Advertise on podcast: Playing with Research in Health and Physical Education

The call for abstracts for the 2027 AIESEP International Conference closes on December 1, 2026, so anyone thinking of submitting has less than two months to get an idea into shape. The conference runs July 12–16, 2027 in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and it is hosted by Fontys University of Applied Sciences. I recently sat down with two members of the local organizing committee, Menno Slingerland and Lars Borghouts, to hear how the conference is taking shape. Part 1 of our conversation is all about the scientific side: the theme, the deadlines, the submission rules, two brand-new session formats, the pre-conference day, and what your registration covers. Part 2, on local culture and getting to Eindhoven, is coming soon.

This episode takes the form of an article club— it’s been a long time since I we one of these…and since the Australian article club and Scandinavian article club have been crushing it. I figured I would get a group of colleagues together and get back to it. So, instead of one guest walking us through their own study, I've got a group of PETE colleagues around the (virtual) table, and we're all going to dig into someone else's paper together. The paper is called “AI-hype! A Critical Approach to Artificial Intelligence in Physical Education,” by Øyvind Førland Standal at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, just out in Sport, Education and Society. My guest is Dr. Chad Killian- everyone else was too busy to hang out with us!

Dr. Taemin Ha (CUNY-Queens College) comes on to share about a recent publication from a team of scholars who know a thing or two about CSPAP. The article provides great recommendations on how to infuse parts of CSPAP education into any program. Ha, T., Paulson, L., Moon, J., Dauenhauer, B., & Webster, C. A. Preparing Future Whole-of-School Physical Activity Leaders: Recommendations for Physical Education Teacher Education. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 23733799261468725.

If you've ever caught yourself in a conversation with a colleague and wondered whether you were actually talking to them or to whatever chatbot drafted their last email, you already have a feel for why AI literacy has quietly become a PETE issue. It's easy to file AI under "someone else's problem" — a computer science concern, a K-12 policy question, not something that touches lesson planning or gym space. Dr. Xiaolu Liu, lead author of a new call-to-action piece in Quest titled "Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy into Physical Education Teacher Education," argues that this framing is already out of date. I talked with her on the podcast about what the paper actually calls on PETE faculty to do, and the case is a compelling one. To cite this article: Xiaolu Liu, Yin-Chan Liao, Xiaoping Fan, Liyan Tang & Deborah Shapiro (29 May 2026): Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy into Physical Education Teacher Education: A Call to Action, Quest, DOI: 10.1080/00336297.2026.2680060

This is a Scandinavian Article Club episode hosted by Robin Fjellner and Dean Barker. This episode is with Professor Marc Esser-Noethlichs from Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. We are discussing his research on Bildung and reflection. Two papers are discussed: Esser-Noethlichs, Marc ; Bjørke, Lars; Lund, Siv (2025). Bildung encountering core reflection: an outline of a theoretical framework to guide reflective processes in physical education teacher education (PETE). Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2025.2606038 Esser-Noethlichs, Marc ; Hegland, Linn (2025). PE teachers’ experiences with teaching outdoor swimming, self-rescue and lifesaving: A context for skill development or Bildung?. European Physical Education Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X251358128

The Physical Educator first published an article in 1940. It's been around for a long time, but lately it has not been the destination of top tier research articles. The new editor in chief and associate editor say they are ready to change that. My guests are Dr. Kevin Richards (EIC of The Physical Educator) and Dr. Tori Shiver (Associate Editor). They discuss their plans for the revived journal and talk about their vision for the future. Here is the editorial that is open access that Kevin mentioned: https://js.sagamorepub.com/index.php/pe/article/view/13795/9671 Here is a link to the home page: https://js.sagamorepub.com/index.php/pe

If you've ever wondered why the amount of recess or PE your students get seems to depend entirely on which school, district, or state they happen to be in, two new studies from Dr. Chad Killian (University of New Hampshire) and his School Health Map collaborators put hard numbers behind that frustration. I talked with Chad on the podcast about both papers, and the findings should matter to anyone standing in a gym or a statehouse. Papers Featured in This Episode Paper 1: Killian, C. M., D'Agostino, E. M., Kern, B. D., Kim, C. Y., King, D., Albeke, S. E., & Thompson, H. R. (2026). Revitalizing the US Youth Presidential Fitness Test: Are states prepared to support implementation? Preventing Chronic Disease, 23. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd23.250456 Paper 2: [Killian et al.,]. (under review). State patterns and disparities in scheduled daily recess access and withholding in U.S. elementary schools. ───────────────────────────────────────── 👤 Guest Bio Dr. Chad Killian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of New Hampshire. His research focuses on physical education policy, school-based physical activity infrastructure, and access to PE across U.S. states. He has been a prolific contributor to the field's understanding of how state-level policies translate — or fail to translate — into equitable physical activity opportunities for children. He is a co-first author on both papers discussed in this episode.

