation, and improve social interaction, cooperation, and peer relationships.

HEALTH TIPS

A Skills-Based Approach for Navigating Misinformation and Disinformation in the Health Education Classroom

Michelle D. Rawcliffe, Jenny Withycombe, Lennie Parham, Tazmine Weisgerber, Melissa N. Quigley, Kathleen Vogt , and Adam Mullis

How can educators effectively counter misinformation and model accuracy? And how can they help students become critical consumers of information? This article examines how to address misinformation and disinformation and equip students to distinguish between the two while using the skill development model.