This document discusses the changing landscape of physical education in UK primary schools. It notes that government funding for PE has increased in recent years through grants like the PE and Sport Premium. Schools have used this funding to increase training for teachers, hire more coaches, buy new equipment, and offer more extracurricular sports. A government study found that since this funding, schools now offer a wider variety of sports both during and after school. While coaches can increase participation, there is some concern that they may lack teaching skills and prioritize sports over education. Overall, the increased funding seems to have positively impacted participation, especially among groups like girls and less active students.

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1.0 Introduction:
In the wake of the successful Olympic bid, government sport policy shifted from a narrative
focused on sport’s wider benefit to society, to sport for sport’s sake (DCMS 2008, Brookes
and Wiggen 2009). At the same time, government drives for efficiency and accountability in
the delivery of public services meant a new strategic role for Sport England to deliver on
participation as part of the Olympic legacy.
In the 2005–2008 round of expenditure on sport activity, Sport England invested £660
million and saw overall sport participation among adults rise by 520,000. However, as the
2010 NAO report points out external factors, such as reactions to national sporting triumphs
or the weather, may well have had an impact on participation levels and these numbers may
not be sustainable as a result. (Carmichael et al, 2013).
It is easy to see why the government and other policy providers would be interested in
accurate participation data. Participation in sport is, after all, seen as crucial to the health of
the nation. While improvements in health potentially benefits the individual in terms of
earnings and well-being, there are also wider economic benefits linked to productivity gains
and lower costs of health care (Pratt et al. 2000, Wang et al. 2005). In the United Kingdom,
these gains have been highlighted in Game Plan (DCMS, 2002), which concludes that the
relation between sports participation and health is the main argument for government
promotion of increased physical activity (Carmichael et al, 2013).
In a recent European Union comparison of participation in sport, the United Kingdom ranked
11th and 8th, respectively (out of 27) when comparing sport participation rates of once per
week or more (participation ‘with some regularity’) and 5 times per week or more
(participation ‘regularly’) (Eurobarometer 334, 2010). Interestingly, when comparing sports
club membership, the United Kingdom slips to join 14th overall (with two other countries)

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with just 9% of those asked being members (Eurobarometer 334, 2010). This is important,
because club membership usually translates into more frequent, and above all, more long-
term, participation (See appendix A).
Among the legacy promises made to secure the London 2012 Games was a vow to make it
the first to inspire a long-term increase in grassroots participation. But Sport England’s
Active People survey showed the number of people playing sport for 30 minutes once a week
had dropped by 125,100 to 15.6m in the past 12 months.
Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/29/sports-minister-concern-
swimming-drops Accessed: 30/01/2015
1.1 Aims and Objectives:
The present study seeks to explore the students own perceptions regarding physical education
taught at key stage 2. Student’s perceptions of what they enjoy and dislike about multiple
aspects of physical education will be explored and will then be considered in relation to the
future development of physical education within primary schools. Therefore the participant’s
perceptions of the importance of health and how that may affect their motivation to
participate in sport will be discussed and analysed.
This study also aims to show how a review of appropriate and readily available research
evidence on a number of issues relating to PE, sport and the importance of early learning
experiences for lifelong participation, as well as highlighting any potential structural
problems with the delivery of PE and youth sport in England and Wales such as teaching and
timetabling. The aim of the study is to also argue that early learning experiences are crucial to
continuing involvement in physical activity later in life. Once completed the data will be

3. 3
analysed and discussed in relation to previous research to test its validity and offer a more
comprehensive analysis of the current state of physical education. As the majority of the
literature surrounding this subject is based around the teacher’s perspective of physical
education, there is a gap in the research for such a study which will offer a wider range of
discussion moving forward.
2.0 Literature Review:
2.1 Current state of Physical education:
The socio-demographic data show that for under-represented population groups in particular,
school remains the most likely place that they will gain access to a quality PE experience.
The key problem, however, is that with the increasing pressures on the primary school
curriculum and on generalist teachers, it seems highly unlikely that primary schools can offer
the kind of quality experience young people need in the 5–11 age range that can significantly
influence their continuing participation. (Kirk, 2005)
However the use by state schools of sports coaches to deliver PE in England has been
particularly pronounced in primary schools where, historically, PE has been perceived as less
important than other school subjects and regarded as a context in which pupils’ experiences
are often impacted negatively by the quality of provision. In addition, generalist class
teachers have usually delivered PE despite claims that many of them lack sufficient specialist
expertise and confidence to do so while a lack of appropriate initial teacher training in PE and
few opportunities for undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) are among the
other status concerns which have been routinely expressed about primary school PE. (Flintoff

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et al., 2011; Garrett & Wrench, 2007; Kirk, 2005; Morgan & Bourke, 2008; Office for
Standards in Education, 2013; Harris et al, 2012; Ward, 2012; Blair & Capel, 2011, 2013)
In this regard, it has been claimed that the employment by Head Teachers of a willing
industry of coaches who are considered relatively cheap, are willing to work in schools, and
are regarded as specialists in sport, has enabled primary schools to better manage the
constraints associated with several other educational processes. These processes have
included: rising class sizes; increased emphasis on standards in literacy and numeracy; local
management of budgets; and the inclusion of PE in an already crowded and pressured
curriculum timetable (Blair & Capel, 2011, 2013; Griggs, 2010; Rainer et al, 2012).
This way of thinking became increasingly evident when in March 2013 when the
Government announced a major new funding initiative to support the delivery of physical
education (PE) and sport in primary schools known as the P.E and sport premium. This cross-
government funding is provided by the Department for Education, with contributions from
the Department of Health and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The PE and sport
premium will provide over £150 million per year for the academic years 2013/14 to 2015/16.
The PE and sport premium is paid directly to primary schools and is ring-fenced to spend on
improving the quality of PE and sport provision for all their pupils. In 2013/14 all primary
schools in England with 17 or more primary-aged pupils received a lump sum of £8,000 plus
a premium of £5 per pupil. Smaller schools with fewer than 17 pupils received £500 per
pupil. (Department for Education, 2014)

