Emerging school sport development policy, practice and governance in England: Big Society, autonomy and decentralisation

International interest in developing mass sports participation through systems of school and community sports development has become a growing field of public leisure policy interest. This research paper considers the policy change from School Sport Partnerships to the new 2012 School Games model of networked partnerships to establish characteristics of the changes in governance modes and implications from practice in England. The research project is based on a regional case study drawing upon indepth,face-to-face interviews with key public policy stakeholders to inform an analysis of change. Initial findings indicate that the emergent networks are characterised by more networked-based mode of governance than previous hierarchical models present under UK New Labour. The study also shows the fragility of a reliance on partnership structures and the potential implications for incongruence in delivering policy outcomes and improving access to physical activity and school sport opportunities

Negotiating change: The impact of school transfer on attainment, self-esteem, self-motivation and attitudes in physical education

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The purpose of this study was to identify any changes in attainment, self-esteem, self-motivation and attitudes to physical education between the end of year 6 and the beginning of year 8 (during the transfer from primary to secondary school), and to establish the extent of any differences between gender, age of transfer and school attended. Consideration was also given to the ways in which continuity and promotion was promoted between schools involved in the study. Data was collected on four occasions over a 20-month period. Data pertaining to attainment was collected using observation techniques and teacher assessment, whilst self-esteem and self-motivation was collected using questionnaires. Attitudinal data, information relating to physical education, and continuity and progression data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. Results showed significant increases in attainment, self-esteem and self-motivation between the end of year 6 and the beginning of year 8. Significant differences were evident in relation to gender, age of transfer and secondary school attended. Significant positive relationships were found between attainment and self-esteem, attainment and self-motivation, and self-esteem and self-motivation, allowing a tentative relationship model to be proposed. Changes in attitudes towards physical education were also found. Whilst teachers acknowledged the importance of continuity and progression, links between schools focused on social / pastoral rather than curricular issues. Time, staffing issues and finance were identified as the main constraints to the establishment of links. What emerges is a complicated picture of inter-related factors, with no universal solution. Each teacher must consider this broad range of factors within the context they teach. In order to do this there is perhaps a need to raise awareness amongst teachers of the impact of the transfer between primary and secondary phases of education on pupils across curriculum subjects, and that this should be explicitly considered and planned for

The social construction of physical education and school sport: transmission, transformation and realization

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThe development of physical education and school sport (PESS), a once ‘marginalised’ subject within the school curriculum, over the period 2003-2010 has often been referred to as the ‘quiet revolution’. An increased political interest in PESS and the idea that sport could be used to address wider social issues resulted in two major strategies, Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL 2003-2008) and Physical Education and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP 2008-2013) and £2.4billion of funding. Drawing on Bernstein’s concept of the pedagogical device, this thesis seeks to understand how these two strategies were transmitted, transformed and realized in the secondary field and examines the extent to which they impacted on the pedagogic practice of PESS. This research study, conducted from within a School Sport Partnership, draws on a range of ethnographic methods including in-depth interviews with Partnership Development Managers, School Sport Coordinators, Primary Link Teachers and physical education teachers across a sub-regional area of London. This data was supplemented with extensive field diaries, partnership documentation and emails. Analysis of the data was conducted using grounded theory in NVivo9. The research findings are presented in three data chapters. The first examines the positioning of the PDM in the space at the interface between the recontextualising and secondary fields. The second results chapter investigates the realization of the PESS strategies and specifically examines the process of transmission and transformation of discourse as it passes through the complex infrastructure of School Sport Partnerships. The final data chapter discusses the impact of the PESS strategies on the pedagogic practices of teachers, and focuses extensively on the target driven culture which dominated practice within the secondary field. The lack of impact on pedagogic practice, particularly within secondary physical education, emerges as a key issue. The dominance of policy targets as the core evaluative rules of the PESS strategies emerged as a limiting factor in the realization of change. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the key findings and the implications for agents and/or agencies tasked with implementing and enacting change in the school setting. In applying the pedagogic device, we are able to analyse the role that the evaluative rules have in prioritising aspects of policy implementation and investigate the challenge of innovation and change. However I argue that Bernstein’s theory is not sufficiently sensitive to a number of the complexities of the contemporary educational landscape and needs further development and adaptation if we are to continue to use the pedagogic device to examine the process of recontextualisation and realization of policy in PESS

The influence of non-domestic factors on elite sport development and anti-doping policy : the cases of Japan and the UK/England

