ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the nature of current, traditional, and innovatory practices and considers their implications for the perspectives and identities of teachers and their pupils. It considers the importance of school sport and leisure to young people in contemporary British schools and society. The book provides an overview of physical education teaching and teachers in secondary schools and considers some of its limitations. It deals with physical education, mostly as it is experienced by pupils and teachers in secondary school, it is hoped that the issues raised concerning sex differentiation, labelling, departmental management, the nature and quality of teaching, innovation will hopefully span the boundaries of the educational subjects and stages. The book outlines a research project on games teaching, in which teachers were involved in translating the notion of 'teaching for understanding' into practice while also monitoring their own performances.
