ABSTRACT
Proposals for redesign of Canadian physical education (PE) are timely. While Canada has promising initiatives that reflect ongoing redesign, there are several instances where “institutional auto-pilot” has led to negative outcomes for many children, particularly for those who have been historically marginalized in mainstream PE pedagogies and practices. In the chapter we embrace a spirit of reconciliation with and affirmation of Indigenous ways, while also responding to related calls for action. We focus on three key areas for which redesign efforts currently are underway or where opportunities remain. First, regarding identity and equity, we suggest specific redesigns of school funding, PE and PE teacher education (PETE) curricula, and the recruitment and retention of PETE students and faculty in order to destabilize whiteness. Second, we identify how the concept of physical literacy has functioned to build bridges across sectors in Canada, whereas health literacy has not, leading to a critical opportunity to merge agendas. Third, we consider how the nexus of policy, ethics, and culture may impact the implementation of these redesign initiatives. We conclude by identifying a reprioritization of research agendas towards policy and practice as a pressing task because our ability to conduct evidence-based advocacy depends on it.
