Making the case for developing new ‘PE-for-Health’ pedagogies

This paper argues for a new direction in research on health education within physical education (PE). Governments are increasingly looking to schools as a convenient form of public health investment. PE is implicated in health because of its core focus on physical activity, but there is little evidence to suggest that PE improves health outcomes. Moreover, although there has been interest in health-focussed curriculum activities and interventions, there has been a surprising silence around the pedagogies to be used in the health dimension of PE practices. This paper critically reviews claims made about the role of PE in public health, and considers how health has been conceptualised in PE over time. The professional development needs of PE teachers in health are examined, and it is argued that the development of new, complex, evidence-based and personalised ‘PE-for-health’ pedagogies is the next major step to be taken in PE research.