ABSTRACT
Effective teaching of PE is no different to any other subject. It is the content and the environment that makes PE different. But effective learning requires good teaching regardless of the subject. This involves teachers using a variety of methods and styles and knowing how and when to use them. In the past PE has often been criticised for being too games orientated, elitist, with an overemphasis on didactic teaching all of which often alienated many children. Consequently during the mid-1980s the debate on good practice in PE focused on the process of learning, with an emphasis on how children were engaged in lessons. This took some of the emphasis away from the content, product, and the discussion became ‘process versus product’. However, the two issues are not in fact separable from each other and the National Curriculum recognised the importance of both.
