Motricidade © Edições Desafio Singular

2017, vol. 13, S1, pp. 100-111 I CINAPSE 2016

The performing of a secondary physical education department

committed to the Portuguese physical education national
curriculum
Adilson Marques1,2*, Nuno Ferro3, João Martins3,4, Francisco Carreiro da Costa1,4
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

ABSTRACT
This study examined the performance of a secondary physical education (PE) department committed to
the Portuguese PE National Curriculum. PE department head perceptions, PE teachers’ educational
believes, school and PE department characteristics, PE curriculum, and PE classes were analysed. The
main goal set by PE teachers was to prepare students for an active and healthy lifestyle. PE teachers
showed a shared commitment about what is important to teach and the best way to have an organized
learning environment. They worked as a team, focusing their teaching in students’ learning. They showed
high expectations, believing that students can succeed, which suggested a strong moral purpose. Teachers
share different PE values orientations, however, students engaged in MVPA for more than 50% of the
available class time. This reflected the teachers’ collective compromise to follow the same PE objectives,
along with making students’ interests a top priority. To promote teamwork and coherent curricular
decisions, as well as good educational practices in a school, the PE department is probably a crucial
component to providing a positive learning environment.
Keywords: physical education department, health promotion, physical education

INTRODUCTION Martins, Sarmento, Rocha, & Carreiro da Costa,

The role of schools and physical education 2015; Stewart & Mitchell, 2003). Moreover,
(PE) in the promotion of an active and healthy studies concerned with the impact of PE on the
lifestyle has been largely recognized (Pate et al., practice of PA show that PE has not been
2006; Sallis & McKenzie, 1991; Sallis et al., especially successful in PA facilitation (Piéron,
2012). It has been stated that if PE intends to Ruiz, & García Montes, 2008; Rikard & Banville,
promote an active and healthy lifestyle the main 2006). These findings support the opinion of
goals should be for the students to take part in those who argue that PE is inadequately
appropriate amounts of physical activity (PA) educating young people (Haerens, Kirk, Cardon,
during class time, and to become equipped with & De Bourdeaudhuij, 2011).
the knowledge, attitudes and physical skills to Castelli and Rink (2003) carried out a study
be active outside school and throughout life whose purpose was to compare high (HPS) and
(MacNamara et al., 2011; Simons-Morton, low (LPS) performing secondary PE programs.
1994). Using both quantitative and qualitative
In spite of this recognition, research methods, this investigation examined reform
examining PE classes has consistently shown efficacy, teacher perceptions, program
that students spend a limited amount of time characteristics, department and school
engaged in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) characteristics, and facilitators and inhibitors, in
(Fairclough & Stratton, 2006a; Scruggs et al., four HPS and four LPS schools. Relationships
2003), and students’ knowledge and conceptions between PE members were an aspect that has
of fitness concepts are narrow, vague, and often distinguished HPS and LPS schools. HPS
inaccurate (Keating et al., 2009; Marques,

1
Centro Interdisciplinar de Estudo da Performance Humana, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
2
Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Nova University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
3
Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
4
Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Lusofona University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal.
*Corresponding author: Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal, Estrada da Costa, 1499-002 Cruz-

Quebrada, Portugal. Email: [email protected]

