Physical Education in Higher Education: Chaos Out of Order

The last 25 years have witnessed significant changes in the field of physical education in higher education that include the “disciplinarization” of the field of study and the generation of a broader front of professional options for physical activity than the single focus of teacher training. The field of physical education in higher education has not displayed uniformity in reacting to these profession–discipline opportunities and problems, to the extent that chaos reigns throughout. Illustrations of this chaos are provided with respect to defining (a) the field of study, (b) the establishment of a balanced focus of professional and disciplinary training, (c) the activity focus, and (d) the issue of societal representation. It is argued that the field has emphasized the differences rather than the similarities of the potential knowledge subdomains that emerge from the central phenomenon for study: namely, that of physical activity.