Abstract
The concept of Meaningful Physical Education (MPE) has emerged in response to critiques of disengaging and/or utilitarian models of physical education over the last three decades. MPE is a flexible framework based on teachers’ beliefs, values, and the contexts in which they work. In 2022, the government of Alberta released a new physical education and wellness (PEW) curriculum, whereby the importance of fostering meaningful movement opportunities is emphasized. However, limited research has examined how teachers interpret and facilitate MPE within their own practice. Drawing on my own experiences as an elementary generalist teacher, the purpose of this narrative autoethnographic study was to explore how I make sense of, connect to, and facilitate meaningful physical education experiences. Findings are presented in the form of poems and vignettes about critical incidents rather than succinct themes. However, the findings highlight the trials, tensions, and triumphs I have experienced in making sense of, connecting to, and facilitating MPE. The poems and vignettes have been crafted to capture the nuance and complexity of my lived experience and allow the audience to position insights into their own practice. This autoethnographic research situates my own negotiations with MPE within a broader societal, cultural, and theoretical context. Ultimately, this research contributes to a growing body of literature that seeks to support teachers in their endeavors to teach towards MPE.
