Risk Taking as Pedagogical Practice for Physical Education Teachers; Trainee, Newly Qualified and Recently Qualified Teachers Perceptions

The notion of risk taking in the classroom is complex, not least because it is often associated with the more uncomfortable notion of ‘risk’ which poses threats and dangers to pupils and perhaps teachers themselves. This research is more concerned with challenging personal teaching routines and moving out of one’s comfort zone into an area of perceived risk when trying new and innovative teaching practices. It will seek to define risk taking and examine influences on risk taking practice for early physical education teachers. Research on ‘risk taking’ practice with trainee teachers (Clarke, Howarth, Whitehouse and Wood-Griffiths, 2012) found three important influences to be ‘Personal’ – overcoming emotional fears, ‘Work place conditions’ – school ethos and resources and ‘relationships’ – between trainees, students and mentors. It also found such practices increased pupil motivation and engagement. Interestingly, physical education trainees who engaged with risk taking practice as participants in the research completed the PGCE year as outstanding and were some of the first to gain employment. Literature (Capel and Blair, 2007, Lawson 1986) however suggests that as physical education teachers progress into their careers in schools, they are influenced by organisational socialisation which may inhibit new and innovative ‘risk taking’ practices in favour of a more traditional approach as modelled by other teachers in the school. The author of this research intends to explore further risk taking as pedagogic practice for physical education teachers early into their teaching careers in an attempt to inform future teaching training and professional development. That which supports creative, reflective and innovative teaching practices and offers one possible way to enhance teaching and learning in secondary school physical education.