The aim of this thesis is to examine the extent to which selected aspects of sport policy in Japan and also UK/England are influenced by international forces. The objectives which underpin the research aim are to analyse the characteristics of the domestic policy areas and identify the varying degree of impact of external influences on domestic sport policy. The thesis examines the interactions between domestic and international factors that shape elite sport policy and anti-doping policy and seeks to identify how domestic institutional values and ideas have been shaped by global influences. Importantly, by analysing the nature and mechanisms of global influence that are manifest at the domestic level, it is intended to identify varying degree of impact external to national policy. To achieve the above objectives, a qualitative methodology and related documentary research methods are adopted in the empirical investigations. Policy document analysis and semi-structured interviews are employed. The cases of UK (or England where appropriate) are introduced in order to generate a deeper understanding of the development of Japanese elite sport and anti-doping policy. The thesis draws on a range of theoretical frameworks, including international relations theory, international regime theory and globalisation, to analyse the empirical data. By adopting these theoretical frameworks, it is aimed to identify the possible characteristics of international policy regimes in the policy areas of elite sport and anti-doping... cont'd

The impact of School Sport Partnerships on primary schools: An in-depth evaluation

In the five years to 2008, the Labour Government invested over £1.5 billion in physical education. School Sport Partnerships (SSPs) have been at the heart of this unprecedented investment in the subject. Introduced in 2000, the SSP initiative underwent a phased process of nationwide implementation. All state maintained schools are now attached to a SSP. Consisting of a small staff force, SSPs work with groups of primary and secondary schools to increase the quality and quantity of physical education and school sport, and to promote healthy lifestyles. There have been several national, largely quantitative evaluations of SSPs, which report encouraging findings; the initiative has fulfilled and even surpassed many of its core goals. Whilst such findings are positive, little independent and/or qualitative research has been conducted into the impact of SSPs. This research aims to fill the lacuna by providing an in-depth evaluation of the impact the initiative has had in three primary schools in the north east of England. This evaluation focuses specifically on the views of teaching staff vis-à-vis the implementation of the initiative. The empirical research consists of semi-structured interviews with teaching staff (n=36) and senior county council and Youth Sport Trust staff. Observation of PE lessons and analysis of schools’ physical education documentation was also conducted. Building on the realistic evaluation method outlined by Pawson and Tilley (1997), the thesis examines the different Contexts, Mechanisms, and Outcomes (CMO) in each of the case-study schools. The CMO configurations are critically explored to assess the different impacts that SSPs have in the schools. The small sample size allows for an in-depth analysis of each school. The findings suggest that, whilst each school has been affected by their SSP, not all schools benefit from the initiative. In particular, there have been several detrimental outcomes in small rural schools. The goals of SSPs often run contrary to the needs of such schools, with SSP-organised events being inappropriate for schools with small pupil numbers. However, the impact on one of the case study schools – located in a deprived urban area – has been ‘invaluable’. The findings suggest that further qualitative research should be conducted into the impact of SSPs. Many of the issues raised in the thesis have not been identified in past evaluations, and thus demand further exploration

The social construction of pedagogic discourse in policy for physical education and school sport

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyOver the past decade in the UK, the rise in salience to government of physical education and school sport-related policy interventions has been remarkable for the wide-ranging array of objectives that these interventions have been expected to realise. This thesis analyses and evaluates government's sports policy for PESS centred on the Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy and Physical Education and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP). These strategies together arguably represent the most significant initiatives relating to physical education and school sport (PESS), shaping the possible forms of PESS could take in the 2000s. Drawing on Basil Bernstein's (1990, 1996) theory of the social production of pedagogic discourse as the main framework used to investigate the policy for PESS, this thesis discusses the complexities and inequalities of policy-making in terms of examining dominant physical cultural discourses embedded within PESSCL and PESSYP, and the main agents/agencies contributing to the policy for PESS and evaluation processes. In addition, this thesis adopted a grounded theory approach to look at patterns of evidence in a range of resources from policy documents, newspapers, official evaluation studies and interviews, analyses that were underpinned by the research aims and theoretical framework of the study. This thesis identifies a number of physical cultural discourses constructing and constituting policies and strategies for PESS, including discourses of sport, health, citizenship, lifelong participation, and Olympic/Paralympic legacy. Moreover, this thesis presents evidence, consistent with Goodson‟s (1990) thesis about the social construction of school subjects, of struggles and contestation among vying groups, in this case between the Youth Sport Trust and Sport England (i.e. within the Official Recontextualising Field) as well as between the Youth Sport Trust and Association for Physical Education (i.e. between agencies within the Official Recontextualising Field and Pedagogic Recontextualising Field respectively). Furthermore, the powerful recontextualising agents/agencies including the media contribute to the recontextualisation of the discourse in which PESS policies are embedded. Finally, this thesis questions whether the main official evaluation studies undertake "evidence-based‟ policy making and practice because the evaluation studies not only provide implausible evidence but they are also focused solely on "numbers‟, whilst pragmatic and critical voices are excluded from the process of evaluation. Building on these key findings, this thesis concludes with a discussion of the implications for PESS. In particular, I discuss the possibilities for PESS to realise authentic forms of physical culture in schools in the context of a dominant sport discourse and an ongoing reduction in the autonomy of the Pedagogic Recontextualising Field. Finally, this thesis suggests that there is an urgent need for promoting communication between policy makers from within the Official Recontextualising Field and researchers and educators from within the Pedagogic Recontextualising Field and practitioners in the Secondary Field in order to achieve sustainable policy development school physical education and youth sport that benefits all young people in the future