 Portuguese physical education national curriculum | 101

department members have demonstrated the PE department was interviewed; (b) PE

positive relationships, by communicating teachers were questioned; (c) PE classes,
effectively, and taking a team approach to meetings, and the organization of extracurricular
planning and data collection, while LPS activities were observed; (d) formal and informal
department members acted as individuals, and conversations were held; (e) and school and PE
presented informal and procedural department documents were analysed. The main
communication, even though teachers did not ideas from these observations and conversations
necessarily lack resources, planning time, or were written and used as field notes. The study
teacher development. These results are in line was conducted according to the ethical
with the characteristics of effective schools standards in sport and exercise science research
(Sammons & Bakkum, 2011). Despite the (Harriss & Atkinson, 2009) and the protocol
diversity of indicators regarding school received approval from both the institutional
effectiveness, strong leadership and a shared review board of the Faculty of Human Kinetics
vision (Fullan, 2001), positive learning and the Portuguese Minister of Education. Prior
environment, good team work and team to the data collection, the school was contacted
coherence (Reynolds & Teddlie, 2000) are and the authorization to carry out the study was
indicators that have largely been considered granted. Informed written consent was obtained
vital. from each participant, from the students the
Despite widespread acknowledgment of the approval was obtained from their legal
power of professional collaboration, the norm in guardians.
most schools is teachers working in isolation
(DuFour, 2011; Hargreaves, 1995). Thus, Participants
through separateness, teaching becomes a trial The school, situated in an urban location, had
and error process whereby the individual must 1100 students enrolled, and is considered a
depend heavily on his or her own ability to grow reference in the Portuguese educational context,
and solve problems. being in the top position of the best schools in
Considering that we know little about which academic achievement. The school principal has
PE department organization and functioning been leading the school for several years,
characteristics are related to a supportive PA working in order to have a stable group of
climate in schools, the purpose of this study was teachers, and by implementing strategies to
to analyse the functioning of a PE department of improve students’ academic achievement. The
a secondary school located among the top places facilities for PE were good, and the PE
of the Portuguese academic achievement department was known for teaching according to
ranking, committed to follow the Portuguese the NCPE. The PE department was comprised of
National Curriculum of Physical Education 10 teachers (6 women, 4 men), ranging from 25
(NCPE) (Carreiro da Costa, 2005). PE to 58 years of age. Their peers perceived PE
department head perceptions, PE teachers’ teachers as competent professionals, each had a
educational beliefs, school and PE department Master’s degree, and their teaching experience
characteristics, PE curriculum, and PE classes varied from 1 to 35 years. Some of them were
were examined. Notes from school and PE leaders of national associations related with PE
documents were also considered. and sport, and two of them were co-authors of
the NCPE.
METHOD
The study was carried out in a public secondary Instruments and Procedures
school during one academic year. The first Aiming to identify conceptual and
author was a participant researcher, working methodological options, and the organization of
among teachers, in the PE department, for more the PE department with respect to the NCPE
than 9 months. During this time: (a) the head of guidelines, an interview was conducted with the
102 | A Marques, N Ferro, J Martins, FC da Costa

head of the department. The interview was down, siting, standing, walking, very active), the
focused on his PE philosophy and how he lesson contexts in which they occurred
imparts these ideas to other PE teachers. Some (management, general knowledge, physical
specific aspects of the NCPE were discussed, fitness knowledge, fitness activity, skill practice
namely, promoting healthy lifestyles, the and scrimmage, game play, other), and teacher
organization of teachers’ work, the quantity and behaviour (i.e. promotes fitness, demonstrates
quality of PA extracurricular activities provided, fitness, instructs generally, manages, observes,
and his opinion about PE time allocation. The other-task) were observed and coded throughout
interview was semi-structured and lasted each lesson.
approximately 60 minutes. The interview was A wireless microphone linked to a headphone
recorded and then transcribed verbatim. was used to better understand the teacher’s
To assess teachers’ educational beliefs, and to verbal instructions. A tape recorder using pre-
analyse how these beliefs influence decisions recorded audio tapes paces the observation time
regarding curriculum content, the shortened by using a standard 10-second observe/10-
version of the Value Orientation Inventory second record format. Data collection followed
(VOI) (Chen, Ennis, & Loftus, 1997), validated the same procedures used in previous studies
for the Portuguese population (Vieira, 2007) (Kulinna et al., 2000; Rowe et al., 2004).
was applied to the PE teachers. Each teacher of Descriptive analysis and percentage occurrence
the PE department received the shortened of intervals were calculated for each SOFIT sub-
version of the VOI, and they were asked to category. The categories of walking and very
complete and return it within one week. active were combined to create a measure of
Teachers had to rank and order each of the five time spent in MVPA.
items within each of the 10 sets according to Observer training was done with the use of
his/her priorities (5=highest priority; 1=lowest videotaped lessons. Data collection only began
priority). The score for each value orientation after intra observer agreement exceeds 0.85
was calculated by adding up the rankings for the achieved for three classes of 45 minutes between
items within each orientation, across the 10 two times separated by one week. The values
sets. Therefore, each teacher completing the VOI recorded for the first, second and third classes
produced five scores (i.e. one for each value were 87%, 88% and 92%, respectively. Intra
orientation) which range from l0 to 50. Scores observer agreement was calculated using the
0.6 standard deviation above the mean were formula (agreements/observed intervals) x.100.
considered to reflect a high priority, while scores Heart rates (HR) of 40 students (4 associated
0.6 below the mean reflected a low priority; with each PE teacher) were measured during
scores within 0.6 standard deviation of the mean three lessons. The students observed via the
were categorized as neutral (Ennis & Zhu, SOFIT were fitted with the HR telemeters (Polar
1991). Precision Performance SW Version 4.00.022)
PE classes were analysed by the first author while changing into their PE uniforms. HR was
through the System for Observing Fitness recorded once every 5 seconds for the duration
Instruction Time (SOFIT) (McKenzie, Sallis, & of the lessons, and total lesson time was
Nader, 1991). This system has demonstrated equivalent to total recording HR time on the
reliability, validity, and feasibility (Rowe, Mars, telemeter. Telemeters were set to begin
Schuldheisz, & Fox, 2004), and was selected for recording when the teachers officially began the
the study due to its inclusion of the factors of lessons, and were stopped at the end of lessons.
curricular context and teacher behaviour, as well The telemeters were then removed and data was
as factors associated with health-related fitness downloaded for analysis. Based on previous
(Kulinna, Silverman, & Keating, 2000). A total work (Armstrong, 1998; Armstrong &
of 30 classes were observed (three classes led by Welsman, 2006), moderate activity (brisk
each teacher). On a rotation basis, the PA levels walking) generates a HR of about 140 bpm. This
of four randomly selected students (i.e. lying value was used as a threshold to interpret the
 Portuguese physical education national curriculum | 103