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2.2 How Physical education is changing:
Between April and July 2014 research was commissioned by the Department of Education to
conduct two surveys of primary school head teachers and senior managers, to examine how
the PE and sports premium is being used in schools in England and the perceived impacts of
the fund on PE and sports provision. Their study found that since the P.E and sport premium
came into effect, Eighty-six per cent of schools reported using the premium to up skill and
train existing staff. Changes reported by more than two thirds of schools included buying new
equipment (76%), providing more extra-curricular activities (74%), and employing a new
sports coach (67%) (Department for Education, 2014).
Of those who had made changes to their curricular PE staffing, the use of external sport
coaches had increased from 37% to 82% per cent of schools, and the use of specialist PE
teachers had increased from 22 to 54 % of schools. The use of School Sport Partnerships Co-
ordinators had also increased from 9 % to 29 % of schools.
The vast majority of schools (91%) reported that due to the funding there had been an
increase in the quality of PE teaching, with 9 per cent reporting it had stayed the same. Other
changes to PE and sport in the first year of the funding included an increase in the range of
equipment (79%), and an improvement in the quality of equipment (73%).
Sixty-seven per cent of schools reported offering a wider range of sports during curricular
time whilst 77% reported doing so during extra-curricular time. On average an additional
three sports were offered in both curricular and extra-curricular time compared to the year
prior to the premium.
79% of responding teachers thought that the premium had increased participation for all
children. Particular groups of pupils were also mentioned in relation to this increased

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participation, including those less engaged/least active (38%), disadvantaged children (35%),
and children with special educational needs (30%). Around a fifth of schools reported an
increase in participation all- around however, particularly amongst girls (Department for
Education, 2014). Which is important as Fuchs et al, (1998) found that many girls acquire a
progressive disillusionment with certain aspects of PES and totally disengage from
participation as they move into secondary schooling.
The increasing use of sports coaches in primary school P.E has not, however, perceived to
have been an unalloyed blessing, for particular concern has been expressed about the extent
to which coaches, as sports specialists, lack the appropriate teaching qualifications; coaches’
prioritisation of sporting objectives over educational goals associated with the process of
teaching and pupil learning; coaches class management skills; and the degree to which
removing responsibility for teaching PE from the class teacher, means they are becoming
progressively de-skilled in PE (Blair & Capel, 2011; Griggs, 2010; Keay & Spence, 2012).
These concerns have been summarised by Blair and Capel (2013) who argue that coaches
who have learnt to coach through National Governing Body awards (NGB’s) and through
their own experiences are unlikely to have the background, experience or knowledge, skill
and understanding in relation to working within the national curriculum of physical education
(NCPE), debatably this may lead to a fractured curriculum where the teaching of physical
education is completely dependent on the individual coaching characteristics and knowledge
of each individual coach.
2.3 Teaching and learning within physical education:
Another key issue within primary education appears to stem from non-specialist P.E teacher’s
ability to teach P.E effectively. In a comprehensive review and critique of Daily P.E, Kirk,

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(1989) explained how the quality of Daily P.E lessons had reduced significantly as a result of
poor teacher practice. Kirk et al. (1988) also stated that classroom teachers do not possess the
skills or knowledge needed to deliver adequate PE lessons. Whereas Tinning and Hawkins,
(1988) described how P.E lessons had become supervised ‘fitness sessions’ and teachers had
stopped teaching skills.
Research carried out by Xiang, Lowy & McBride, (2002) has shown that this may be due to
the fact that many teachers generally do not feel confident teaching PE. Xiang et al, (2002)
found that many classroom teachers believed they did not possess the knowledge or ability to
teach PE after observing a number of PE lessons. Moreover, Carney and Chedzoy (1998)
asserted that the lack of confidence non-specialists have for teaching PE is related to a lack of
belief in their own ability to perform skills and activities competently.
The influence of personal school PE experiences may be argued also plays an important role
in the development of attitudes and perceived competencies regarding PE teaching as the
major, or in some cases, the only source of information teachers have about PE. This may
ultimately reflect their confidence to appropriately teach PE. The potential negative
consequences of this proposition need to be recognised, for those teachers with negative
memories of school PE, the thought of teaching a subject that was not enjoyed may be a
substantial barrier to effective teaching and adversely impact on teachers’ PE teaching
confidence and their subsequent teaching behaviour (Morgan & Bourke, 2008). However,
most research in this area has focused on specialist, rather than non-specialist PE teachers and
of the limited studies examining personal school experiences in PE of non-specialists, there is
a general agreement that they have poor memories of PE, which more often than not combine
into negative outcomes. (Howarth, 1987; Allison et al., 1990; Portman, 1996; Clayton, 1999).