The developmental socialisation of young people in club sport: an ethnographic account

This thesis is concerned with the issues surrounding the participation of young people (aged 11 to 13) in junior club sport. This follows the acknowledgement that club sport is a key site for participation by young people away from school but that very little is known or understood about how this sports experience actually works (MacPhail et al, 2003). This thesis examines the complex relationships and interactions that shape the participation and attrition of young people from a cricket club in the Midlands. This ethnographic participant-observation study focuses on two seasons of coaching sessions, practices and matches. It explores the dynamic interactions between the young people, their parents, their coaches and the cricket club itself Underpinning this thesis are the core concepts of the sports socialisation process and the sociology of the family. On a more applied level, the thesis draws upon the theories of developmental stages of sports participation (Cote & Hay, 2002a), social construction and positioning in sport (Kirk & MacPhail, 2003) and situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Data was generated through observation and semi-structured interviews with the young people, their parents, the coaches and other club officials. The taped interviews and field notes were then collated and a grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data thematically. A number of methods were used to do this including data coding, memos and conceptual mapping. The conclusions to the thesis highlight that there are key differences between the developmental stages of sampler and specialiser, that social construction and positioning within legitimate peripheral participation is vital to the way the sports club is experienced and practised by everyone involved in it and that `the family' is of vital importance in the participation process at the club as well as the way that the club is socially constructed and perpetuated as being like a certain type of family. The young people themselves were seen to inhabit varied social positions which were linked to the positions and practices of their parents and the coaches as well as their level of participation within the club `community of practice'. These experiences influenced their social construction of `self as cricketer' and their continued participation (or attrition) from the club. The implications for policy makers and coaching practitioners is that more awareness needs to be made of the way that the interactions between coaches, parents and young people dictate their future participation or attrition from the club. The thesis ends with the assertion that the sports club experience for young people requires further detailed investigation

“What’s this got to do with PE? Why can’t we just play?”: Exploring the effects on intentionally implementing social emotional learning through physical education classes

Physical Education (PE) has become an increasingly complex learning environment. Prior research emphasized the propitious role of PE in teaching personal and social responsibility, skills, physical activity, and health. The purpose of this thesis was to explore the integration of Social Emotional Learning (SEL; CASEL, 2020) concepts and activities through mainstream PE classes, which utilized the teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR; Hellison, 2011) framework, national and state standards, and an established school curriculum. The study aimed to examine the effect of intentionally implementing SEL in PE from a practitioner perspective and gathered feedback from students about the effect and class design. Teacher Action Research (Pine, 2009) was conducted over one semester, in which twenty-four lessons were implemented in an 8th-grade class in a Boston area public middle school. This period of adolescent development is often considered a complex and challenging time due to a combination of complex, overlapping determinants (Hall, 1904). Observations were made, student voices provided feedback and input on the class design, and additional sources of qualitative data were collected and triangulated for rigor. The findings of this study shed light on the inclusion of SEL in PE classes, identifying mechanisms for facilitating their delivery and promoting meaningful engagement among students. The research also provided valuable insights into student development, personal growth, and refined methods of practice for the researcher. Through intentional integration of SEL in PE, this study contributes to the development of more inclusive and meaningful experiences for all students, aligning with the goal of fostering physically literate individuals who possess the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. The insights provide a foundation for further exploration of SEL implementation in PE settings and offer practical implications for physical education teachers and coaches seeking to enhance their curriculum and support students' holistic development

Effective teacher learning in primary school physical education : an analysis of school-based collaborative professional learning as a strategy for teacher professional development