HR data. Mean and standard deviation of HR in propose to do. The question is how can we do
PE lessons were calculated. Additionally, that? Well, using the NCPE, which is an eclectic
percentage and time spent in HR ≥140 bpm curriculum, we try to teach students a wide
were also calculated. Differences in lesson time range of physical activities for students to use to
spent in HR ≥140 bpm in 45- and 90-minute practice PA autonomously.”
classes were analysed using paired-samples t For both the head of the department and PE
test. Previously, exploratory analyses were teachers, the NCPE was an important document
conducted. Shapiro-Wilk test revealed that data that helped guide their practices. However, not
was normally distributed, and subsequent all of the teachers had the preparation necessary
Levene’s test confirmed the data’s homogeneity to teach all of the sports that are part of the
of variance. NCPE. For this reason, in order to be prepared
A document analysis of current materials for and correctly teach the activities from the NCPE,
the PE department was also conducted. teachers organize courses within the
Reviewed documents included the PE program department, in which each teacher has the
of school adapted from NCPE, annual plans responsibility to train their colleagues, teaching
from all grades (7th to 12th), initial assessment them how to teach the sport activities in which
protocol of all grades, a self-evaluation they are specialists. If there was a gap, and no
questionnaire to apply to students at the end of one was able to train others in some specific
the academic year (7th to 12th), evaluation test sport, the teachers either assumed the
to assess health-related knowledge for each responsibility for attending courses outside the
grade, a questionnaire to assess if the NCPE was school, or a specialist was invited to come to the
being followed in each grade, evaluation criteria school to deliver a training course. Thus, at the
for each grade, Fitnessgram protocol used at beginning of each academic year, PE teachers
school, school sport guidelines, and the annual expressed their difficulties and planned the
report of trainee teachers. Due to lack of space training process. For instance, while the
we will not present the results of the inductive research was taking place, the PE department
content analysis. invited a specialist to deliver a practical course
on teaching handball; and commissioned the
RESULTS Portuguese Federation of Badminton to facilitate
Goals of PE, methodological guidelines and the training in the teaching of badminton. These
organization of the PE department training programs took place during the first
The results consist of the interview with the months of classes, so that teachers were
head of the PE department, conversations with prepared to teach these sports.
PE teachers, and notes taken during department The PE curriculum at the school has made up
meetings and from the documents analysed. The of three defined areas, as defined by the NCPE:
main goal set by the PE department was to (1) PA (which includes sports, dance and
prepare students for an active and healthy expressive rhythmic activities, traditional games,
lifestyle. Teachers sought to do so through an and outdoor recreation activities), (2)
eclectic program, teaching a variety of sports. Knowledge (which includes the learning of the
They claimed that the sports contained within development and maintenance of physical
the NCPE could be transformed into tools to be fitness, and knowledge concerning the
used by students in order to become physically interpretation and participation in sport in a
active, and to practice PA autonomously. The PE social perspective), and (3) Physical Fitness
department head said: (where they develop physical capacities). The PE
“What is implicit and explicit in our department head stated:
decisions is related to the preparation of “The NCPE defined clearly three major
students for their entire life, promoting an active guidelines for teaching. One is related to PA,
lifestyle. This is the basic premise of what we and the aim is to teach students for them to be
104 | A Marques, N Ferro, J Martins, FC da Costa