8. 8
DeCorby et al, (2005) reported two main obstacles of teaching P.E (a) a lack of training or
knowledge of developmentally appropriate lessons, and (b) a lack of planning and informed
leadership for the overall program. Whereas Mandigo et al. (2004) described how teachers
believed a lack of funding and time were the two biggest factors influencing PE program
delivery. As a result of this, teacher education programmes have often been criticized for not
preparing teachers sufficiently to educate future generations of students (Darling- Hammond,
2006, 2010). As a reaction to this dissatisfaction, teacher education programmes have
emphasized both the subject matter and pedagogical preparation that teachers receive and
have created alternative pedagogies for teacher education that link theory and practice
(Lampert, 2010).
It also has long been recognised that primary school teachers are generally poorly prepared
by their teacher education programmes to teach PE (e.g. OFSTED, 1998). Further, the
intensification of work for primary school teachers over the past decade and a half has
exacerbated this situation. Despite the presence of a National Curriculum Physical Education
(NCPE) in England and Wales, there is evidence to suggest that most schools struggle to
meet statutory requirements for Physical Education.
2.4 Motivational climate currently created:
If participation in sport is to be better understood, then motivation as a factor needs to be
looked into. Côté, et al (2003) suggests it is important that young people experience a
sampling phase during their sport careers. This means that during the early years it is
desirable for young people to be encountering a range of physical activities and literally
sampling what is available to them. The major motivation for these ‘samplers’, according to
Côté and Hay, (2002) is fun and enjoyment rather than competitive success by itself. The

9. 9
emphasis Côté and Hay, (2002) place on what they call deliberate play should also inform our
thinking about the early years, as deliberate play suggests that samplers should ‘play the
game’ more than they practice drills and skills, since this links with their principal interests in
fun. Lee et al. (1995) supports this point, suggesting that the focus in the early years should
be predominately on what psychologists call a ‘task’ climate (where success depends on
doing the best you can) rather than an ‘ego’ climate (where success depends on being better
than others). They claim teachers; coaches and parents can play a key role in creating a task
climate in when teaching sport.
The importance of a task climate for deliberate play experiences is supported by research and
development carried out by a host of researchers and teachers on Teaching Games for
Understanding (TGfU) developed by Bunker and Thorpe, (1982) TGfU stresses that young
people in the 8–14 age range should learn to play through modified games rather than the
more traditional approach of learning skills prior to playing the game. The point to note is
that young people’s improvement as players or performers requires them to have as many
opportunities as possible to participate in their chosen sport or sports in ways that are
authentic and interesting.
Furthermore, there is strong evidence to show why competitive success as a primary aim
should not be emphasised during the sampling phase (Kirk, 2005). During adolescence,
young people grow at different rates. When cut-off dates for age groupings are considered, it
is possible for one child with a birth date at the beginning of the competitive season to be up
to a year older chronologically than a child with a birth date at the end of the season (Wilson,
1999). This means that the early maturing individual has a distinct competitive advantage in
many sports in terms of being physically larger, stronger and having a more mature
neurophysiology, which is an advantage in learning sport skills, which can have a negative
impact on children’s motivation to continue participating in sport. As for example

10. 10
psychologists have suggested that a significant factor regarding participation, are young
people’s perceptions of their competence in relation to their peers and the effects of these
perceptions affect their motivation to participate in physical activities (Lee et al, 1995). They
claim teachers, coaches and parents can play a key role in creating a task climate in when
teaching sport, meaning that educators should look to encourage ‘having fun’ and ‘giving
effort’ rather than positively rewarding success.
2.5 The Importance of Physical Education
Physical education has been said to help children to develop respect for the their own body
and others’, contributes toward the integrate development of mind and body, develops an
understanding of the role of aerobic and anaerobic physical activity in health, positively
enhances self-confidence and self-esteem, and enhances social and cognitive development
and academic achievement. (Talbot, 2001) There is also a large body of literature showing
that inactivity is one of the most significant causes of death, disability, and reduced quality of
life across the developed world. (US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical
Activity and Health, 2006).
Gallahue & Ozmun, (1998) suggest that basic movement skills, like those developed in
PESS, form the foundation of almost all later sporting and physical activities. There is also
evidence that those who have developed a strong foundation in fundamental movement skills
are more likely to be active, both during childhood and later in life. Okely et al, (2001),
Trudeau et al, (1999). It has also been proposed that without this foundation, children will
find it difficult to pass through the ‘proficiency barrier’ from the simple activities of the early
years to the more complex activities of later childhood and beyond (Seefeldt 1979; NASPE
1995; Scottish Executive 2003). There is also a frequently cited, but under researched,

