68 research outputs found
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 developmentÂ
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
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
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)
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
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
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