able to practice regularly. The other has to do activities, from the informal conversations, the
with theoretical knowledge to enable students to head of the PE department stated:
understand how important PA and fitness is to “The school sports are a subsidiary of PE. We
improve health. The third is physical fitness, and assume school sports in two different
in each class students have to work to improve perspectives. The first is related with sports
their fitness levels, because there is a competition. The aim is to improve, but always
relationship between fitness and health.” using a formative approach. The other
The PE department head added that teachers perspective, which is relatively recent in our
were supposed to teach more than one PA in school, is related to the sports in which students
each PE lesson, sometimes at the same time, have difficulties in PE. In school, students play
with students performing different tasks sports to practice and improve their
according to their needs. Teachers should use performance. Naturally this will have a
the class time to explain the objective of each repercussion in PE marks at the end of the
exercise, allowing students to better understand academic year. Sometimes we joke around with
the real purpose of each exercise. the parents; they send their kids to have extra
Apart from the implementation of the NCPE, lessons of mathematics outside school for them
extracurricular activities have great importance to achieve good marks, so we do the same in
in school, being represented in several forms. school sports to help them to achieve better
They could be tournaments (organized by marks in PE.”
students, in which students, staff and teachers With the intention to increase the
all participate), school sports, or activities for educational opportunities for students to
parents and former students. In school sports, improve their motor skills in PE and physical
the school provides 6 activities, as can be seen in fitness, the head of the department asked the
table 1. school principal to allow more time to work with
those students who had more difficulties. The
Table 1 request was granted. Every week more than 30
School sport activities provided by the school students (previously identified as having more
Activity Sessions per week Mode
Expressive rhythmic activities 2 Recreation
difficulties) had an extra 45-minute, small-group
Badminton 2 Competition PE session focused on physical fitness as well as
Korfball 2 Recreation
the sport with which they were struggling.
Futsal 2 Competition
Golf 2 Competition
Volleyball 4 Competition PE teachers’ value orientation
Data from VOI showed that teachers in the
The School sports were a complement to PE PE school department share different PE value
lessons, and were undertaken for a dual orientations (table 2). Three teachers gave
purpose. The first perspective was related to priority to the disciplinary mastery value
athletic performance. It was a space where orientation (T7, T8, T10); and three teachers
students could compete with other students gave priority to two value orientations, namely:
from other schools in a formal competition. The T2 presented simultaneous preference to self-
second role served to improve students’ actualization and social reconstruction, T4
performance in sports in which they had more valued both self-actualization and ecological
difficulties. It seems that school sports worked integration, and T9 favoured both the
as a support for PE classes. For instance, this disciplinary mastery and social reconstruction
relationship between school sports and PE was orientation. T1 held mainly the social
the reason why the volleyball team had more reconstruction value orientation, T3 gave
hours to practice, and had more students priority to the learning process value
enrolled, because teachers identified that most orientation, and T6 gave priority to ecological
students had learning difficulties in this integration. Finally, T5 showed a neutral value
particular sport. Characterizing the school sports orientation.
 Portuguese physical education national curriculum | 105

Table 2
PE teachers’ value orientations
Ecological Social
Disciplinary Mastery Learning Process Self-Actualization
Integration Reconstruction
Teacher 1 Low priority (26) Neutral (34) Neutral (29) Low priority (24) High priority (37)
Teacher 2 Low priority (20) Neutral (30) High priority (40) Neutral (24) High priority (37)
Teacher 3 Neutral (37) High priority (43) Low priority (23) Low priority (21) Neutral (26)
Teacher 4 Low priority (27) Neutral (30) High priority (37) High priority (29) Neutral (25)
Teacher 5 Neutral (32) Neutral (34) Neutral (31) Neutral (25) Neutral (28)
Teacher 6 Neutral (39) Neutral (29) Neutral (30) High priority (29) Low priority (33)
Teacher 7 High priority (41) Neutral (28) Neutral (26) Neutral (28) Neutral (27)
Teacher 8 High priority (46) Low priority (26) Neutral (27) Neutral (27) Neutral (24)
Teacher 9 High priority (41) Neutral (31) Low priority (20) Neutral (25) High priority (33)
Teacher 10 High priority (44) Neutral (33) Neutral (29) Neutral (28) Low priority (16)
M±SD 35.30±8.64 31.80±4.71 29.20±5.96 26.20±2.53 27.30±6.11

