Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER)

Artificial Intelligence and youth mental health

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0800

What is the relationship between AI and youth mental health? How can teachers support young people in the use of AI for their mental health?

Dr Melisa Chong, a lecturer in HPE at University of Southern Queensland speaks with Associate Professor Roisin McNaney, cross disciplinary digital health researcher and director of the CSIRO Next Generation of Graduates program in AI in Mental Health.

In this episode, you will understand how young people use AI and some of the benefits and challenges they may face using AI for their mental health.

What is a Health Promoting School? Part 2 of 2

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:00:00 +0800

What is a health promoting school? – Part 2

Dr Hugh Shannon, a Senior Lecturer in HPE at Queensland University of Technology speaks with authors Sue Dimitrijevich (Health education consultant & former school principal) and Amanda Ferguson (Project development officer – Nutritionist, Foodcore Nutrition Services) about tips and insights from the latest edition of the book ‘What is a health promoting school? Increasing health literacy in WA schools’.

Part 2 continues the theme of application and how a health promoting school (HPS) can be fostered. Discussion includes HPS action planning, guest speaker considerations and the value of trained health education teachers as a school community resource. This podcast concludes with the importance of sharing practices and what can be gained from exploring case studies which document context, activities, outcomes, highlights, challenges, lessons learnt, tips for success and sustainability.

For further information and access to a free PDF copy of the book visit:

https://wahpsa.org.au/healthpromotingschools/what-is-a-health-promoting-school/

What is a Health Promoting School? Part 1 of 2

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0800

What is a health promoting school? – Part 1

Part 1 includes discussion of what constitutes a health promoting school (HPS), the importance of making schools healthier places to live, learn and work, the HPS framework, health literacy skills, modelling positive health behaviours, and a call-to-action encouraging stakeholder engagement and co-design.

For further information and access to a free PDF copy of the book visit:

https://wahpsa.org.au/healthpromotingschools/what-is-a-health-promoting-school/

Sun safety and nutrition in the Healthy Promoting Schools Framework

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0800

Sally Blane, SunSmart Manager at Cancer Council WA and Megan Sauzier, Chief Executive Officer at Foodcore Nutrition Services (formerly, WA School Canteen Association) chat about tips for teachers about sun safety and nutrition.

In addition to the importance of teachers being good role models, you will hear about small changes that can have a big impact. Focusing on the three components of the HPS framework, schools can implement strategies to have better health outcomes for children and young people, such as ditching jelly snakes from school sports carnivals.

For more information, tools and resources visit:

www.generationsunsmart.com.au

www.waschoolcanteens.org.au

www.fueltogo.com.au

www.wahpsa.org.au

Enhancing students’ skill and motivation using an alternative teaching approach

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0800

Dr Joe Scott, a Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education in the School of Education and Tertiary Access at the University of the Sunshine Coast speaks with Associate Professor Brendan Moy from the Queensland University of Technology.

As a former HPE teacher and an experienced university teacher educator, Brendan shares his valuable insights on how HPE teachers can tweak the design and delivery of their current learning experiences to enhance the transfer of student’s skills from practice to the performance environment as well as enhance students’ motivation. His simple message to HPE teachers is to try to incorporate some of the learning design principles of the constraints-led approach (CLA) into their teaching practice.

The CLA is alternative teaching approach underpinned by contemporary motor learning theory. There is extensive research evidence to demonstrate that adopting the CLA in practice effectively meets the skill acquisition and psychological needs of the individual.

Talking Creative PE, with John Quay and Abbey Boyer

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:00:00 +0800

In this podcast, A/Prof Sue Whatman talks with Professor John Quay and Abbey Boyer from the University of Melbourne about a holistic pedagogical framework called Creative PE. This framework draws on aspects of various pedagogical models in PE, including foundational movement skills, teaching games for understanding, sport education, and taking personal and social responsibility, to offer a way to plan and teach units that supports meaningful engagement with PE.

Professor John Quay has taught and researched at the University of Melbourne for twenty years, in HPE, outdoor education and educational philosophy. John initially developed Creative PE with Jacqui Peters, who is now a Lecturer at Deakin University. With colleagues he has taught many cohorts of pre-service teachers using this understanding of HPE.

https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/6019-john-quay

Abbey Boyer is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. Prior to this Abbey spent over 20 years teaching HPE in primary and secondary school settings. She has run Creative PE in primary, secondary and tertiary settings with great success and teaches this and other aspects of HPE in the Master of Teaching.

https://education.unimelb.edu.au/about/academic-staff/abbey-boyer

Using a whole school approach to build effective relationships between students, teachers and wider community

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0800

Joel Richardson is Head of Health and Physical Education at St Edmunds College, Canberra, a Year 4-12 all-boys school. St Edmunds is a Catholic School in the Tradition of Edmund Rice, it educates young men spiritually, academically, socially, physically and creatively in a compassionate Catholic context.

Joel discusses how he skilfully builds relationships with his students and emphasises that relationships between students, teachers and parents means ‘everything’ at the school. Relationship building is considered a continual process from when boys enrol to when they leave.

