Podcast
The Meaningful Podcast Experience (MPE)
Hosted by Ty and Doug · EN
Our purpose is to engage in conversations with those enacting Meaningful Physical Education (research, practice and everything in between). Part of the LAMPE (learning about MPE) project, our goals for the podcast are as follows.
1) Through conversation and discussion, explore the whys, hows and whats of Meaningful PE in a variety of contexts.
2) Seek to understand the underpinnings and outcomes of prioritizing meaningful experiences in physical education.
3) Share a variety of perspectives on the theory and practice of Meaningful PE for growth and learning.
4) Help ensure that the evolving framework for Meaningful PE is accessible, available and adaptable.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Bonus 10: Season 2 Wrap Up w / Guest Host - Déirdre Ní Chróinín
1w ago00:43:32Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn the final episode of season 2, we turn the hosting duties over to Dr. Déirdre Ní Chróinín, who takes us on a reflective journey as we consider key takeaways, future directions and conundrums related to Meaningful PE - with lots of laughs along the way. Show NotesMeaningful PE in Action w/ Grace Cardiff: Student Voice, Choice & Autonomy in Educational GymnasticsVolshoj et al. (2024). Meaningful PE: Towards an Embodied PedagogyThanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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S2E10 - Not Something You DO, But a Way to BE w/ Nathan Horne
4w ago00:48:47Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailNathan is currently based in Singapore, where he teaches Elementary Physical Education. He has previous teaching experience in both national and international schools across Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Cambodia, and Italy, and is a strong advocate for quality, purposeful physical education for every student. Nathan has shared his ideas at local, national, and international conferences and workshops throughout North America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. In this episode, we reflect on a school year in which Nathan committed to implementing Meaningful PE, which he views not as an approach done to students but as a way of being with them. Nathan discusses the reflective and democratic pedagogies that underpin his practice and explains how he uses data to support student agency, helping learners take greater ownership of their experiences and learning in physical education.Show NotesConnect with Nathan on LinkedInThe original post referenced at the start of the episode is here. https://www.iphys-ed.com/resources/ - Although no longer updated, Nathan's work and resources remain an exceptional resource for assessment and game-based learning design. Ty's Blog on Using Data to Advocate for a Meaningful PE ApproachThanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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Bonus 9: MYSTERY GUEST! Mysterious meaningfulness in middle school.
May 1900:33:35Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailOur MYSTERY guest recently (and successfully!) defended his dissertation - Moved to Move: Middle School Students’ Stories of Meaningful Physical Education. Our guest’s teaching experiences include stints in Hong Kong and South Korea - he currently is a secondary PE teacher in Alberta and has a surprising amount of podcast hosting experience… You can find him teaching undergraduates and continuing to research Meaningful PE on the campus of a Canadian Maritime University in the Fall of 2026!We talk about meaningfulness in middle school PE through a longitudinal research study featuring the creation and use of student ‘vignettes’ (with a ‘live’ example). We also discuss growth and learning as a professional; the interaction and connections between teaching and research; reflective practices for students and teachers; enduring stereotypes and their effects; and curating meaningfulness in middle school.Show Notes:Jo Bailey’s episodeJodi Harding-Kuriger’s episodeScott Kretchmar’s episodeTy’s dissertation can be searched for and found here (probably by August 2026).Thanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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S2E09 - The Great (& Meaningful) Outdoors II w/ Dr. Shannon Kell