Table 3
Percentage of lesson time for student activity, lesson context, and teacher behaviour
Teachers (%)
Category T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 M±SD
Lying down 2.9 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.6 1.4 0.1 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.7±0.9
Student activity

Sitting 9.1 12.7 11.7 21.4 19.3 9.3 8.6 15.7 6.5 11.4 12.6±4.8
Standing 24.6 23.1 27.5 32.4 27.1 27.8 28.1 27.5 39.3 28.1 28.5±4.5
Walking 37.0 37.2 30.8 32.8 34.1 31.1 33.7 35.4 34.5 37.2 34.4±2.4
Very active 26.4 26.1 30.0 13.4 18.9 30.4 29.2 21.0 19.7 23.3 23.8±5.6
MVPA 63.4 63.3 60.8 46.2 53.0 61.5 62.9 56.4 54.2 60.5 58.2±5.7
Management 20.9 22.6 24.2 29.3 17.2 24.6 22.3 21.1 23.2 12.7 22.4±4.4
Physical fitness 0.3 3.6 8.4 2.0 8.1 2.7 6.0 3.7 1.7 1.5 3.9±2.8
Lesson context

General knowledge 11.0 10.5 8.0 21.0 18.5 4.2 4.5 19.1 15.7 6.4 11.9±6.3
Fitness 7.0 18.0 18.0 8.0 4.3 20.9 28.8 17.0 10.6 16.6 14.9±7.4
Skill practice 21.1 15.9 3.4 3.4 24.2 10.9 12.0 30.1 24.8 19.3 16.5±9.1
Game play 39.7 29.4 38.0 36.3 27.7 36.7 26.4 9.0 24.0 43.5 30.9±10.1
Other 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 3.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4±1.1
Promoting fitness 3.0 16.2 21.5 12.2 6.8 20.1 21.4 14.2 7.6 5.6 12.8±6.9
Teacher behaviour

Demonstrating fitness 0.0 0.0 2.9 0.2 0.0 0.0 2.3 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.6±1.1
General instruction 60.5 54.1 43.4 46.0 73.3 31.4 38.1 46.9 59.8 65.4 51.9±13.0
Class management 22.0 25.0 23.6 27.8 17.2 25.7 19.1 30.7 29.1 17.2 23.7±4.8
Observing 14.8 4.7 8.7 13.7 2.7 21.1 19.2 8.2 2.7 11.8 10.8±6.5
Off task 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 1.7 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.2±0.5

PE classes students generally performing without major

Table 3 represents the proportion of lesson intervention from the teacher, followed by time
time for the main SOFIT categories (student focused on management (22.4%). In most of the
activity, lesson context, and teacher behaviour). observed classes teachers taught more than on
Overall, students spent the majority of their PA, and during time devoted to game play the
lesson time walking (34.4%), which is classified students performed more than one sport. As for
as MPA, followed by standing (28.5%), and in the activity time devoted to activities in which
VPA (23.8%). Students from nine teachers the major purpose was to improve the students’
engaged in MVPA for more than 50% of the fitness in terms of cardiovascular endurance,
available time during the three lessons observed. strength, or flexibility, the average was 14.9%
Six of the teachers have offered more than 60% (ranging between 4.3% and 28.8%). Only 3.9%
of MVPA. Only one teacher did not provide 50% of the lesson time was centred on delivering
or more of MVPA. The lesson activity time was information related to physical fitness. Through
mainly devoted to game play (30.9%), with information gathered based on observation and
106 | A Marques, N Ferro, J Martins, FC da Costa

