School Principals’ Perceptions of and Expectations for Physical Education

The purposes of this study were to (a) examine 19 school principals’ perceptions of and expectations for physical education (PE) and (b) describe the factors influencing school principals’ perceptions of and expectations for PE. We collected data using an electronic survey that included questions on (a) the goals of PE, (b) pedagogies and curricula, (c) evaluation practices, (d) expectations for learning, (e) value of PE and extracurricular sport, and (f) factors within principals’ pre-training biographies and training that shaped their beliefs and values about PE. We analyzed data using constant comparison and analytic induction. Principals had a limited understanding of the goals of PE, its curricula, and its pedagogies because their beliefs about the subject were largely shaped by their own experiences of PE and sport when they were children and youth rather than any formal training that they had received.