18 research outputs found
Laying the foundations for physical literacy in Wales: the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of physical literacy
ABSTRACT
Background: The Foundation Phase in Wales is a play-based curriculum
for pupils aged 3â7 years old. Children learn through more holistic areas
of learning in place of traditional subjects. As such, the subject of
physical education in its traditional form no longer exists for pupils
under the age of 7 in Wales. In light of the role of physical education in
developing physical literacy and in particular the importance of this age
group for laying the foundations of movement for lifelong engagement
in physical activity, the disappearance of physical education from the
curriculum could be deemed to be a concern.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the Foundation Phase
as a naturalistic intervention and examine its contribution to the
development of physical literacy.
Participants and setting: Participants included year 1 pupils (N = 49) aged
5 and 6 from two schools in contrasting locations. A smaller group within
each class was selected through purposive sampling for the repeated
measures assessments (N = 18).
Research design and methods: A complementarity mixed-method
design combined quantitative and qualitative methods to study the
Foundation Phase as a naturalistic intervention. Quantitative data were
generated with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 administered to
the sample group of children from both schools as a quasi-repeated
measure, the physical competence subscale of the Pictorial Scale of
Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance and the Leuven
Involvement Scale for Young Children. Qualitative data were generated
throughout the study from the analysis of video and field notes through
participant observation. Data from the mixed methods were analysed
through complementarity to give a rich insight into pupilsâ progress and
experiences in relation to physical literacy.
Results: Overall analysis of the data from TGMD-2 showed significant
improvements in the Gross Motor Quotient and Locomotor skills from
T1 to T3, but no significant improvement in object control. Data from
qualitative methods were analysed to explore processes that may
account for these findings. Video and field notes complement the
quantitative data highlighting that children were developing their
locomotor skills in many aspects of their learning. Observations using the Leuven Involvement Scale indicated that children had high levels of
involvement in their learning and apparent in video and field notes was
pupilsâ motivation for movement. Paired sample t-tests (N = 18)
conducted on the Harter and Pike perceived physical competence sixitem score subscales (T1 and T3) indicated a significant difference in the
mean perceived physical competence scores on the six-item scale
between T1and T3. Qualitative data explored pupilsâ confidence for
movement in many areas of learning.
Conclusion: The combination of quantitative and qualitative data
indicates that the Foundation Phase is an early childhood curriculum
that lays the foundations of physical literacy with the exception of
aspects of the physical competence, specifically object control skills.
Although these skills only contribute to psychomotor aspects of physical
literacy they are strongly associated with later engagement in physical
activity. The development of specific physical skills such as object
control skills may need more specialist input with early childhood
pedagogy teachers trained in motor development to see significant
improvement
Creativity within the foundation phase curriculum: A risky business?
Whilst creative behaviours are viewed as twenty-first century competencies [Davies, L.M., L.D. Newton, and D.P. Newton. 2017. âCreativity As a Twenty-First-Century Competence: An Exploratory Study of Provision and Reality.â Education 3â13, 879â891.], understandings within education remain vague [Prentice, R. 2000. âCreativity: A Reaffirmation of Its Place in Early Childhood Education.â The Curriculum Journal 11 (2): 145â158. doi:10.1080/09585170050045173]. Through a focus on two Welsh primary headteachers, this paper illuminates two contrasting constructions of school-based creativity and considers associated pedagogical practices. Whilst the creativity literature foregrounds child agency within risk-taking environments [Grainger, T. and J. Barnes. 2006. âCreativity in the primary curriculum.â In Learning to Teach in the Primary School, edited by A. James, T. Grainger, and D. Wray, 209â225. London: Routledge.], analysis of the first setting suggests that the privileging of accountability to external markers may lead to risk-aversion as creativity is shaped through a âpolicy panopticonâ [Ball, S. J. 2003. "The Teacher's Soul and the Terrors of Performativity." Journal of Education Policy 18 (2): 215â228. doi:10.1080/0268093022000043065.]. A shift from traditional arts-based views of creativity towards an emphasis upon creative behaviours may be advantageous and a reconstruction of accountability as starting at the micro level of the child. Whilst the post-Donaldson zeitgeist offers hope, this may still be challenging where high stakes assessments remain. These tensions are significant to practitioners since implicit understandings of âcreativityâ impact on the pedagogies offered to children