This thesis analyses the use of Collaborative Professional Learning (CPL) as a learning strategy for teachers' Continuing Professional Development (CPD) within primary Physical Education (PE) in England. Underpinning this research are the researcher's own experiences of teaching PE in a primary school and the problems faced as a result of inadequate initial teacher training and professional development in PE. The review of literature provides an overview of CPD and PE-CPD, examines both historical and current models of provision, and considers national and international criteria for effective and ineffective CPD. CPL has been identified as a key feature of effective CPD provision, thus the fieldwork phase of this research aimed to establish whether and how CPL could be used to enhance teachers' professional learning in primary PE. The fieldwork was divided into two phases. In the first phase, observations, interviews and questionnaires were employed to identify how primary teachers in two case study schools teach and learn within PE. In the second phase, knowledge gained from the earlier fieldwork and also the literature review was used to design two `models' of PE-CPD, based around athletics, to be delivered in the two schools over the course of a school term (3 months). Both models included the provision of resources, an athletics scheme of work with accompanying lesson plans and weekly sessions where the teachers were shown the skills necessary to teach athletics (throwing, jumping, running). Sessions within each model of provision were designed to reflect the principles of constructivist learning theory and employed school-based CPL as a tool for learning. The impact of each model upon the teachers' learning was evaluated through interviews, questionnaires and, in one school, observation of subsequent athletics lessons. The data from both phases of the research were analysed using a constructivist version of grounded theory (Charmaz, 2000). Whilst the two models of CPD were rated as effective and changed the ways in which PE was taught in the two schools, the teachers struggled to learn collaboratively. Three potential reasons for this are identified: teachers did not have the necessary PE subject knowledge about athletics to share with their colleagues; Communities of Practice (Wenger, 1998) within which the teachers could collaborate did not exist for primary PE in these two schools; the researcher didn't actively attempt to cultivate a Community of Practice and for CPD providers, this may be an essential step in maximising collaborative learning in PE-CPD. In addition, Wenger's (1998) social theory of learning is used as an analytical tool to further illustrate the personal, structural and practical barriers to CPL that existed in the two case study schools. Three tentative recommendations are made that would act as useful starting points for future research: in order to embed teachers' learning within the school context, teachers' `free' time should be restructured to facilitate CPL within Communities of Practice; timetables could be restructured to encourage team teaching; and lesson planning or planning schemes of work needs to be recognised as an opportunity for collaboration. Finally, in considering these findings in the context of the aims and structure of the new National PE-CPD Programme for England, it is-suggested that if the programme is to deliver its ambitious aims, it may need to be more radical than is currently the case.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The developmental socialisation of young people in club sport : an ethnographic account

This thesis is concerned with the issues surrounding the participation of young people (aged 11 to 13) in junior club sport. This follows the acknowledgement that club sport is a key site for participation by young people away from school but that very little is known or understood about how this sports experience actually works (MacPhail et al, 2003). This thesis examines the complex relationships and interactions that shape the participation and attrition of young people from a cricket club in the Midlands. This ethnographic participant-observation study focuses on two seasons of coaching sessions, practices and matches. It explores the dynamic interactions between the young people, their parents, their coaches and the cricket club itself Underpinning this thesis are the core concepts of the sports socialisation process and the sociology of the family. On a more applied level, the thesis draws upon the theories of developmental stages of sports participation (Cote & Hay, 2002a), social construction and positioning in sport (Kirk & MacPhail, 2003) and situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Data was generated through observation and semi-structured interviews with the young people, their parents, the coaches and other club officials. The taped interviews and field notes were then collated and a grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data thematically. A number of methods were used to do this including data coding, memos and conceptual mapping. The conclusions to the thesis highlight that there are key differences between the developmental stages of sampler and specialiser, that social construction and positioning within legitimate peripheral participation is vital to the way the sports club is experienced and practised by everyone involved in it and that `the family' is of vital importance in the participation process at the club as well as the way that the club is socially constructed and perpetuated as being like a certain type of family. The young people themselves were seen to inhabit varied social positions which were linked to the positions and practices of their parents and the coaches as well as their level of participation within the club `community of practice'. These experiences influenced their social construction of `self as cricketer' and their continued participation (or attrition) from the club. The implications for policy makers and coaching practitioners is that more awareness needs to be made of the way that the interactions between coaches, parents and young people dictate their future participation or attrition from the club. The thesis ends with the assertion that the sports club experience for young people requires further detailed investigation.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo