Preservice teachers’ perceived and assessed levels of examinable physical education content knowledge

Physical education is now examined as part of the Leaving Certificate in Ireland. The primary aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between preservice physical education teachers’ perceived and assessed Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE) subject-specific knowledge, referred to as common content knowledge (CCK). In total, 30 participants (73% female; undergraduate, n = 15; postgraduate, n = 15) were recruited from one teacher education institute in Ireland. Participants completed a perceived CCK survey followed by an assessment of CCK for all 10 topics on the LCPE specification. Mean perceived CCK was 60.1% (SD = 11.2); however, mean assessed CCK was 24.1% (SD = 7.7). The highest individual assessed CCK score was 51.3%. Over half (53.3%) of participants did not achieve a pass grade. Male teachers’ perceived CCK rating (63.3%, SD = 6.9) was significantly higher than females’ (52.8%, SD = 11.2, p = 0.03). However, female teachers’ assessed CCK (31.0%, SD ± 8.8) was marginally higher than males’ (27.7%, SD ± 11.3; p = 0.41). Postgraduate students’ perceived (58.5%, SD ± 10.27) and assessed CCK (33.1%, SD ± 9.24) did not differ significantly from undergraduates’ perceived (52.7%, SD ± 11.41) and assessed CCK (27.08%, SD ± 9.12) (p = 0.37). Findings demonstrated deficiencies in preservice physical education teachers’ CCK, despite higher levels of perceived CCK. The introduction of a terminal physical education examination in secondary schools in Ireland may require more emphasis to be placed on CCK in physical education teacher education programmes.