11. 11
hypothesis that the development of a broad range of these basic movement skills through
PESS programs is a necessary condition for excellence in sport Abbott et al, (2002).
Another emerging feature of the research is the contention that PESS should help all children
acquire the basic movement foundation needed to access a wide range of physical activities
across their lifespan (Welk 1999; Jess and Collins 2003). However, ecological approaches to
motor learning research studies have contested that these movement patterns are influenced
not only by maturation but also by environmental factors including equipment, cue
information and feedback, thus refuting the ‘it happens naturally’ misconception (Southard
2002; Whitall 2003). Moreover, Trost, (2006) states that evidence that PESS experiences set
the foundation for lifelong physical activity is scarce with recent studies revealing limited
tracking of physical activity patterns from childhood through to the adolescent years as the
cause of this. Data of this sort have important implications for PESS. Yet, whereas it would
appear that focusing on physical fitness may be a productive focus for PESS, from a
behavioural perspective, it has also been suggested that young people need to gain the
appropriate knowledge, understanding and behavioural skills to ensure physical activity
becomes a regular part of their daily life (Fairclough and Stratton, 2005).
Discussion on the claimed social benefits of engagement in PESS is founded largely on the
belief that the nature of physical activity renders it a suitable vehicle for the promotion of
personal and social responsibility and the development of pro-social skills (Martinek and
Hellison, 1997; Miller et al, 1997; Parker and Stiehl, 2005). The social element of
participation and, more specifically, the need for individuals to work collaboratively,
cohesively and constructively, is believed to encourage and necessitate the development of a
number of skills such as trust (Priest, 1998), a sense of community (Ennis, 1999), empathy
(Moore, 2002), personal and corporate responsibility (Priest and Gass, 1997) and cooperation
(Miller et al., 1997).

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It has also been claimed that physical activity improves psychological health in young people
(Sallis and Owen, 1999), following a review of literature, Mutrie and Parfitt (1998) also
concluded that physical activity is positively associated with good mental health, and the
psychological benefits of regular physical activity include reduced stress, anxiety and
depression (Csikszentmihayli, 1975; Hassmen et al., 2000; Long, 1985; Page and Tucker,
1994). Claims such as these have, however, been criticised for ignoring the range of life
experiences beyond sport and physical activity that can influence affective development
(Layman, 1974) and for lacking empirical foundations (Bailey, 2005; Bailey et al, 2006).
3.0 Methodology:
3.1 Rationale for research design:
Qualitative research is defined as an interpretive, naturalistic look at the world through the
use of a variety of research tools (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000) with the key aim to get a better
understanding of the subject matter in hand. It was thought that a qualitative research method
in the form of open ended questionnaires would be the most effective method in producing
detailed opinion from the participants as qualitative methods are recognised as being more
effective in eliciting true feelings and opinions of participants (Robson, 2002). Qualitative
methods have also been found to give more emotional and intellectual detail than quantitative
methods (Nash et al. 2009). Furthermore qualitative research methodologies have become
increasingly important models of inquiry for the social sciences and applied fields such as
education. (Marshall & Rossman, 2011).

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3.2 Data collection tool:
The questionnaire has been developed, adapting previously validated measures from subject
specific literature Penney & Jess, (2004), who suggests that a revised curriculum framework
should be categorised into four main areas;
• Functional physical activity (FPA), in response to demands of everyday work and home
life;
• Recreational physical activity (RPA), as a leisure pursuit, which, for many, is a socially-
orientated activity;
• Health-related physical activity (HRPA), concerned with fitness, well-being and/or
rehabilitation;
• Performance-related physical activity (PRPA), concerned with self-improvement and/or
success in performance environments.
However the design of the questionnaire will be split into five sections instead of 4, asking
the students for their perceptions based around these four subject themes, as well as the
structure of their P.E lessons as they currently are. However functional physical activity will
be adapted further, instead looking at the weekly structure of P.E.
Section 1 of the questionnaire focused on the lesson and timetable structure, such as how
many hours a week do they have P.E as well as discovering whether or not the school hires
specialist teachers/coaches or continues to allow their regular teacher to take these sessions.
Section 2 looked at how functional/beneficial the students believed their P.E lessons
currently are and give them the chance to make suggestions on how to improve these. Such as
which other sports would they like to play that they don’t get the chance to as well as asking

14. 14
questions such as how important they believe P.E to be as a subject and also what have they
learnt from taking part in P.E at school.
Section 3 will look at the recreational side of sport such as how important the students
perceive having fun as to their reasons for playing sport and whether this can affect their
motivation to continue to participate in sports. This section will also look to explore what
percentages of the pupils are affiliated with sports clubs outside of school.
Section 4 will look at how much of a role success and performance plays in their motivation
to continue to participate in sport as well as asking whether or not they see themselves
playing sport throughout their life and whether they have any ambition to pursue playing
sport as a profession.
Lastly Section 5 will seek to explore how much knowledge the students have regarding the
health benefits of playing sports and staying active and whether this is a factor when they
consider future sporting participation,.
3.3 Sample Group:
The sample group chosen consisted of both male and female key stage 2 pupils (Years 3-6) as
it was believed that this sample would offer the most comprehensive answers which would
better help to develop areas of discussion within the physical education curriculum.
Qualitative researchers recognize that some informants are 'richer' than others and that these
people are more likely to provide insight and understanding for the researcher (Marshall,
1996). As I have an on-going relationship with the school a convenience sample was chosen,
the reason for this was because it would allow for greater access to the desired sample
meaning that time wouldn’t be wasted waiting for DBS clearance and meant that the study

15. 15
could take place at a much earlier date allowing for more time to devise a suitable
questionnaire as well as then collecting the data. To ensure the participants data was not
compromised or influenced, questionnaires were completed under the researcher’s
supervision as this ensured that the answers given were their own personal thoughts and
beliefs, this also ensured that any confusion regarding the wording of the questions was
reduced as an explanation of the questions could be given if required, this meant that the data
that was collected will be more consistent and allow for a greater discussion.
3.4 Data analysis:
For the discussion of this study conventional qualitative content analysis will be used,
qualitative content analysis has been defined as;
“A research method for the subjective interpretation of the content of text data through the
systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes or patterns”
(Hsieh & Shannon, 2005, p.1278),
A thematic analysis was then carried out (Nash et al., 2009) where categories and labels were
identified across all of the returned questionnaires, for this a three stage content analysis
process was adopted to establish the relevant information and major themes within the data;
and were categorised into;
 First order themes (main themes)
 Second order themes (sub-themes)
 General findings (un-related to the main themes)

