Physical education and health promotion: a qualitative study of teachers’ perceptions

Presents the findings from semi‐structured interviews with 35 physical education (PE) teachers in secondary schools in the Northwest of England. A principal aim of the study was to examine the extent to which health promotion had become a central feature of PE teachers’ ‘’philosophies” and practices. The findings indicated that the views of many teachers were heavily tinted with health‐related ideological justifications for PE. Teachers not only viewed sport as a central aspect of the subject but also as the main vehicle for health promotion. The paper concludes that an ideology of sport has penetrated deeply into the core assumptions of both PE teachers and government in relation to the promotion of health through PE. Gaps between “policy” and “practice” in relation to health promotion in PE remain and these appear likely to become hardened rather than diminished by recent government policy.