A pedagogical analysis of critical thinking deployed by health and physical education teachers at the secondary school level

Abstract

Background: Several pedagogical research studies acknowledge instruction in Health and Physical Education as being conducive to the development of critical thinking skills in students. However, little empirical research has focused on the presence of this form of thinking in Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers. Yet according to various researchers in the field of pedagogy, the presence of critical thinking skills in the teacher is crucial to promote its development in students during the teaching-learning process. Objective: The present study is a follow-up of previous research examining the manifestations of critical thinking in teachers at the primary school level and is intended to identify expressions of critical thinking and define its role in the professional conduct of three Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers (two men and one woman) at the secondary school level. Methodology: The theoretical framework for this study is based on the concept of critical thinking developed by Matthew Lipman. The procedure used in this study involved video recording nine health and physical education lessons delivered by the three teachers followed by nine semi-structured interviews with the teachers using the technique of stimulated recall. Result and discussion: The results indicated not only the presence of critical thinking in the teachers, but also that this form of thinking has multiple facets of expression. In terms of its function, critical thinking is essentially utilized as a genuine tool for teachers to evaluate the pertinence or viability of their instructional approach with students at the secondaryschool level.