Youth voices in physical education and sport: what are they telling us?

Chasing a ball around a pitch seems pretty futile to me. In basketball or a sport like that, someone jumps up for a ball and, even if they don t catch it, everyone cheers. All very strange! It s at these times that I really do feel as if I come from another planet and, to be quite honest, I like mine better. Beam me up, Scotty! ( ) Now I am in secondary school, this sports issue is even worse. I am in a private school and here it seems we are now expected to love talking about rugby or golf. Well, whoopee doo I would rather watch paint dry. Quite literally. The thought of doing games really makes me feel ill, I can t even think about sleeping at night when I have games the next day. I can't concentrate on the lessons before as my worst nightmare is slowly approaching. When it is time for the lesson, I genuinely do feel sick and have a headache from all the worrying. Of course I am told that I will be able to run it off or just ignored completely. It is my worst time at school and I have done all I can to avoid it (Jackson, 2002, p. 130). Introduction The opening extract is from Luke Jackson, a thirteen-year-old boy who has Asperger s Syndrome which results in heightened sensitivity to particular physical activity environments. Although it is negative, and clearly there are many young people who feel differently, the extract does encourage us as teachers or coaches to critically review our awareness of the views and attitudes held by children and young people in physical education and sport. Young people s attraction to and engagement with physical education and sport is complex, varying from those who embrace being physically active whenever the opportunity arises to those who are negative about both. Moreover, youth voice in physical education and sport is compounded by young people s construction of what these activities entail, and also the current positioning of each young person in the context of their family and friends, community and popular culture (MacPhail, Collier & O Sullivan, 2009). By listening to and reporting what young people tell us about their experiences of (learning in) physical education and sport, this chapter recognizes young people as diverse and complex learners with a multiplicity of needs and interests. Listening and hearing in this way has implications for teachers and coaches, and these are considered throughout

Young people’s voices in sport

The young people’s responses above to a question asking them to differentiate between physical education, physical activity and sport conveys a certain level of ambiguity, and perhaps this is understandable. Moreover, providing a definitive definition of sport would be illogical in a chapter that seeks to present young people’s voices on their experiences of what they construct as sport, acknowledging that sports themselves are ‘contested (physical) activities’ (Coakley, 2004) and that ‘sport’ is more than just a physical activity

Curriculum

Curriculum refers to a range of educational experiences, planned and unplanned, associated with student learning. Content is only part of the educational experiences. Physical education is distinguishable from other curricular areas by its focus on the body and movement, seeking to build on previously learned movement skills through participation in a diverse range of physical-activity related experiences. The physical education curriculum is concerned with instilling a desire for, and encouraging lifelong involvement in, physical activity. Most physical education curriculum constitute a rationale, aims, objectives, areas of study / range of practical activities (e.g., dance, games), learning outcomes and assessing student learning, hoping to produce physically-educated young people. There is consensus that the physical education curriculum applies a holistic approach to the concept of physical activity for school-aged students, providing opportunities to; Ø  enhance physical, mental, emotional and social development  Ø  develop physical creativity, competence and confidence to perform a variety of physical activities Ø  examine human movement from different key perspectives Ø  work as individuals, with partners, in groups and as part of a team, in both competitive and non-competitive situations Ø  encourage an appreciation of physical activities and promote positive attitudes towards establishing and sustaining an active and healthy lifestyl

Pupils' subject choice - higher grade physical education

While 1990 saw the general availability of 'A' level examinations in Physical Education and Sport Studies, it was not until 1993 that the Scottish 'equivalent', Higher Grade Physical Education (HGPE), became available, with the first examinations taking place in 1994. Although 'A' level and Higher Grade target the same age group (17 and 18 year olds), Higher Grade study in Scotland has, until the recent introduction of the Higher Still development, normally been completed within one year compared to two years for 'A' level. HGPE aims to develop concepts that are introduced within Standard Grade Physical Education (SGPE) . SGPE became available in Scottish secondary schools in 1988 and is a two-year course primarily undertaken by pupils aged 15 and 16 years old. Since the introduction of 'A' level PE and Sport Studies, very little has been written regarding its uptake, beyond reporting the number of people entered for either 'A' level and the grades achieved. Apart from Carroll's (1995) research, no work has reported on pupils' reasons for choosing to do 'A' level in either PE or Sport Studies. Sadly, there is a similar dearth of knowledge north of the border in relation to pupils' reasons for choosing to do HGPE. Although a number of authors (including Cooper, 1995 and the ILEA, 1988) have encouraged the PE profession to examine the reasons given by pupils which affect their decision to choose PE at certain levels, there have been no attempts to formally investigate pupils ' reasons for choosing or choosing not to do HGPE. This article reports from part of a larger research study pupils' reasons for choosing or choosing the more frequently mentioned reasons given by either group

Special Issue: Moving people moving forward. Guest editorial.

