Physical Education in the US

In this chapter, we provide an overview of physical education (PE) in the US. We first outline the government structure (national, state and local governments) in the US and how these entities influence PE policy and curriculum. We continue the chapter by exploring how the Society of Health and Physical Educators America (SHAPE America) – the largest and oldest professional organisation for PE in the US – wields considerable influence and power on state-level curriculum and policy formation. After providing these summaries, we theorise that policy, curriculum and pedagogy have an intra-active relationship – that is, they produce each other – and therefore manifest differently depending on contextual factors. To illustrate the intra-activity between policy, curriculum and pedagogy we draw on two specific cases: (a) PE in Maryland and (b) PE in Ohio. Within these cases, we illustrate how PE is taught differently depending on the cultures, politics and directives of geographical locations. The chapter concludes by stating PE in the US is a ‘mixed bag’ with little continuity across geographic regions. As such, young people have unequal and inequitable access to, and opportunities in, PE across the country.