Teacher Education and Professional Development in Physical Education

सार

Teacher education and professional development in physical education are foundational to ensuring quality instructional delivery, promoting lifelong physical activity, and fostering holistic child development. In the context of increasing global emphasis on teacher quality, including in India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, there is a pressing need to understand the current state, challenges, and opportunities of physical education teacher training and ongoing professional learning. This paper investigates pre-service and in-service training frameworks, recent research trends, perceived competencies, challenges faced by physical education teachers, and effective professional development models. It employs a comprehensive review of global and Indian research, highlighting the role of systematic teacher preparation, continuous professional learning, and institutional support structures. Findings reveal significant gaps in standardized teacher education, inconsistent professional development practices, and the need for contextualized, sustained, and research-driven capacity building. The paper concludes with policy-oriented recommendations to strengthen teacher education systems and professional development frameworks in physical education.