May 400:47:52Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we return to one of the most popular topics: meaningfulness and the outdoors. Dr. Shannon Kell joins the show to share her research and experiences on outdoor solo time and how nature can foster self-awareness. Bio: Dr. Shannon Kell is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Francis Xavier University. Dr. Kell in the Department of Teacher Education and the Department of Curriculum and Leadership. Her research is focused on supporting teacher wellness by exploring the benefits of outdoor teaching and learning, physical and mental health literacy, and fostering school community health. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, with her first teaching gig in Regina, she later moved to Calgary to teach at Mount Royal University and was there for 12 years. Shannon and her family of four only recently moved to Nova Scotia, but they are loving the East Coast life and everything nature has to offer.Show Notes: University Students’ Perceptions of a 30-Minute Break During Class: A Realistic Practice for Wellness? https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.12.1Kell, S.D., & Harney, C. (2019). Outdoor Solo Time: What Do Elementary Students Think? Physical and Health Education (PHE) Canada Journal, 85(2). https://phecanada.ca/professional-learning/journal/outdoor-solo-time-what-do-elementary-students-think Kell, S.D. (2022). 1000 Hours Outside: Invest in Your Wellness. The Runner, 53(1), 23 – 25. Kell, S.D. (2019). Practicing solo time: how and why. The Runner, 50(1), 9–11.Related EpisodesS1 B2: The Great (& Meaningful) Outdoors I w/ Dale and Court https://www.buzzsprout.com/2358344/episodes/15914728S2 E04: Cold Water Sets Emotion in Motion w/ Ingrid Elnan https://www.buzzsprout.com/2358344/episodes/18274536 Thanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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Bonus 8: Progressing on your Meaningful PE Journey (or, it's time to get out of your 20 year old Crocs...) with Aaron Beighle.
Apr 1900:55:05Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn this cross posted episode with the PE Huddle host Aaron Beighle, we chat about all things Meaningful PE. What it is, why you might consider including a lens of meaningfulness in your teaching and how you might begin - or progress further if you've already started. Just note, if you’re listening to the intro on THIS podcast and worry that you don’t hear Ty or Doug’s dulcet tones right away at the introduction - never fear - we are there! Aaron Beighle holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University. He teaches classes in physical education teacher education, coaching education, and youth physical activity promotion. Dr. Beighle regularly collaborates with a variety of organizations interested in youth physical activity and has been a leading advocate for Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs since its inception in 2006. Aaron has written more than 85 research-based and practical articles as well as six books, most notably Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children. He recently collaborated with Dr. Bob Pangrazi and Gopher to make their widely used lesson plans available for free via dynamicpeasap.com. He also hosts the PE Huddle where he chats with a variety of PE-focused guests. You can connect with Aaron on LinkedIn.Show Notes:https://meaningfulpodcastexperience.buzzsprout.com Learning about Meaningful PEMeaningful Experiences in Physical Education and Youth Sport: A Review of the Literature. Beni et al., 2017Dr. Steph Beni’s boxing day episode, December 26, 2025Pedagogical principles that support the prioritisation of meaningful experiences in physical education: conceptual and practical considerations. Fletcher & Ní Chróinín, 2021Kilborn et al., 2016 https://meaningfulpe.wordpress.com/2021/11/23/what-meaningful-pe-isand-is-not-part-two/ An Actor-Oriented Perspective on Implementing a Pedagogical Innovation in a Cycling Unit. Vasily et al., 2021.Thanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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S2E08 - It's a Vehicle, Not a Destination: Meaningful Assessment Practices w/ Josh Ogilvie
Apr 600:49:55Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailJosh Ogilvie is a high school PE teacher in Victoria, British Columbia, with over 24 years in education. Assessment and meaningful experiences in PE have been at the centre of his work throughout his career. In addition to teaching, he works with schools and districts across North America to strengthen assessment and grading practices, with a specialized focus on helping PE teachers make assessment meaningful, manageable, and connected to student learning. He led the development of British Columbia's K-12 Physical and Health Education curriculum and is a contributing author to two books on assessment, including an upcoming book where he highlights how to implement standards-based grading in physical education. His work has been recognized by PHE Canada as a National Quality Physical Education Champion and by ASCD as an Emerging Leader in Education.Website: https://www.jogilvie.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-ogilvie/Show NotesPHE Canada Assessment ResourcesAIESEP position statement on PE AssessmentS1E03 w/ Dr. Jodi Harding-KurigerS2E07 w/ Dr. Javier Fernández-RíoThanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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Bonus 7: Practicing meaningful PE to practicing meaningful leadership - a conversation with Mel Hamada.
