Analysis of Physical Education Classroom Teaching after Implementation of the Chinese Health Physical Education Curriculum Model: a Video-Based Assessment

Abstract This study assessed the Chinese Health Physical Education Curriculum Model recently suggested to meet the recommended physical education curriculum reforms addressing declining physical and mental health of students in China. We used video analyses of 41 physical education classroom teaching cases with a physical education classroom teaching behavior analysis system to provide quantitative and qualitative behavioral data. We established reference ranges for classroom teaching behavior indicators, summarized classroom teaching patterns, and assessed classroom discourse and the emotional climate. Notable findings included teachers in elementary schools using closed-ended questions, predictable response, and general feedback significantly more often that teachers in senior high school, and ball sports instructors using demonstration and competition significantly more frequently than instructors in athletics. Overall, three teaching patterns were most commonly used—lecture, practice, and dialogue—with practice being dominant. Analysis of the top 50 most commonly spoken words by teachers identified five types of discourse—motivational, directive, specialized, transitional, and regulatory—with motivational words being most frequent. The classroom atmosphere was mainly positive. These findings provide evidence that the use of this curriculum model may bring positive changes to physical education classroom teaching methods in China and will inform subsequent innovative physical education classroom teaching practices.