How is positive youth development understood and practiced by Korean secondary physical education teachers? A broad picture

Abstract

The landscape of physical education (PE) in South Korea has been drastically changed with the introduction of the positive youth development (PYD) concept in response to the increasing rate of school violence and health-risks threatening young people’s successful development. The purpose of this study was to examine how PYD is conceptualized and practiced by Korean PE teachers and to explore factors influencing PYD-oriented PE classes. Data were collected from online questionnaires (n = 253) and in-depth interviews (n = 20) with secondary school PE teachers. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Qualitative data were analyzed by adopting constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014). The findings revealed that Korean PE teachers’ perception of PYD was characterized by conceptual ambiguity with a broad and vague notion of character development without specified pedagogies. In addition, the implementation of PYD was limited to a deficit-reduction approach using traditional behavior management techniques rather than embracing the ideal of competency building through a strength-based approach. Regarding barriers to PYD-oriented PE lessons, the teachers reported students’ and colleagues’ resistance to integrating PYD ideas into PE classes, the competitive nature of sport, and the challenges of assessing PYD-related outcomes within a Korean school culture dominated by high-stakes testing. These findings indicate the urgent need to clarify PYD concepts suitable for the Korean context, develop appropriate pedagogies for PYD-oriented PE lessons, and provide support for teachers to develop assessment literacy for the design and implementation of PYD lessons.