conversation with teachers, the lower time HR monitoring

centred on information related to physical The intensity of the PA provided to students
fitness was due to the fact that it was expected shows an average of 131.9 bpm, ranging from
that the students had already acquired this 117.3 to 142.5 bpm (table 5). The average
knowledge because it had been mentioned duration of PE lessons was 74 minutes. Students
frequently throughout the year (SOFIT data engaged in MVPA for 30 minutes of lesson,
were collected near the end of the academic which represents 40% of the lesson time. In the
year). With respect to teacher behaviour, 51.9% 45-minute lessons, students were 20.8±9.7
of their time was spent providing general minutes with levels of HR below 140 bpm and
instruction, followed by class management 23±10.6 minutes above 140 bpm. In 90-minute
(23.7%), matching with 22.4% in the category lessons, the averages were 42.2±15.3 minutes
with the same name but belonging to the level below 140 bpm and 37±16.9 minutes above 140
of lesson content. Promoting fitness took 12.8% bpm. According to paired-samples t test, there
of the class time, and teachers spent only 0.6% were no statistically significant differences in
demonstrating fitness. When teachers were mean levels of HR between 45 and 90-minutes
asked about this value, they indicated that the classes (t(23)=1.477, p=0.153). The average
students were already familiarized with most of time in which students were engaged in
the exercises. activities with an intensity below and above 140
bpm was not significant in 45-minutes (t(23)=-
0.542, p=0.593) and 90-minutes classes
(t(23)=1.253, p=0.223).

Table 4
Heart rate measures
Teachers (bpm)
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 M± SD
Lesson 1 153.5 131.8 142.5 117.5 138.0 157.0 141.5 130.8 138.3 139.0 139.0±11.2
Lesson 2 141.8 133.5 133.5 133.0 141.8 154.3 125.0 109.0 132.0 136.8 130.3±10.6
Lesson 3 127.0 131.0 140.0 101.3 115.0 116.3 129.5 118.0 121.3 128.0 126.5±14.4
M±SD 140.8±13.3 132.1±1.3 138.7±4.6 117.3±15.9 131.6±14.5 142.5±22.8 132.0±8.5 119.3±11.0 130.5±8.6 134.6±5.8 131.9±8.3

Table 5
Heart rate values below and above 140 bpm
HR bellow 140 bpm HR above 140 bpm
Teachers Mean class time % of lesson time Minutes % of lesson time Minutes
T1 78 49.3 38 50.7 40
T2 64 56.0 36 44.0 28
T3 62 54.8 34 45.2 28
T4 68 77.0 53 23.0 16
T5 93 60.6 57 39.4 37
T6 94 50.6 47 49.4 46
T7 76 56.6 43 43.4 33
T8 50 79.9 40 20.1 10
T9 61 57.5 35 42.5 26
T10 89 60.4 54 39.6 35
Mean 74 60.3 44 40.0 30

DISCUSSION physically literate person (Castelli, Barcelona, &

This study analysed the functioning of a PE Bryant, 2015) by ensuring: (1) that students
department of a secondary school focused on possessed the knowledge and motor skills to be
NCPE with respect to health and PA promotion. able to value PA and (2) that they were able to
School PE teachers favoured an educational design intentionally their PA and fitness
perspective of health-related PE (Johns & exercises and practice, throughout their lives, in
Tinning, 2006), and created an education order to maintain and/or improve their health
climate that favoured the development of a status.
 Portuguese physical education national curriculum | 107

