The physical education teacher as instructional designer: Developing whole-of-school physical activity leadership through the ADDIE framework

Schools are widely recognized as the primary setting for addressing physical inactivity among children and adolescents, with whole-of-school (WOS) approaches advocated as the most effective strategy for embedding physical activity (PA) across the entire school ecosystem. Physical education (PE) teachers are uniquely positioned to lead WOS initiatives; however, they often lack formal preparation in instructional design and adult learning to effectively facilitate professional development for their colleagues. Twelve K–12 PE teachers engaged in a 16-week graduate capstone project at a public university in the United States structured around the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) framework to design and deliver K–12 site-specific PA professional development. Data were collected through pre- and post-project focus group interviews, reflection papers, and final project reports, and analyzed using thematic analysis involving open and axial coding. Two overarching themes were identified: (1) Redefining PA leadership through systematic design, capturing participants’ shift from professional isolation toward collaborative, distributed leadership; and (2) Professional development as a catalyst for change, illustrating participants’ evolution from idealistic advocacy to pragmatic, context-responsive instructional design while navigating institutional barriers. The findings indicated that the ADDIE framework facilitated meaningful shifts in professional identity, enabling PE teachers to reconceptualize PA leadership as an organizational design challenge rather than an individual burden. These findings suggest that PE teacher education programs should integrate structured instructional design competencies to prepare future educators as strategic architects of active school cultures.