16. 16
Whilst this content analysis method is basic it helped to emerge key themes from the study,
making for a better discussion. Both research analysis methods were employed in order to
identify links between the existing literature on physical education and youth sport. By this
means, the perspectives of the producers of the text can be better understood by the
investigator as well as the readers of the study’s results (Berg, 2001). Descriptive analysis in
the form of percentages will also be used throughout the discussion to further illustrate the
key themes found.
3.5 Ethical Considerations:
As the participants of the study are under the age of eighteen, both DBS clearance and
parental consent was required before data collection could take place. For this consent forms
were sent home to the participants parents/carers to sign and return.
Anonymity will be used throughout the study as all of the information/data provided will only
be seen by the head researcher as the hard copies of the data will be collected and stored in a
locked cabinet. Any electronically gathered data will be stored on a password protected hard
drive which again can only be accessed by the head researcher. The participants will be given
a participation number which will be used to identify their answers throughout the study and
will be what they provide should they wish to withdraw from the study at any point. An
example of this would be; “(P11) stated that…”

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4.0 Results:
4.1 Quantitative:
Section 1 of the questionnaire looked to focus on the overall structure of a typical week
within the school.
Figure 1 shows that…
Kirk, (2005) First, children who are able to participate in a number of community-based club
sports are likely to have a more enriched experience of sport compared with their age peers
whose main experience is in school PE, thus making the primary school teacher’s task even
more difficult since the range of ability and experience levels may be widening. Second,
volunteer coaches in clubs are increasingly being faced with larger, mixed-ability groups of
children who have varying degrees of interest in and motivation towards a particular sport.
This development suggests that there will be increasingly serious challenges for volunteer
coaches to develop skills that allow them to facilitate quality deliberate play experiences for
children. (Kirk, 2005)

18. 18
Figure 2 shows that…
Figure 3 shows that…

19. 19
4.2 Qualitative:
Figure 4 – Key Themes:
Theme Number: Theme found:
5.1 The increaseduse andemploymentof specialisedcoaches
5.2 Intrinsic motivationtoplaysport
5.3 The positive perception of P.Easa subject
5.0 Discussion:
5.1 The increased use and employment of specialised coaches:
It was concluded from the data (Questions 3 and 4) that the participants had been introduced
to coaching in various ways whether it be from their everyday teachers or a specialist coach.
Although the overwhelming majority said that they are regularly taught P.E through specialist
coaches (see figure 1.0) or that their P.E lessons are supplemented with additional sporting
opportunities delivered by specialist coaches such as lunch time clubs for instance.
This is in-keeping with the growing trend regarding primary school’s physical education
programme, as the Department for education, (2014) reported that the those schools who had
made changes to their curricular PE staffing, the use of external sport coaches had increased
from 37 per cent to 82 per cent of schools, and the use of specialist PE teachers had increased
from 22 to 54 per cent of schools. The use of School Sport Partnerships Co-ordinators had
also increased from 9 per cent to 29 per cent of schools. In order to meet such ambitious

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targets of engaging children in two hours’ high-quality PE and sport at school each week the
number of adults other than teachers used in primary schools has increased dramatically
(Lavin, Swindlehurst, and Foster 2008).
However it has been argued that coaches can often lack a significant amount of information
and training possessed by the class teacher which is fundamental to effective teaching and
learning. This includes knowledge and understanding of the National Curriculum for physical
education, practised classroom management skills and personal knowledge of the children
and their individual needs and abilities (Griggs 2008). Foundation subjects such as physical
education have become increasingly marginalised within curriculum time, due to a greater
emphasis being placed upon the teaching of core subjects such as English (Literacy),
Mathematics (Numeracy) and Science for which annual results are published for all primary
schools (Speednet 2000; Warburton 2001; OFSTED 2005).
Although it can be disputed that specialist coaches are an essential alternative, as Caldecott et
al, (2006) reported that as few as a total of five hours during a one-year Post Graduate
Certificate Education (PGCE) course are being spent on PE in primary ITE, meaning newly
qualified teachers are not being educated how to teach P.E appropriately or efficiently.
Findings also indicate that most coaches charge approximately £20 an hour for their time in
primary schools, compared to the figure of circa £180 per day for a newly qualified teacher
(Teaching Personnel 2008). Therefore, many primary teachers lack confidence to teach PE
(e.g. Garrett & Wrench, 2007; Morgan & Bourke, 2008). Combined with the different
challenges regarding the specific content and pedagogical knowledge, including the increased
physical risk and class management, PE is perceived as one of the most challenging subjects
in the curriculum for primary teachers to deliver (Katene & Edmondson, 2004; Chappell,
2006). Further research also suggests that children have been shown to be significantly more
active in specialist-led versus generalist-led classes (Faucette & Patterson, 1989; 1990).

