The racialisation of responsibility in the teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) model: a critical race theory perspective

The TPSR model, developed by Don Hellison, has been widely adopted in PE and YDP to foster life skills such as respect, effort, and self-direction among students, particularly those from marginalised communities. However, through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), this article examines how TPSR’s predominant research focus on racialized minority students – especially Black students – racializes responsibility, positioning racialized minority youth as inherently ‘irresponsible.’ This ‘othering’ process reinforces the deficit-oriented narratives that attribute behavioural and social shortcomings to racialized identities rather than systemic inequities. Drawing on CRT tenets such as the permanence of racism and the critique of liberalism, the analysis reveals how TPSR, despite its emancipatory intentions, perpetuates racial hierarchies by framing Black students as needing intervention to achieve ‘normal’ responsibility (e.g. Boyd, K., Dixon, C., Simon, M., & Bennett, G. (2025). “In the line of fire”: Critical race counternarratives from Black and Latine physical education and teacher education faculty. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2025-0049). This scholarly exploration integrates historical context, empirical research trends, and theoretical critiques, drawing on existing PE literature addressing race and racism (e.g. Abel et al., 2024). Students’ perspectives on racism and anti-racism in physical education: a systematic review. Frontiers in Sociology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1374277; Blackshear, T. B., & Culp, B. (2023). Critical race studies in physical education. Human Kinetics; Harrison, L., & Clark, L. (2016). Contemporary issues of social justice: A focus on race and physical education in the United States. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 87(3), 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2016.1199166) to advocate for anti-racist adaptations of TPSR. Implications for educators include shifting from deficit models to asset-based pedagogies that centre racial justice.