Ghostbusters: hunting health education within physical education

Purpose The school subject of physical education (PE) has experienced a “health turn” globally. However, some university undergraduate programs may need to be revised to adequately equip pre-service teachers to teach about health in schools. The aim of this study was to explore the content of an undergraduate university program in PE and what is expected for pre-service PE teachers to teach about health in schools, according to the relevant curricula. Design/methodology/approach A pragmatic discourse analysis was conducted, using the Argentinean PE school curriculum for primary and secondary schools in the province of Córdoba and the syllabus of an undergraduate university program in PE in use in the same province. Findings Results suggest that there is no health education content or teaching strategies offered in the university PE degree and that the brief content about health is mainly presented from a biological perspective and in relation to informal settings. The schools’ PE curriculum, however, demonstrate a broader and more holistic approach to health, including the topic of sexuality and healthy interactions with others and with the environment. Nevertheless, there is no definition of “health” or what it might mean to be “healthy”. Originality/value The knowledge produced by this study is crucial as it demonstrates the mismatch of the content and teaching strategies delivered in undergraduate degrees in PE and the requirements of what teachers are required to teach in school PE.