21. 21
Another argument to support the use of specialist coaching is the increased variety of sports
that pupils can then sample, as the data showed that the pupils had sampled a plethora of
sports including; swimming, football, rugby, athletics, basketball, gymnastics, dodgeball,
invasion games, dance, tennis, gymnastics (Question 2). This sampling approach has been
largely established within recent literature as being the most effective in ensuring future
participation in sport. Côté et al, (2003) for example, suggests it is important that young
people experience a sampling phase during their sport careers. This means that during the
early years it is desirable for young people to be encountering a range of physical activities
and literally sampling what is available to them.
These findings have also been supported by the participants themselves, as 70.4% stated that
they would like to sample a different sport every week as oppose to focusing on 1 sport for an
extended period of time, responses in favour included;
“Yes because I would like to try something different” (P2)
“Yes because it is boring playing the same sport every week” (P4)
Sampling may also promote prolonged engagement in sport by limiting physical injuries
through developing different muscle groups (Fraser-Thomas et al., 2005), as overtraining
injuries are a concern for young athletes who specialise in one sport. A number of psycho-
social benefits have also been attributed to sport sampling, such as; communication, time
management and leadership skills, as they gain experience in a variety of social situations
(Danish et al, 1996). However to date, no study has linked sampling and sport dropout (Cote
et al, 2009).
It will therefore suggest that sampling a variety of sports that have high levels of deliberate
play will provide enjoyable experiences for young athletes and potentially foster motivation

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to continue in sports throughout development and later in life. This is also supported by
Baker and Côté, (2006) who agree that deliberate play activities provide a context that fosters
intrinsic motivation to participate in sports by providing greater amounts of 'time on task'
rather than waiting for the next drill to begin, as can be the case with deliberate practice.
Furthermore Coakley, (2001) proposed that an action centred sport environment is important
in implementing an enjoyable sport programHowever after the analysis of the data it was
found that the data collection tool could have been enhanced with the addition of follow up
question regarding the pupil’s perceptions of specialist coaches and how their teaching styles
may differ from regular teachers and whether or not they see any potential differences as a
positive or a negative. As this would have offered a wider viewpoint to the discussion and
added to the existing literature. As well as this the question may have been misinterpreted by
some of the participants as although the majority of the participants of each year group said
they were often taught by specialist coaches this was not unanimous throughout.
5.2 Intrinsic motivation to play sport:
Another consistent finding within the data was the emphasis that the pupils gave to having
fun as oppose to winning as in response to question 14; 92.6% stated that having fun was
more important to them than winning. For example (P11) stated that;
“Having fun because it’s not always about winning, it’s about taking part.”
Whereas (P1) stated that;
“Having fun because it’s nice to see other people win”
This response suggests that the pupils are being taught in accordance to the widely accepted
research that it is important to foster a task motivational climate within young children, where

23. 23
success depends on doing the best you can rather than an ‘ego’ climate where success
depends on being better than others (Lee et al, 1995). In order to create a task environment it
is suggested that deliberate play activities are essential at such a young age. Côté et al, (2007)
define deliberate play as activities in which children participate because they are inherently
enjoyable but could nonetheless contribute to the development of expertise.
.Findings from question 15 however tend to conflict with these results as 48.1% of the
participants said that they only enjoy playing sports that they are good at. This suggests that
almost half of the participants are showing ego traits as oppose to task traits. However these
results may be due to a misinterpretation of the question in some cases as the question could
have been worded to better suit the age group intended. Although this was not always the
case as one participant went on to state;
“No because I like to improve how good I am (in one sport)” (P6)
These findings appear to support previous research from Lee et al, (1995) (found in section
2.4) who suggest that that a significant factor regarding participation, are young people’s
perceptions of their competence in relation to their peers and the effects of these perceptions
affect their motivation to participate in physical activities, hence this would support the
notion that a person with a poor perceived ability will negatively impact their motivation to
participate, supporting the idea that children would predominantly prefer to play sports that
they are good at.
When asked what is the main reason they take part in sport 59.2% of the participants cited
having fun as to that reason;
“To have fun and play with my friends” (P12)

24. 24
The results also show that when asked whether or not the pupils enjoy their P.E lessons an
overwhelming majority of 96.3% stated yes;
“Yes because I like to keep fit and play with my friends” (P19)
This is consistent with findings from Scanlan et al, (2005) who states that children often cite
enjoyment or fun as a reason for participating in sports. Previous research has also stated that
children of all ages often reported a lack of fun as the reason they drop out of sports (Butcher,
Lindner & Johns, 2002).
In response to question 9; “What would you like to change about your P.E lessons?” the
results again repeated the participant’s general satisfaction and enjoyment of their P.E
lessons. As although many differing responses were recorded, the overall response to the
question was positive, such as the need to make the lessons longer as some of the participants
stated that they often run out of time during their P.E lessons. Another suggestion that was
repeated was that they would like the age groups to be mixed, however this conflict with
earlier research from Wilson, (1999) who states that early maturing individual has a distinct
competitive advantage in many sports in terms of being physically larger, stronger and having
a more mature neurophysiology, which is an advantage in learning sport skills and that this
can then have a negative impact on children’s motivation to continue participating in sport.
Interestingly however, 37% of the participants said that they wouldn’t change anything about
their P.E lessons.
5.3 The positive perception of P.E as a subject:
The most notable recurrent theme found within the data was that the pupils recognised P.E as
being an important aspect of school life and their education, in particular how P.E relates to