The Aussie Book Club is back with an August edition. Brendan SueSee, Dave Robinson and Michael Davies jump back in and discuss Implementation of the renewed PE curriculum in Norway. An Aussie view on Nordic PE! Algrøy, E., Vinje, E. E., Aaring, V. L., Brattenborg, S., Fon, K. P. N., Nilsen, A. K., & Røynesdal, Ø. (2026). Implementation of the renewed PE curriculum in Norway: examining alignment between curriculum enactment, pedagogy and assessment in upper secondary school. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 1–20. The study examines how teachers connect curriculum intent with everyday teaching and assessment, revealing that alignment is a negotiated and context-dependent process marked by positive perceptions, ambitious learning outcomes, and complex assessment practices.

Dr. Bob Knipe comes on to discuss a new column in JOPERD This is based on an editorial that launches the new column. It is open access (for now) and can be found here: Full Citation Knipe, B. (2026). Introducing "Preservice Pipeline" — Why this column, why now. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 97(5), 85–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2026.2634603 Bob Knipe is an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Movement Sciences at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT. He serves as the column editor of JOPERD's new Preservice Pipeline department. His work focuses on the professional development and socialization of preservice health and physical education teachers. Submissions should be sent directly to [email protected] via email. Please include “JOPERD (AUTHOR NAME)” in the subject line. https://shapeamerica.org/publications/journals/joperd/authorguidelines/

This episode is the audio from the AIESEP connect in June 2026 – #AIESEPConnect #CoffeeWithColleagues Physical Literacy Across the World: From a Global Framework to Action Featuring: Johannes Carl – Technical University of Munich, Department Health and Sport Sciences, Germany Kasper Salin – University of Jyväskylä, Faculty of Sport & Health Sciences, Finland Emiliano Mazzoli, PhD – Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Australia Dora Carolo & João Martins – Centro de Estudos em Educação, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana and UIDEF, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal Jean Pierre-Weerts & Alexandre Mouton – University of Liège, Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Unit for a Life-Course Perspective on Health & Education, Belgium Session Video Recording: youtube.com/watch?v=zA-5y4FGELw&feature=youtu.be

Dave and Brendan discuss NZ PE in the July Aussie Book Club. The document is a foresight provocation—not a prediction—intended to challenge assumptions and stimulate strategic thinking for those working at the intersection of sport, recreation, and secondary education in Aotearoa New Zealand. It aims to help organizations prepare for a range of plausible futures between 2026 and 2040, especially as profound changes in curriculum, technology, demographics, and equity reshape education. The documents central question is: How can the sport and recreation sector secure and strengthen its place in secondary education across unpredictable futures?

Gráinne Regan from Mary Immaculate College, Ireland, joins guest host Dr. Michael Hemphill to discuss the article Restorative Practice in PE? Implementing Restorative Approaches in the Irish Primary Physical Education Classroom, published with Michelle Dillon and Richard Bowles. They discuss how one Irish primary school teacher used restorative practice (RP) to support children's social wellbeing in PE, and what this meant for the teacher's own professional identity and development. Full Cite: Regan, G., Dillon, M., & Bowles, R. (2026). Restorative practice in PE? Implementing restorative approaches in the Irish primary physical education classroom. European Physical Education Review, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X261423791

This Scandinavian Article Club is with Professor Kristin Walseth and we (Robin Fjellner and Dean Barker) are talking about indigenous knowledge in PE as it has become mandatory in Norway. We are discussing  a paper produced by Walseth and her PhD student and colleagues that is called:Teaching Indigenous knowledges and perspectives in physical education teacher education (PETE): discursive tensions at the cultural interface. It appeared in Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education in 2024. The authors are Sandro Claudio Vita, LeAnne Petherick, and Hayley McGlashin Fainu.

May 2026 – #AIESEPConnect #CoffeeWithColleagues Early Career Perspectives on Digital Technology in Health, Physical Education, and Physical Activity: A Community Dialogue Featuring Pablo Lope García – PhD Candidate, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain Dr. Hung-Ying Lee – Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education and Kinesiology, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan Dr. Xiaolu Liu – Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health, Georgia State University, USA Dr. Omar Albaloul – Faculty Member, College of Education, Kuwait University, Kuwait Session Video Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi2slj6ZK7E

April 2026 – #AIESEPConnect #CoffeeWithColleagues Navigating EU Funding Opportunities in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy Research Featuring Ana Filipa Silva – Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (Erasmus+) António L Palmeira – Universidade Lusófona (Horizon Europa Calls) Wolfgang Laschet – Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (Erasmus Capacity Building of Global Mobility) Session Video Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpBygVuW2j8