The characteristics of the curriculum and the the recommendation that health-enhancing PA
diversity of the PA entailed some difficulties for in PE should be deliberately planned (Fairclough
the teachers, because not all of them had the & Stratton, 2005a, 2005b; Martin, Kulinna,
necessary preparation to teach all activities. To Eklund, & Reed, 2001). The teachers’ collective
solve this situation, they organized a training compromise to maximize students’ time on task
plan, in which each teacher would teach their and to provide them with sufficient PA is
area of expertise to the other teachers. This probably a key ingredient to engaging students
attitude of the PE department clearly showed in MVPA and to avoid the influence of PE value
the importance they gave to the NCPE, while orientations that do not support this goal.
teaching the PA in a useful perspective so that, Across all observed lessons most lesson time
in the future, students could use what they have was apportioned to game play and skill practice,
learned as a tool to practice PA autonomously. while teachers were giving general instructions.
The way teachers organized the training plan, This addresses the knowledge and
and planned the activities for the entire year, understanding, and motor skill development
demonstrates that they work as a professional goals of PE. Apart from the time achieved in
learning community (Hord, 1997; Schmoker, MVPA it could be said that, if time devoted to
2004). These types of communities are instruction was reduced, students could enhance
characterized by a shared vision and a focus on: their time in MVPA. Mersh and Fairclough
collegiality, students’ learning, individualizing (2010) indicated that when making judgments
the teaching process, and providing additional about PA and sedentary behaviour in PE time, it
time for students with more difficulties. is important to do this in relation to the planned
Students engaged in MVPA for 58.2% of the lesson objectives. If lesson segments designed to
lesson time. Only the students of one teacher give instruction result in effective pedagogy,
did not reach 50% of lesson time in MVPA. On they should be viewed as a necessary part of PE
the other hand, six teachers have offered more and its potential to foster long-term positive PA
than 60% of MVPA. This data was higher than attitudes and skills (Castelli & Rink, 2003;
those found in the literature (Fairclough & Cone, 2004). This means that active and inactive
Stratton, 2006b; McKenzie, Marshall, Sallis, & segments in PE classes, through enjoyable and
Conway, 2000) and meets what is recommended motivating learning environments, are required
for the PE class time (USDHHS, 2000). The fact to promote students’ PA education by enhancing
that only one teacher had not achieved 50% of their knowledge and understanding (Brynteson
class time in MVPA takes on particular relevance & Adams, 1993; Dale, Corbin, & Cuddihy,
when one considers that teachers don’t share 1998).
the same PE value orientations. This may reflect Regarding time devoted to management,
on the teachers’ collective compromise to follow teachers spent, on average, 22.4% of their total
the same PE objectives, and valuing students’ intervention on lesson context and 23.7% of
interests above all else. We also see the their behaviour. Siedentop (1991) mentions that
educational work characteristics of the school PE if classroom management time represents more
department, where the focus is on complying than 20% of total intervention, it means that
with the NCPE, and the principles and strategies teachers faced some difficulties in organizing the
to be employed to maximize the number of class. Since most teachers are experienced, it is
students engaged in active learning for the unlikely that they had difficulties. The high
maximum amount of available time. These percentage of time devoted to classroom
principles were successfully followed in the management was due to the diversity of
SPARK PE programs by non-PE specialist activities that were taught in the same class.
teachers, who have achieved the 50% MVPA Several times, while some students were playing
goal in their lessons (McKenzie, Sallis, Kolody, or practicing skills, teachers organized other
& Faucette, 1997). This data seems to support students for another task. This explains why
108 | A Marques, N Ferro, J Martins, FC da Costa

both time devoted to management and MVPA of the commitment of the PE department to
were high. promoting students’ learning, teaching the PA
According to the Portuguese education from the NCPE, as well as preparing students to
system, students from grades 7 to 9 have 135 be fit, and acquire the knowledge that allows
minutes of PE per week, and students from them to be autonomous.
grades 10 to 12 have 180 minutes. Schools have Curriculum scholars argue that value
the autonomy to allocate this time as they want; orientations influence curricular decision-
in this school, students in grades 7 to 9 had a making and determine choices related to
45-minute plus a 90-minute class, and those content, pedagogy, and assessment (Carreiro da
who attended grades 10 to 12 had two 90- Costa, 2005; Curtner-Smith & Meek, 2000;
minute classes. Although the schools had the Ennis & Chen, 1995). This study has revealed
autonomy to allocate PE time, the NCPE that although teachers possess different value
recommends PE lessons of 45 minutes in order orientations, the goals for PE were similar in
to provide students with a greater number of classes, as was the concern to provide high levels
times to practice PA per week. PE teachers of intensity in these classes. We believed that
required that the PE time allocation should be as the commitment expressed in the documents,
has been prescribed by the NCPE; however, and the collective work, contributed to minimize
their claim was not recognised by the school the individual differences. This demonstrates the
principal. importance of collective work and overlapping
The results of comparative analysis between individual beliefs when the goal is promoting
45-minute and 90-minute classes showed no health-related PE.
significant differences in mean levels of HR,
suggesting that from a pedagogical viewpoint, CONCLUSION
both options are adequate and contribute to The results seem to confirm the hypothesis
improved physical fitness. According to this that the diversity of educational beliefs shared
data, the time allocated in a 45-minute class by PE teachers in a school does not prevent
provided students with the opportunity to them from pursuing common objectives. On the
exercise at least three times a week. If we then other hand, considering that a relationship
add school sports, opportunities available for all between the belief system of the individual
students (free of charge), students could practice teachers and their teaching behaviours was not
PA at least 5/6 times a week. This is almost found, this result may become a valuable asset
sufficient to meet the youth PA recommendation to argue that the importance given to the work
(World Health Organization, 2010). It also climate characterizing the school PE department
demonstrates that schools can provide cannot be forgotten. This is especially pertinent
opportunities to help students to meet PA as one considers a strategy aiming to improve
recommendation; PE and school sports play an the quality of PE and pupils’ learning,
important role. specifically when the aim is optimizing the role
Studies have found that teachers from of PE in PA (Solmon, 2015).
secondary schools gave priority to social PE teachers showed a shared commitment
reconstruction value orientation, and delineating about what is important to teach and how best
curricular goals for social responsibility, while to organize learning. They worked as a team,
disciplinary mastery value orientation was not focusing their teaching in students’ learning.
favoured (Behets & Vergauwen, 2004; Ennis & They showed high expectations, believing that
Chen, 1995). These results are not in accordance students can succeed. This suggests that they
with ours. Most of the PE teachers from the possess a strong moral purpose. They behave
investigated school centred their attention on like an organized group whose members: 1)
the contents of PE, appearing disciplinary share a common goal, 2) wish to improve the
mastery and ecological integration as the most quality of education, 3) have a desire to learn
valued value orientations. This may be the result from each other, and 4) value contextualized and
 Portuguese physical education national curriculum | 109

