Is It Reliable for Physical Education Teacher to be A Head teacher? - A Mixed-Method Study

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bulrr

Study examines whether physical education (P.E.) teachers can reliably serve as head teachers, responding to a debated issue that lacked sufficient scientific evidence. The research first applies rigorous experimental methods to test effects on student academic performance, then verifies the robustness of findings through qualitative research. Results indicate P.E. teachers as head teachers do not adversely affect academic performance and may support broader student development. The study concludes with recommendations for improving head-teacher appointment and management based on evidence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages12

Reading Time30 min

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Is It Reliable for Physical Education Teacher to be A Head teacher? A Mixed-Method Study* Ping Bai, 1 Jiacheng Zhang, 1 Jijun Yao2 1. Lianyungang Huajie Experimental School, Lianyungang 222000, China. 2. Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210024, China | Abstract. To discuss physical education (P.E.) teachers serving as head teachers, it should be reasonable and evidence-based. Previous studies did not provide sufficient scientific evidence to answer this hotly debated question. Therefore, this study first adopted rigorous experimental research methods, focusing on analyzing whether a P.E. teacher serving asa head teacher would affect student performance. On this basis, the robustness of the experimental results was verified through qualitative research. The results showed that a P.E. teacher serving as a head teacher would not adversely affect students’ academic performance and maybe more conducive to students’ overall development. Based on this conclusion, we further suggested how to improve the appointment and management of head teachers.
Best Evidence in Chinese Education 2021; 7(2):949-960.
Doi: 10.15354/bece.21.or019. | | --- | | How to Cite: Bai, P., Zhang, J., & Yao, J. (2021). Is it reliable for physical education teacher to be a head teacher? A mixed-method study. Best Evidence in Chinese Education, 7(1):949-960. | Keywords: Physical Education Teacher, Academic Performance, Experimental Research About the Authors: Ping Bai, Director-General, Lianyungang Huajie Experimental School, Lianyungang 222000, [China. Email: 2691285308@qq.com](China. Email: 2691285308@qq.com). About the Authors: Jiacheng Zhang, Principal, Lianyungang Huajie Experimental School, Lianyungang 222000, China. Email: [1983167366@qq.com](1983167366@qq.com). Correspondence to: Jijun Yao, Professor, School of Educational Science, Nanjing Normal University, No. 122, Ninghai Rd., Nanjing 210024, [China. Email: yaojijun_njnu@163.com](China. Email: yaojijun_njnu@163.com). Funding: This study was one of the accomplishments of Nanjing Normal University’s horizontal project “Quality School Construction Based on Evidence-Based Education Research”(Sponsor: Jiangsu Huajie Education Group). Meanwhile, this study was also funded by the “Jiangsu University Advantage Discipline Construction Project Funding Project”(PAPD). Conflict of Interests: None. *: A head teacher, aka Ban Zhu Ren in Chinese, is a teacher who is fully responsible for the learning, health, and life of the students of a class in a school. She/He is the organizer, leader and educator of a class, as well as the coordinator of teaching and education work of all the teachers in a class. © 2021 Insights Publisher. All rights reserved. Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Crea tive Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License ([http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by](http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by)nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed by the Insights Publisher. Question WHETHER a physical education (P.E.) teacher can serve as a head teacher is not a new question. On the one hand,“non-core subject” teachers, including P.E. teachers, have long been used as head teachers; on the other hand, there has never been any policy or regulation in China that prohibits P.E. teachers from serving as head teachers. However, in reality,“non-core subject teachers,” including P.E. teachers as head teachers, have indeed become a “problem.” In recent years, the topic of P.E. teacher serving as head teacher has become a hot topic of public attention. Students tend to “despise” non-core subjects psychologically, regard non-core subject classes as relaxing time; their teachings of non-core subject teachers are also ignored. It creates numerous obstacles to the class management of non-core subject tea

FAQs

What question does the study address about P.E. teachers serving as head teachers?

The study examines whether it is reliable for physical education (P.E.) teachers to serve as head teachers, a topic widely debated and discussed as a public concern.

How does the study evaluate the impact on students?

It first uses rigorous experimental research methods to analyze whether a P.E. head teacher affects student performance, then applies qualitative research to verify the robustness of the results.

What is the study’s main conclusion regarding academic performance?

A P.E. teacher serving as a head teacher would not adversely affect students’ academic performance, and may be more conducive to students’ overall development.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bulrr