Abstract
There is currently no literature that considers the practicalities of delivering physical education (PE) in alternative provision schools, nor the challenges that this might entail. As such, this paper offers a unique contribution to knowledge by highlighting the key factors that influence the delivery of PE within alternative provision schools in England from the perspectives of practitioners (i.e. those tasked with delivering it). Following a Freedom of Information request, an online survey was distributed to all alternative provision schools in England (n=335, 48 responses). A purposive sample of practitioners (n=14) were then invited to take part in online semi-structured interviews. Qualitative responses from the survey (extracted into an Excel spreadsheet), along with the transcripts from the interviews, were analysed using inductive and deductive procedures. The data were subsequently mapped to the socio-ecological model (McLeroy et al., 1988) to identify what influenced delivery at multiple levels. This included factors at the intrapersonal level (e.g. staff confidence and competence, their pedagogical and content knowledge and feelings of isolation), interpersonal level (e.g. pupil needs/abilities, their behaviour and trauma, confidence, negative experiences of mainstream PE and lack of motivation), institutional level (e.g. spatial constraints, the facilities and equipment available and class sizes), community level (e.g. stigma and a lack of engagement with National Governing Bodies), and public policy level (e.g. recruitment of staff, financial constraints and attainment pressures). This paper presents a range of intersecting factors that influence what happens and how in PE in the context of alternative provision schooling.
More Information
Divisions: | Carnegie School of Sport |
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Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X241308526 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2025 |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | 1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences; 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy; 1303 Specialist Studies in Education; Sport Sciences; 3901 Curriculum and pedagogy; 3903 Education systems; 4207 Sports science and exercise |
SWORD Depositor: | Symplectic |
Depositing User (symplectic) | Deposited by Quarmby, Thomas |
Date Deposited: | 05 Dec 2024 11:15 |
Last Modified: | 24 Apr 2025 06:39 |
Item Type: | Article |
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