Addressing contemporary concerns in models-based practice: insights from Ireland’s national physical education curriculum

Introduction: Research in physical education has been significantly shaped in recent decades by work on Models-based Practice (MbP). However, while the concept has gained substantial theoretical its translation into everyday teaching practice remains limited. This reinforces the importance of examining the underlying concerns that shape MbP in practice. Consequently, in this paper, I draw on Ireland’s example of a national physical education curriculum, structured around multiple pedagogical models, to explore three key MbP’s contemporary concerns: viability, diversity and quality. Methodology: The study adopts an instrumental case study design with an ethnographic orientation. Data were primarily generated from observations (registered as field notes) and curriculum documentation. Data were analysed using a reflexive thematic approach, combining deductive and inductive orientations. Three theoretically informed categories related to the contemporary concerns guided the analysis, while iterative engagement with the data allowed sub-themes and patterns to emerge inductively. Findings: Three themes were developed: (1) If it’s in writing, it’s binding: The embedding of MbP within a national curriculum as a way to support its viability, (2) Diverse Needs, Diverse Responses: Flexibility in MbP enactment to embrace diversity, a key feature of the SCPE, and (3) Beyond one Body, Beyond one Model: Towards quality PE through MbP in the SCPE. Findings reveal that the SCPE has enhanced the viability of MbP by providing structural support for its enactment, that its flexibility allows for the consideration of diverse contexts, and that the inclusion of a range of models promotes a more inclusive and high-quality physical education experience. Discussion: The integration of MbP within a national curriculum highlights its potential to move beyond theoretical discourse into practical application. The SCPE curriculum illustrates how MbP can be adapted to different educational contexts while maintaining coherence with national philosophies. By offering flexibility in model selection and enactment, it supports teacher agency while ensuring a comprehensive and holistic physical education experience. Conclusion: (1) including MbP in the curriculum can be a strategy to integrate MbP into teacher’s real-world practice, (2) MbP should be seen as something flexible, to be adaptable to diverse contexts, and (3) MbP can contribute to quality physical education for every-body when a variety of models are employed. Impact Statement: The significance of this paper for the educational community lies in the practical insights of how a viable, diverse, and high-quality future for physical education might look like.