collaborative professional learning. These on attitudes and exercise habits of college

characteristics are consistent with the literature alumni after 2 to 11 years of follow-up. Research
Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 64(2), 208-212.
about effective and better schools correlates doi: 10.1080/02701367.1993.10608798
(Lezotte & Snyder, 2011; Reynolds & Teddlie, Carreiro da Costa, F. (2005). Changing the
2000; Sammons & Bakkum, 2011) and are in curriculum does not mean changing practices at
school: the impact of teachers beliefs on
line with the characteristics of the high
curriculum implementation. The art and science of
performing secondary PE programs (Castelli & teaching in Physical Education and Sport, 257-277.
Rink, 2003). To promote teamwork and Castelli, D., Barcelona, J., & Bryant, L. (2015).
coherent curricular decisions, as well as good Contextualizing physical literacy in the school
environment: The challenges. Journal of Sport and
educational practices in a school, the PE Health Science, 4(3), 156–163. doi:
department is probably a key determinant to 10.1016/j.jshs.2015.04.003
provide a positive, motivating, and success- Castelli, D., & Rink, J. (2003). Chapter 3: a
comparison of high and low performing
oriented learning environment with the
secondary Physical Education programs. Journal
potential to influence students’ present and of Teaching in Physical Education, 22(5), 512-532.
future participation in PA. Thus, PE teacher doi: 10.1123/jtpe.22.5.512
education programs have the responsibility to Chen, A., Ennis, C. D., & Loftus, S. (1997). Refining
the value orientation inventory. Research
educate graduates that possess the ability to
Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 68(4), 352-356.
identify not only the correlates of better schools doi: 10.1080/02701367.1997.10608016
but also those of high PE programs, which value Cone, S. (2004). Pay me now or pay me later: 10 years
team work and are able to work accordingly, and later and have seen any change? Journal of
Teaching in Physical Education, 23(4), 271-280. doi:
assume that students’ interests should take 10.1123/jtpe.23.4.271
precedence over the differences that may exist in Curtner-Smith, M., & Meek, G. (2000). Teachers’
a PE department in relation to the aims of PE. value orientations and their compatibility with
National Curriculum for Physical Education.
European Physical Education Review, 6(1), 27-45.
doi: 10.1177/1356336X000061004
Acknowledgments:
Dale, D., Corbin, C., & Cuddihy, T. (1998). Can
Nothing to declare.
conceptual Physical Education promote
physically active lifestyle? Pediatric Exercise
Science, 10(2), 97-109. doi: 10.1123/pes.10.2.97
Conflict of interests: DuFour, R. (2011). Work together: but only if you
Nothing to declare. want to. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(5), 57-61. doi:
10.1177/003172171109200513
Ennis, C. D., & Chen, A. (1995). Teachers' value
Funding: orientations in urban and rural school settings.
Nothing to declare. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 66(1), 41-
50. doi: 10.1080/02701367.1995.10607654
Ennis, C. D., & Zhu, W. (1991). Value orientations: A
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