Teaching for Meaning (TfM), as a theoretical framework, is based on the belief that understanding is achieved when students actively attempt to make sense of their school experiences. Practices that foster student meaning-making include: (a) de-emphasizing the teaching of skills in isolation from the context in which they are to be applied, (b) recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge and skills, and (c) linking academic learning and experiences to the world from which the students come. TfM has been applied to and studied in the academic domains of reading, math, and writing but to date has not been investigated in the physical education (PE) setting. Using a mixed methods approach, this exploratory study examined whether TfM practices existed within a middle school PE setting that utilized a wellness approach to teach students health and physical education. Specifically, the research questions were: (1) To what extend do physical educators implement TfM practices in their daily lessons? (2) Are physical educators aware of TfM? and (3) Are students aware of TfM practices employed in their physical education classes? Participants were 4 teachers (2 male; 2 female) and 12 students (6 boys; 6 girls) in the seventh and eighth grades. To collect data, two lessons per teacher were observed using the previously developed and tested Teaching for Meaning Classroom Observation instrument. The teachers and students were also interviewed individually. The observational data revealed degree of TfM implementation scores for these teachers ranged from 13 to 24.5 out of a possible 8-40 scale, indicating moderate implementations. Constant comparison analysis of the interview data identified emergent categories. Congruent categories that emerged from both teachers' and students' responses included Acquiring Basic Skills, Culminating Learning Activities, Referencing Core Academics, and Indecision/Thoughtful Decision-making. In addition, teachers identified the categories of Future Application, Immediate Application, Prior Knowledge, and Interest as primary means for making content relevant to students. Students, on the other hand, identified the categories of Family Members, Home Events, Student Actions and Student Insecurities as providing strong links to the class content. Results of this exploratory study indicate that the teachers in this study implemented TfM practices moderately in their daily physical education classes. There were similarities and differences in teachers' and students' awareness of TfM practices. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that Teaching for Meaning is a viable framework for teachers to enhance student understanding within the middle school physical education setting.Keyword(s): interdisciplinary, middle school issues