25. 25
health. As in response to question 7 an overwhelming 92.59% stated that P.E was an
important subject. When asked to elaborate on why they thought this was the case 66.7%
specified the importance of regular exercise and the health benefits associated with an active
lifestyle.
“Yes because you need daily exercise” (P5)
“Yes because it keeps you fit and healthy.” (P21)
In a study conducted by Morgan and Hansen, (2008) it was also found that teachers believed
that P.E was the main context for physical activity for many of their students. Bailey, (2006)
also described schools as one of the main sources for the provision of regular, structured
physical activity. As parental safety concerns and economic pressures have contributed to
lower levels of physical activity outside of school (Bailey, 2006). The health benefits of
physical activity were a major reason provided by teachers for participation in PE lessons.
This trend continued for question 12 as another 40.7% of the participants said that staying fit
and healthy was the main reason why they take part in sports.
“
Physical education (PE) has been widely acknowledged as a key vehicle for promoting
physical activity among children (Biddle & Moultrie, 2001). It is also claimed that PE
provides the opportunity for children to develop the knowledge and skills to lead a physically
active lifestyle (The hands report, 1999) The important role of P.E has also been highlighted
with the recent marked increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity worldwide (Ebbeling
et al, 2002)
Results from question 18 would also appear to support these findings as 74.1% showed that
they have a good knowledge of the importance of health and how exercise through physical

26. 26
education can have a positive effect on their continuing quality of life. As when asked what
they know about staying healthy responses included;
“To get your five a day (fruit and vegetables) and play plenty of sport” (P16)
As well as this the participants also showed a knowledge and awareness health, as when
asked whether or not they believe it is important to stay healthy 88.9% said yes with the other
11.1% saying they “don’t know”. However when asked whether participating in sport is a
good way of staying healthy, 100% of the participants answered yes.
This would therefore advocate for being a strong indicator of future participation as 81.5%
also stated that they intend to participate in sports throughout their life (See figure 2), with
66.7% of those saying they would like to pursue a professional career in sports.
“Yes because you will get a lot of money and it will be fun” (P1)
When asked what they had learnt through taking part in P.E (question 8) the pupils gave
varying responses,
“
With regard to question 1 it was decided that no conclusive discussion could take place as
there was a clear misunderstanding of the question from many of the participants as answers
in response to the question; “How many hours a week do you have P.E?” ranged from 1 hour
of P.E a week to 7 hours of P.E a week. As this would suggest that many of the participants
answered the question as if it was asking how many hours of physical activity do they do per
week both in and outside of school.

27. 27
6.0 Conclusion:
This study proposed to identify any failings/shortcomings within primary school physical
education which could be developed in order to support future sporting participation. It is
therefore possible to conclude from the discussion that previously held beliefs regarding
teachers competence to teach physical education correctly (Kirk, 1988; Kirk 1989; DeCorby
et al, 2005) doesn’t apply in this case as the quantitative results show that the majority of the
pupils are taught by specialist coaches on a regular basis, this suggests that the students are
getting a more diverse physical education, the implications of this is that primary school
pupils are arguably having the chance to sample more sports as a result, which has positive
links to future participation (Cote et al, 2009). This has been largely aided through
government support in the form of the P.E and sport premium which has better equipped
schools to purchase improved equipment as well as employing outside professionals who can
also help ease the burden for everyday teachers whose responsibilities have primarily shifted
towards an increased emphasis on standards in literacy and numeracy as annual results are
published (Griggs, 2010). However the change towards specialist coaches hasn’t been
unanimously accepted as beneficial as it is believed in some sectors that coaches do not
possess the necessary experience, knowledge or understanding in relation to working within
the national curriculum of physical education (Blair & Capel 2013). Nevertheless it is
believed in time that this can only benefit the delivery of P.E throughout the country, making
it essential for such financial assistance to continue.
The findings from this study also showed that the pupils have a very good knowledge of
health and how this can impact quality of life as they grow older as many of the participants
stated that staying healthy was the main reason they participate in sport. This is a positive
finding as this provides added motivation for them to continue participating in sport. Findings
also showed motivation to play sport stems from how P.E lessons are delivered, as research

28. 28
from Cote et al, (2007); Baker and Côté, (2006) found that fostering intrinsic motivation is
important as this can prevent dropout (Butcher, Lindner & Johns, 2002). Implications of these
findings suggest that coaches/teachers should look to implement a ‘task’ environment where
emphasis should be placed on having fun through playing games as oppose to completing
drills.
7.0 Limitations/Future areas of study:
The study does have limitations which must be considered in relation to the results. As the
participants were between the ages of 7-11 they each have differing levels of reading and
writing skills which may have meant that some of the questions may have been interpreted
differently by some individuals in comparison to others, as well as this it may have meant
that their true beliefs may not have been portrayed as they may not have been able to
determine how to write that in a sentence. To better aid this future researchers may look to
conduct interviews as oppose to questionnaires as this may help in eliciting a more in depth
response. As this study was carried out by one researcher, this could also have led to a
misinterpretation of the data as it may have numerous meanings depending on the individual
(Pringle, 2001). The research tool may have also been adapted to look to gain further insight
into section 1 in particular, as this would have offered more of a discussion; therefore it was
found that the study would have benefited from conducting an initial pilot study as this may
have highlighted any modifications that needed to be made.
Due to the small nature of the sample size, it is difficult to draw valid conclusions from the
data collected, as more participants would have benefited the accuracy of the study (Collis
and Hussey, 2009). Instead, this study can only act as a base for future research which should
look to expand further on the research question but on a larger scale, across multiple primary

29. 29
schools, as well as conducting longitudinal studies on the transition from primary school to
secondary school and how this may also impact sporting participation.

