Making a wave of difference in water awareness and competence through primary physical education teacher education

Introduction<br />The current study aims to pilot the merit of having PE primary physical education specialists contribute to generalist primary teacher education via the creation and sharing of accessible progression spirals across an environmental progression of space instead of designated activity (Table 1). The final water-based progression blends fundamental movement with core aquatic skills as mediated by respective students across a Kolb reflective learning cycle (1984) and informed by curricular guidelines toward a new PETE national water competence teaching assistant accreditation (DfE, 2013, Swim England, 2021, RLPE-AfPE, 2022). Programme wise, how might primary student teachers benefit from a PE Primary specialist-generalist peer supported teaching and learning addition to the PE PCK experience set? Motorically and competence wise, what are the reported potential and perceived student benefits to this PETE journey?<br /><br />Method<br />Physical education specialist student teachers (12) were taught how to plan and teach using the environmentally coded space set. This they modelled and shared with all other generalists; undergraduate and postgraduate generalist students through our RLPE accessible online padlet series. The progression spiral approach aligns with that of Bruner (1966) and extend from reflective PETE bespoke practices (Graham et al., 2020).<br /><br />Results<br />The full set has been successfully piloted by PE specialists with Year 2, undergraduate and graduate primary student teachers. Table 1. Depicts the Environmentally led and peer supported PETE progression which will be implemented in full this coming aca-demic year.<br /><br />Discussion<br />Aspirationally, we will be better placed to refine and improve the approach, and in so doing, address research questions following this coming academic year.<br /><br />References<br />Bruner, J. (1996). The Process of Education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.<br />Murray, A., & Howells, K. (in Press). Wheels Up, spiral progression pedagogy towards creative movers using wheels. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research.<br />Stiehl, J., Morris, D. G. S., & Sinclair, C. (2008) Teaching physical activity: Change, challenge and choice. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.