The papers presented in this special issue are those that were successful in being shortlisted through the peer review process following an open call for submission of all papers delivered at the International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education / Association Internationale des Ecoles Superieures d’Education Physique (AIESEP) 2011 International Conference held at the University of Limerick, Ireland 22-25 June, 2011. The conference attracted upwards of 340 international delegates from over 35 countries and five continents with the international contributions to this special issue spanning this breadth including research carried out in Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and USA. The AIESEP 2011 Book of Proceedings can be accessed on the Physical Education Physical Activity and Youth Sport (PEPAYS) Research Centre web page at www.ul.ie/pepays. These proceedings are a result of an open call for submitted research papers presented by delegates at the conference. The journal Quest (volume 64, number 2) has recently published a special edition of the Keynote Lectures from the AIESEP 2011 International Conference

Evaluation of the ‘Action for Life’ programme at senior cycle in Irish post-primary schools

It is widely accepted that physical inactivity is one of the key threats to worldwide population health and that physical activity levels in childhood and adolescence have long-term effects that influence the health of a person into adulthood. There has been an increase in interest in relation to how school (physical education) curricula can be effective in developing the life styles that may help children to become active adults, and how schools utilize their full potential to promote health and increase active lifestyles (Trudeau & Shephard, 2005; Fox, Cooper & McKenna, 2004; Wallhead & Buckworth, 2004)

Listening to pupils' voices

Research has demonstrated that pupils enjoy, are motivated by and strengthen their self-esteem and respect by being consulted about their school experiences and welcome the opportunity to share ideas that may help them to learn more effectively. This chapter reports pupil voice and consultation discussions before contextualizing the discussion within school physical education, recognizing the need to explore links between young people’s voices in and beyond school

Teacher educator as researcher: striving towards a greater visibility for teacher education

If teacher education is to be taken seriously, it must be research-based with teacher educators as active researchers and perceived as ‘public intellectuals’ (Cochran-Smith 2005; European Commission 2015). This re-positioning of the teacher educator results in associated teacher education programmes being expected to be ‘research driven’, developing a research disposition among teacher educators as well as preparing consumers and producers of research (Tack and Vanderlinde 2014). Such a focus is accompanied by pressure from university leadership for teacher educators to focus on securing research funding and increase publication output (Stern 2016). This chapter will begin by sharing some of the main points related to ‘teacher educator as researcher’ before noting the Irish teacher educator context and the role of teacher education and research in Ireland. The chapter will then present three considerations related to the author’s personal role as a teacher educator as researcher striving towards a greater visibility for teacher education. This will be informed specifically by, and related to, the Irish context in which the author has resided for 16 years. The first consideration will share the teacher educator’s experiences on researching their own practices with pre-service teachers as well as their engagement in self-study that captures their ongoing journey as a teacher educator. The second consideration will focus on increasing exposure in the higher institute of credible teacher educators who can connect with the University’s strategic positioning. The third consideration will focus on opportunities to contribute to interdisciplinary / multidisciplinary research. The chapter will convey opportunities for the teacher educator as researcher to increase the visibility for teacher education at local, university, national and international levels

Irish physical education teachers' experiences of learning to become a 'teacher of teachers'.

This article presents case studies detailing the learning trajectories of two physical education (cooperating) teachers as they strive to establish and maintain their identity as competent and confident supervisors to pre-service teachers on school placement. The cooperating teachers who participated in the study share their experiences in attempting to construct a professional identity within the school placement triad. Lave and Wenger’s (1991) theory of situated learning and the concept of legitimate peripheral participation were employed to investigate each of the cooperating teacher’s journeys in their attempt to shape their professional identity through participation in a variety of professional learning communities. The data revealed that the cooperating teachers experienced various forms of legitimate peripheral participation and, as a result, their learning trajectories and attempts to construct professional identities were diverse. The cooperating teachers’ learning did not always follow a positive trajectory, often meeting obstacles, resulting in the teachers experiencing both highs and lows during the supervision process

Coaching for teachers an evaluation of the programme in Leicestershire

Towards the end of 1999, the Institute of Youth Sport was invited by Leicestershire County Council/Leicestershire Education Authority (LCC/LEA) to evaluate the effects of the Coaching for Teachers programme on teaching and learning in school physical education and sport. This article focuses on teachers' perceptions of how the Coaching for Teachers programme has promoted their own professional development and the effectiveness of the programme resources in the school context. Suggestions are made for the future of the Coaching for Teachers courses