School stakeholders’ perceptions of physical education teachers’ core tasks—defining professional boundaries and increasing the relevancy of the subject

Introduction Understanding how different groups of relevant school stakeholders perceive the scope of physical education (PE) and its impact on children and youth can assist policymakers and teachers to increase PE's relevancy at the current time. Methods In the current study, we explored the perceptions of 381 school stakeholders of one main pillar of PE—the core tasks of the PE teacher in elementary and high schools. Five groups of school stakeholders were identified: PE college students (future PE teachers), PE teachers, coaches, sport and physical activity policymakers, and parents of children in elementary and high schools. The stakeholders were given a questionnaire where a list of potential tasks of the PE teachers was introduced. They were then asked to select up to five most important tasks for (a) PE teachers who worked at elementary schools, and (b) PE teachers who worked at high schools. Results The most important core tasks of the PE teacher as perceived by the school stakeholders across the groups were (a) encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle, (b) promoting engagement in physical activity, (c) teaching a variety of sport disciplines, (d) enhancing children's self-confidence, and (e) developing sport-specific skills. Conclusion Overall, the school stakeholders perceived the PE teacher as a health promoter for involvement in physical activity. These perceptions should be considered by policymakers who aim to increase the relevance of PE to school children's everyday lives.