Joel has some incredible techniques including advising teachers to ‘flip’ the conversation, by asking a question rather than ‘telling’ students what to do and to challenge students to be the best they can be.

A must listen.

Fostering healthy food options in our Schools

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 15:00:00 +0800

Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education at University of Canberra John Williams speaks with senior dietician and Executive Officer Leanne Ellison from ACT Nutrition about healthier food options in our school canteens.

How do we align food options with basic nutritional requirements to support overall healthy school environments, as well as professional development for teachers around nutrition.

Setting up positive food experiences and exposure for children as early as possible.

Teachers as Health Workers

Thu, 09 May 2024 14:00:00 +0800

The discussion topic we have is on teachers as health workers. As teachers are increasingly engaging in work related to the health and wellbeing of children, it becomes critical in understanding how this work is undertaken in the work of teachers. This Australian Research Council (ARC) project. In this interview, we understand what teachers’ health work is about and how it is enacted in schools. Lastly, we ask Tony on the significance of this research to teachers.

Interviewer: Melisa Chong is a lecturer in Health and Physical Education from the University of Southern Queensland. She is a member of the Australian Health Promoting Schools committee and researches in the area of teachers’ health work in primary schools.

Interviewee: Professor Tony Rossi is a deputy dean in the School of Health Sciences from Western Sydney University. He is one of the team members of the Australian Research Council project on Teachers as health workers. The team has published a book titled ‘Teachers as Health workers’ and multiple journal articles from the project.

Supporting mental health & wellbeing with Outdoor Education: a toolkit from Outdoors Victoria

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0800

In this podcast, A/Prof Sue Whatman interviews Luke Parker from Outdoors Victoria about their toolkit for outdoor education. A new element of the toolkit assists teachers to make use of the outdoors to support better mental health and wellbeing. Outdoors Victoria partnered with ACHPER's Victorian branch in developing the toolkit to help not only HPE teachers to see the opportunities of teaching outdoors, but teachers across the curriculum.

Luke is a former teacher and is the current Education advisor for Outdoors Victoria for over 4 years where he works with numerous stakeholders including teaching organisations, Schools, and the Department of Education to encourage outdoor learning across the curriculum. Furthermore, he is a University Lecturer at Australian Catholic University in Outdoor Education, PE, Health and ICT. Luke is the founder of one of Western Victoria’s first Aerial (drones) & VR imaging companies with clients including Universal Studios Hollywood, Warner Brothers Hollywood and the AFL to name a few.

You can find the toolkit here: https://www.outdoorsvictoria.org.au/outdoor-learning/

Becoming Autistic: How technology is altering the minds of the next generation

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0800

Natalie McMaster talks with Associate Professor Michael Nagel from the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Michael has coauthored a book titled Becoming Autistic: How technology is altering the minds of the next generation. Today's discussion focusses on the consequences of developmental changes in young people due to screen use and how they are increasingly being expressed as psychological and behavioural changes that very much resemble known disorders such as autism spectrum disorder.

More information is available at:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/becoming-autistic-rachael-sharman/book/9781922607140.html

Using diet quality and dietary patterns to have positive discussions about nutrition and health

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0800

Dr Drew Miller is the Deputy Director of the Teachers and Teaching Research Centre at the University of Newcastle. Drew’s research interests involve the study of motor development through games based methodologies and pedagogical quality more broadly in education.

Ms Tammie Jakstas is a qualified Accredited Practice Dietitian and Secondary teacher current PhD candidate at The University of Newcastle, focusing on Food and Nutrition-related Health and Wellbeing in Schoolteachers.

Those interested in knowing more about the study:
https://uninewcastle.questionpro.com.au/t/ARnRcZRs4K

Supporting Adolescent Learners: Social and Emotional Wellbeing

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 14:00:00 +0800

Natalie McMaster talks with Donna Pendergast, Director Engagement in the Arts, Education and Law Group, and the former Dean and Head of School of Education and Professional Studies (2009-2023) at Griffith University.

Listen to learn more about a global MOOC for professional development which explores the social and emotional wellbeing of young adolescents. Use this URL to access the MOOC https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/supporting-adolescent-learners

Psychological Safety for Teachers with Alison Willis

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0800

Natalie McMaster talks with Alison Willis a lecturer in curriculum and pedagogy at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Alison has a chapter in the book titled Health and Well-Being in the Middle Grades: Research for Effective Middle Level Education. Today's discussion focusses on how to create environments in schools that support the psychological safety of teachers.

More information is available at:
https://www.infoagepub.com/products/Health-and-Well-Being-in-the-Middle-Grades

ACHPER - Health Promoting Schools Committee

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:00:00 +0800

ACHPER Board Director and University of Canberra Associate Professor John Williams speaks with Natalie McMaster Lecturer of Education at the University of Sunshine Coast along with Dr Hugh Shannon Senior Lecturer HPE at Queensland University of Technology.

Today's subject is the ACHPER Health Promoting Schools Committee, what they do and how it came about.

Discussion with Dr Sue Whatman ACHPER President

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0800