The voices of year 6 children : their views on physical education and the implications for policy practice and research

• Main Author: Paraskevas Costas, Barry
• Published: University College London (University of London) 2011
• Subjects: 796.077
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.538266

Taking a constructivist-interpretivist stance, this mixed methods case study gives a voice to 236 children from East London between 2007 and 2010 through the use of questionnaires and interviews. The aim was to explore what the children thought about Physical Education, with a view to illuminating and informing current policy, practice and research in relation to the aims which under-pin the national curriculum. The children's voices, conspicuously absent from discussions about their physical education, over the last twenty years, give a view of the curriculum from the recipient's perspective. Through the vibrancy of their voices, the current status quo in primary PE is examined, and ways forward are offered as recurring themes throughout the thesis. In addition to valuing children's voices this thesis shows that through democratising the discussion, the children were more than just 'empty vessels', and were able to offer informed views. The children largely enjoyed Physical Education, valued their health and had ideas on curriculum content, timetabling, fund raising, and asked for a greater range of physical activities to be made available them.