Utilizing School-based, Professional Learning Communities to Enhance Physical Education Programs and Facilitate Systems Change (Part 1)

The potent combination of a global pandemic, crises involving human and civil rights, economic shortfalls, and public policy challenges has import for the field of physical education. The time has arrived for physical education professionals to engage in planning for a more desirable future. One aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical analysis of systems thinking and planning dynamics, which focus on whole-part relationships because changes in one component in the physical education system influence and are influenced by others. These systems dynamics recommend a dual strategy: (a) collective action focused on malleable systems components (e.g., teacher education, school programs); and (b) a long-term plan launched with short-term, achievable goals that enable “small wins” in one part of the system on the way to big systems change gains. A second aim to this analysis is to consider how professional learning communities (PLCs) provide a collective action strategy for improvements in school programs, some of which qualify as “small wins” with the potential for big, systems changes. This potential for PLCs is explored in the ensuing theoretical paper (Part II), which concludes with practical suggestions, while inviting companion research and development initiatives with the potential for systems improvements.