Mar 1501:14:53Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we chat with Mel Hamada, an extraordinary PE teacher turned assistant principal. We discuss learning about and implementing Meaningful PE as a teacher, mentorship, moving to leadership and how meaningfullness (and the Meaningful PE framework) weave through it all. And yes, Mel called us 'sage-like'. We are honoured.Mel's Bio: Originally from Canberra, Australia, I have been fortunate to work in China, Japan, UK, Tanzania, Vietnam and Australia. I have worked in the Elementary, Middle and High School as a Physical Education and Health teacher in the International Baccalaureate (IB) and using Ontario Standards. I moved into an Admin Leadership role in 2023. Currently, I am living and working in Beijing, China at the International School of Beijing. I am a triathlete and runner and I love training and racing. I look forward to new events and distances in China and beyond. I actively train both inside and outdoors and coach students too. I am a believer in Blue Dragon Children’s Fund (www.bdcf.org) who do amazing things in Hanoi and Vietnam to support the ongoing work in advocating for children’s rights. I am always interested to learn with others. As a leader, I use a lot of my PE experiences to guide my actions and reflections, and am humble enough to know there is always a lot of learning to do. I am super grateful to my family and to the amazing colleagues, mentors, leaders, PE teachers and more I have been fortunate enough to learn from and with. Show Notes:Meaningful PE into Leadership - Mel’s blog postShane Pill - Game Sense PHASE - International School Conferences - a great place to connect!Thanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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S2E07 - Physical Education Con Significado: Old & New Features w Dr. Javier Fernandez Rio
Mar 201:01:32Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we chat with Dr. Javier Fernandez Rio about his papers that identify support for new features of novelty, relief and interpersonal style. Dr. Javier Fernández-Río is a full professor in the Department of Education Sciences at the University of Oviedo, where he specializes in physical education, pedagogical models, motivation, and health. His work includes extensive research and publication on innovative teaching strategies and meaningful physical education. For those of you asking when "new" features might be confirmed, this one is for you!Show NotesChasing Meaningfulness in a Spanish PE Context: Old and New FeaturesMeaningful Physical Education: Design and Validation of a Measurement InstrumentHarding-Kuriger, Gleddie, Ni Chroinin & Lessard (2024). Using Group Concept Mapping to Conceptualize Meaningfulness in Physical Education with Secondary Students. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.Thanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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Bonus 6: Protect the Joy - A Meaningful Conversation About Youth Sport with Amanda Stanec and Richard Way
Feb 1401:14:53Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThis bonus episode features Dr. Amanda Stanec and Richard Way, authors of the new book, Protect the Joy - A Positive, Collaborative Approach to Youth Sport. We discuss joy, competition, coaches, parents, developmental goals and all things youthy sporty.Dr. Amanda Stanec was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada where she attended and played soccer for St. Francis Xavier University. Through these years, she developed a strong work ethic to accompany her active lifestyle and positive outlook on life. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University where she attained a Masters of Science with an emphasis in Physical Education Pedagogy and Sport Psychology. Later, Amanda earned a PhD program from the University of Virginia where she was recognized as the outstanding doctoral student in her graduating year. Further achievements include the publication of more than twenty articles as well as co-authoring several book chapters related to physical education, sport, health, and wellness topics. She has served as a Director on Boards of various sport organizations and past clients include the International Olympic Committee, True Sport, and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation. Amanda and her partner, Jim Stanec, live in St Louis, MO and are the proud parents of three daughters. As a family, they enjoy mountain biking, surfing and snowboarding as a family, and cheering each other on in various sporting events. movelivelearn.comRichard Way is the former CEO of the Sport for Life Society and the Physical Literacy for Life Charity, an architect of the Long-Term Athlete Development Framework, and co-author of the book Long- Term Athlete Development. Way is a founding member of the International Physical Literacy Association and served as