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Pedagogy Lab

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Dr. Oliver and colleagues explore the Activist Approach to teaching within undergraduate college courses, using practical teacher training in a local high school physical education classroom. As part of the undergraduates’ study of teaching methods, pedagogy lab researchers accompany the physical education teacher education students as they practice their training to listen to student voice, analyze the data, and respond over time. The pedagogy lab cohort also conducts teacher educator professional development. For school districts interested in workshops or other professional development training, contact Dr. Kim Oliver at  koliver@nmsu.edu . Follow NMSU PE on  Facebook  and  Instagram ! 

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Fighting Inactivity and Obesity in Today's Youth

Professor Kim Oliver is an internationally recognized scholar in understanding physical activity patterns among adolescents and the Activist Approach to teaching in physical education (PE). She has developed and currently implements student-centered, inquiry-based approaches to PE in school settings and is recognized for the work she does in training her students to be effective physical educators. Ongoing projects include  Youth on the Move , a program designed to help physical educators learn how to implement an Activist Approach to teaching in their classrooms to help engage disengaged youth in PE.

Published and Ongoing Projects

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Phyical Education Teacher Education

Dr. Oliver and colleagues explore an activist approach within undergraduate college courses, using practical teacher training in a local high school physical education classroom. As part of the undergraduates’ study of teaching methods, pedagogy lab researchers accompany the physical education teacher education students as they practice their training to listen to student voice, analyze the data, and respond over time.

Oliver, K. L., & Oesterreich, H. A. (2013).  Student-centered inquiry as curriculum as a model for field based teacher education .   Journal of Curriculum Studies, 45(3), 394-417.

Oliver, K. L., et al. (2013).   “The sweetness of struggle”: Innovation in physical education teacher training through student-centered inquiry as curriculum in a physical education methods course.   Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 20(1), 97-115.

 

Socially Vunerable Youth

Pedagogy lab researchers have applied activist approaches in their work with socially vulnerable youth. In researching with students in Brazil, lab team members investigated the potential for identifying and overcoming barriers through sport and leadership programming.

Luguetti, C., Oliver, K. L., & Dantas, L., & Kirk, D. (2017).   An activist approach to sport meets youth from socially vulnerable backgrounds: Possible learning aspirations .   Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport,   88(1), 60-7.

Luguetti, C., Oliver, K. L., Kirk, D., & Dantas, L. (2015).   Exploring an activist approach of working with boys from socially vulnerable backgrounds in a sport context .   Sport, Education and Society,   (August), 1-18.

 

 

Middle School and High School Physical Education

Ongoing research is currently being done in middle school and high school physical education classrooms to investigate how to best engage disengaged students. Pedagogy lab researchers and undergraduate students work to build a foundation with the students, understand what best facilitates their interests, motivation, and learning, and then use this data to co-create the curriculum.

Presentations

Lamb, C. A., Oliver, K. L., & Kirk, D. (September, 2017).  ‘Go for it Girl!’  Adolescent Girls’ Responses to the Implementation of an Activist Approach in a Core Physical Education Program.  Gender, Physical Education and Active Lifestyles Conference . Leeds Beckett University, England.

Kirk, D., Lamb, C. A., and Oliver, K. L., with Ewing-Day, R., Fleming, C., Loch, A. and Smedley, V. (November, 2016)  Developing a thematic unit for an activist approach to working with adolescent girls . Paper presented to the Annual Conference of the Scottish Educational Research Association, University of Dundee.

Kirk, D., Lamb, C. A., & Oliver, K. L., with Ewing-Day, R., Fleming, C., Loch, A. and Smedley, V. (September, 2016)  Building the Foundation for an activist approach to working with adolescent girls in physical education . Paper presented to the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Leeds.

Kirk, D., Lamb, C., & Oliver, K. L. (March, 2016). “Adolescent girls in a physical education context.” University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.

Nuñez Enriquez, O., Aranda, R., & Oliver, K.L. (Spring 2018). Educación Física y un acercamiento centrado en el estudiante. Colegio Chihuahuense de Educadores Físicos. Reunión Extraordinaria. Chihuahua, MX.

Nuñez Enriquez, O., Aranda, R., Luguetti, C., Rodriguez, A.A., & Oliver, K.L. (Fall 2017). Una mirada a un acercamiento centrado en el estudiante en educación física. Semana de Investigación en Educación Física. Chihuahua, MX.

 

After School Programs

Outside of formal classroom scenarios, pedagogy lab researchers apply the activist approach in after school programs for middle school students. Currently, ongoing research and co-creation with this group exists in informal physical activity settings of sports club and dance club formats. 

Nuñez Enriquez, O., & Oliver, K. L. (2020).  ‘Can we play the real sport?’ Co-creating a student-centered after-school sports club.   Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2020.1867716

Shilcutt, J. B., Oliver, K. L., & Aranda, R. (2020). "I wish dance class NEVER ended": An Activist Approach to teaching dance.  Journal of Dance Education.   

Shilcutt, J. B., Oliver, K. L, & Aranda, R. (2021). “You want to get us involved more”: Authorizing student voice in a dance setting.  Submitted to the Journal of Dance Education.

Presentations

Nuñez Enriquez, O., & Oliver, K.L. (December, 2018). Un acercamiento activista en educación física en Mexico. VI Congreso Internacional Ejercicio Físico y Salud. Universidad de Sonora. Hermosillo, Sonora, MX.

Oliver, K. L., Luguetti, C., Aranda, R. Nunez-Enriquez, O., Rodriguez, A. A. (2017). “Okay, we need solutions”: Learning to be student-centered activist teachers.   American Educational Research Association,   San Antonio.