Using TPSR as a model for social justice in Physical Education

By
Rod Philpot
June 13, 2024
20 min read
Contributors
Rod Philpot
Senior Lecturer, Sport, Health and Physical Education, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility

More than 40 years ago, Don Hellison created a pedagogical model called Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR). In the ensuing decades, the model has been used widely in Physical Education programmes around the world and has been recognised for its success in: (a) reducing students aggressiveness and disruptive behaviours; (b) improved self-control, caring, conflict resolution, responsibility,enjoyment, empathy, and self-confidence and (c) improved truancy and grades (Pozo, Grao-Cruces, and Pérez-Ordás 2018, 72). Recently, Casey and Kirk (2020) suggested that TPSR is an approach that is fundamentally concerned with social justice and could be regarded as a form of critical pedagogy.

This article proposes five steps for teachers wishing to connect TPSR to social justice.

Scanlon, D., Baker, K., & Tannehill, D. (2022). Developing a socially-just teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) approach: a pedagogy for social justice for physical education (teacher education). Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 1-13.

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