30. 30
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Appendix A-
European
Union
Participation
Figures

43. 43
Appendix A: European Union Participation Figures (Eurobarometer 334, (2010). Sport and
physical activity. Brussels: European Commission. pp. 26

44. 44
Appendix B-
Data
Collection
Tool

45. 45
Appendix B: Data Collection Tool – Questionnaire:
Name:
Age:
Year at School:
Gender:
Participation Number:
Section 1:
1. How often do take part in P.E? (Hours a week)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What type of sports do you play in your P.E lessons?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Who teaches your P.E lessons? For example; (your normal teacher/ a specialist coach
etc.)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Does the school ever bring anybody else in to take either P.E lessons or sports clubs?
For example; a specialist coach
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 2:
5. If you could choose a sport that you would like to play in school but don’t get the chance
to, what would it be?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Would you like to play a different sport every week? If yes then why. If no then why not?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

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7. Do you believe P.E is an important subject? If yes then why? If no, then why not?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What have you learnt from taking part in P.E at school?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
9. If you had the chance, what would you like to change about your P.E lessons?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 3:
10. Do you enjoy your P.E lessons? If yes, then why? If no, then why not?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Do you take part in sports outside of school? If yes then what sports do you play?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
12. What is the main reason why you take part in sports?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Why do you find sports fun?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

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Section 4:
14. Do you prefer winning or having fun? + why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Do you only enjoy playing sports that you are good at? If yes, then why? If no, then why
not?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
16. Do you believe you will continue to play sports all of your life?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
17. Would you like to grow up to be a professional sportsman/woman? If yes, then why? If
no, then why not?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 5:
18. What do you know about staying fit and healthy?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
19. Do you believe that it is important to stay fit and healthy? If yes, then why? If no, then
why not?
________________________________________________________________________________________
20. Do you believe taking part in sports is a good way of staying fit and healthy?
__________________________________________________________________________________________

48. 48
Appendix C –
Information
and Debrief
Sheets

49. 49
Appendix C: PARTICPANTS INFORMATION SHEET
Congratulations! You are being asked to take part in this exciting study, working with myself
to see if we can improve P.E in your school. This means that you will be invited to fill out a
short questionnaire, telling me what you like and dislike about P.E and what you would like
to change, so that P.E lessons are even more fun in the future.
WHAT WILL I BE ASKED TO DO?
The questionnaire has only 20 questions and will take about 5 minutes to complete.
If all of this sounds good and you would like to take part then that’s great, just let your
parents know. If you can’t take part or you don’t want to that is fine too. If you start the study
and you don’t like it and want to drop out then that is no problem either.
Thank you for your help!
Cory
Email: cory.north@northumbria.ac.uk

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Appendix C: Parental Information Sheet
Dear Parent/Guardian,
My name is Cory and I am currently conducting my dissertation at Northumbria
University as well as taking a Basketball club with the pupils of West Walker
primary schoolon Wednesdaylunchtime. For my dissertation I will be
investigating your children’s perceptions of physical education taught at West
Walker primary schoolin order to gain their perspective on P.E, such as what
they like/dislike about P.E and what they would change about their P.E lessons
if they could. All that your child will be required to do is fill out a short
questionnaire which takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. This
information will then be used to gather common themes in order to find
solutions to any problems they are experiencing and hopefully make physical
education more enjoyable and beneficial moving forward.
I am writing to you to consider this proposaland to ask your permission for
your child’s participation. If you have any questions or would like to discuss
any issues further, please do not hesitate to contact me on the details provided
below. There is no obligation that your child must participate and they will be at
no disadvantage if they do not wish to take part.
The Schoolhas given me their consent to participate in the research, and your
child will also be asked for their consent. So if you are happy for your child to
take part please sign and return the research invitation consent form as soonas
possible.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this and hope to hear back
from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Cory North
Contact details:
cory.north@northumbria.ac.uk

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Appendix D –
Consent Forms

52. 52
Appendix D: ConsentForms
ResearchInvitation Consent Form:
(Parent/Guardian):
I would like to accept the invite for my child
…………………………………..………………….. to participate in the
research projectinvestigating their perceptions of physical education in
school.
By signing this form I understand that my child will be involved in the
study.
Signed:
……………………..…………………………………...….(parent/guardian)
Name (Printed):
……………………………………………….…………………………....
Date: …………………..

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Appendix D: INFORMED CONSENT FORM
ProjectTitle: Howcan the Primaryschool physical educationcurriculumbe developedtosupportparticipation
insport?
Principal Investigator: Cory North
ParticipantNumber:
pleasetick
where applicable
I have had an opportunitytoaskquestionsanddiscussthisstudyandI have receivedsatisfactory
answers.
I understandIam free to withdrawfromthe studyat anytime,withouthavingtogive areasonfor
withdrawing,andwithoutprejudice.
I agree to take part in thisstudy.
I wouldlike toreceive feedbackonthe overall resultsof the studyatthe email addressgivenbelow. I
understandthatI will notreceive individualfeedbackonmyownperformance.
Email address……………………………………………………………………

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