Physical education teachers' use of practitioner inquiry: effective, enjoyable and relevant professional learning

Practitioner inquiry has been offered as a meaningful and sustainable form of professional learning for a number of decades. However, in the context of physical education it has been recently argued that this is still underdeveloped and is far from being embedded into physical education teachers' practice. Time within the busyness of schools for any form of professional learning has been cited as an inhibiting factor. However, the purpose of this paper is to explore how four physical education teachers in the United Kingdom engaged with reflection and dialogue as part of their daily practice. Technology, in the form of a voice recorder and focussed questions for reflection, facilitated teachers' engagement and constructive reflection. Furthermore, teachers made time within the busy school day to informally discuss their pedagogical decisions with colleagues and formally listen to their students' perceptions of their practice. Consequently, the quality of teaching in a physical education department was enhanced and practitioner inquiry supported effective, enjoyable and relevant professional learning.