director of sport for Vancouver’s successful 2010 Winter Olympic Games bid. He has been a commission member of the International Luge Federation, a Canadian Luge Association board member, and was a founder of the Calgary Luge Club and B.C. Luge. As an athlete, Way represented Canada in nine natural luge world championships and was an All-Canadian West in soccer for the University of Calgary. In 2022, he was inducted into the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. Way is a husband and father of three children, each of which have enjoyed sports at many levels including two who played university sport while the third represented their province at national championships. One daughter now plays soccer professionally in Europe.Long Term Athlete DevelopmentSport for Life CanadaAmerican Development Model - Kids (Richard’s reference to USA Hockey’s materials and evidence)Blog post on the Meaningfulness in Youth Sport projectTrue Competition - by David Light Shields and Brenda Light BredemeierIf you must cut athletes from school sports teams, consider best practices - Research paper (Sulz et al., 2019)YouTube video of Dr. Amanda Visek and “Fun Integration Theory”Thanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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S2E06 - Meet Them Where They Are: Co-Creating a Running Program with Adolescent Girls w/ Dr. Joanne Hill, Dr. Laura Gubby and Mel Bound
Feb 201:19:37Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhat if the way to help girls love running is to remove the pressure and ask them what a running program that met their needs would look like ? We sit down with Dr. Joanne Hill (University of Bedfordshire), Dr. Laura Gubby (Canterbury Christ Church University), and Mel Bound, founder of This Woman Runs, to discuss how they co-designed a running program with 11-13 year old girls that swapped distance and pace targets for minutes moving, and measure success by feelings of safety, belonging, and joy. This episode highlights the importance of meeting students where they are, not where adults think they should be, through a continual process of listening and responding. Bio: Dr. Joanne Hill is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire and Co-Deputy Director of the Institute of Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR). Her research interests include meaningful engagement in physical activity and the impact of space on embodiment and meaning as well as women's running safety. You can connect with Joanne at joanne.hill@beds.ac.ukDr. Laura Gubby is a Senior Lecturer in the Sociology of Physical Education, Physical Activity, Sport and the PG Research Lead for Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at Canterbury Christ Church University. Her main areas of interest are the sociology of PE, sport, and physical activity, and qualitative research methods. You can connect with Laura at laura.gubby@canterbury.ac.ukMel Bound is the founder of This Woman Runs, an organization devoted to the idea that no woman should feel that being active is a struggle. Mel is a pioneer in women’s grassroots sport, recognized globally for her ability to build & lead connected communities that drive lasting change and deliver measurable impact at scale. You can connect with Mel at mel.bound@thiswomanruns.comShow Notes:Run 30: Co-Designing a Run Walk Program with Adolescent Girls (Dr. Hill’s Website)Azzarito, L. and Hill, J. (2013). Girls looking for a “second home”: Bodies, difference and places of inclusion. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 18(4), 351-375. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17408989.2012.666792#.U5yyZPldWSoGubby, L., & Hill, J. (2025). Women trail runners’ encounters with vulnerability to male harassment in rural off-road spaces. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 17(1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2024.2393318Gubby, L. and Hill, J. (2024). Women trail runners’ encounters with vulnerability to male harassment in rural off-road spaces. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 17(1), 17-31. doi: 10.1080/2159676X.2024.2393318Hawes O, Hill J, Phillips B, Smith T, Roberts K, Chater A. "MoveScape": Informing Active Landscape Planning to Improve Physical Activity and Well-Being. J Phys Act Health. 2025 Oct 16;23(2):179-190. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2024-0690. PMID: 41101729.Hill, J., and Flemons, O. (2024). Creating space for meaningful physical activity at home: women’s stories of social interaction, micro-adventure, and the joy of feeling strong. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 16(4), 333-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2024.2313213Thanks to Isaiah (steelandbone1997@gmail.com) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!To contact us:dgleddie@ualberta.cariddick@ualberta.ca
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