Associate Professor Dennis Slade, from the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, received the rare distinction of being made a Fellow of Physical Education New Zealand, at the recent annual conference in Wellington.
Established as a professional and academic body in the 1930’s, approximately 30 people have been recognised with this title for their service to physical education in New Zealand. Dr Slade was awarded for his sustained and significant outstanding contribution to physical education in the area of curriculum, teaching and his creative work in the area of the game-centred learning or Teaching Games for Understanding.
The citation noted Dr Slade’s sustained and outstanding influence both nationally and internationally in physical education through his academic writing, text books and workshops that have provided inspiration for teachers and coaches in New Zealand and in many parts of the world.
“When I look at the list of people who have received this accolade it is a privilege to be counted amongst them,” Dr Slade says. “To receive the award you obviously have to meet certain criteria but additionally you are nominated for the award by your peers. I cannot think of a higher endorsement of ones work than to receive the recognition of your peers. It is a humbling experience. I am very proud and grateful to have received this honour, especially as the citation related to both my academic and practical contribution to physical education.”
Dr Slade has delivered more than 150 practical game-centred workshops both nationally and internationally in sports and physical education in areas as diverse as traditional sports through to equestrian. He has had twenty articles published in the New Zealand Physical Educator journal, the vast majority on interpreting the game-centred learning model for teachers and coaches, making him the single most published author in the journal’s history. Dr Slade also provides a blog for the Teaching Games for Understanding international advisory board on which he is New Zealand’s representative.
His most recent research has been two pilot studies testing the applicability of a constructive game teaching model he has published. The model is designed for non-specialist generalist teachers in primary and intermediate schools who do not have specialist training or in-depth sport knowledge to use in their teaching of physical education. The aim of the model is to facilitate the use of a game-centred learning model employing a method that reflects the enquiry models so favoured by teachers in their general classroom practice.