Primary school teachers’ experiences of external providers in Ireland: learning lessons from physical education

Chróinín, Déirdre Ní; O’Brien, Niamh

doi:10.1080/03323315.2019.1606725

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…A thematic analysis was conducted, which was both deductive (to study the previously raised problems and elements) and inductive (allowed new issues to emerge) [44,45]. The initial category tree was constructed following a deductive logic based on the existing literature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Qualitative Analysis of Implementing E-Learning during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Lozano

Segura-Berges²,

Gil

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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The existing literature evidences the potential of the e-learning methodology, although some call it into question. Our study aimed to analyse the real scope of applying this methodology type to a lockdown situation like that caused by COVID-19. It could provide the scientific and educational community with useful novel information on e-learning and its real adequacy for schools in pre-university educational stages. This qualitative study was designed using questionnaires with open-ended questions for students and semistructured interviews for teachers, management board members, and families of students of Primary and Secondary Education. The scripts of data collection tools were made ad hoc. The thematic analysis was carried out in accordance with the study dimensions by relating the access and use of technological resources in classrooms, implementing the e-learning methodology during face-to-face teaching, and finally knowing the effects of its application during remote teaching in the lockdown situation. The results clearly show a need to adapt and adjust the implementation of this methodology by considering not only its specificities, but also a combination of e-learning and traditional teaching methodologies can help to introduce information and communication technologies (ICT) into classrooms. To conclude, including such a methodology in the educational context can be argued for, provided that specific training is received to allow the potential of both online and traditional teaching to be leveraged.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Qualitative Analysis of Implementing E-Learning during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Lozano

Segura-Berges²,

Gil

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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“…As such, outsourcing refers to the provision of PE by external providers such as sports coaches or health promotion businesses (Evans, 2014;Sperka & Enright, 2018). External providers have particular experience and/or expertise deemed to be relevant to the curriculum (Ní Chróinín & O'Brien, 2019). Sperka (2020) highlights the different forms outsourcing can take.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This definition emphasises the partnerships involved in outsourcing, as well as the various purposes or intentions behind it; importantly, outsourcing may involve extending internal provision, rather than necessarily replacing it. Some literature has reported the potential value of external provision in supporting children's learning in PE (Ní Chróinín & O'Brien, 2019). However, educational researchers have expressed concern about the potential consequences of increased outsourcing, with Williams and Macdonald (2015, p. 57) describing it as a 'complex, controversial and pervasive practice' that has generated significant interest among PE researchers in recent years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is PE and who should teach it? Undergraduate PE students’ views and experiences of the outsourcing of PE in the UK

McEvilly

2021

Sport, Education and Society

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This paper investigates beginning BSc Physical Education (PE) students' views and experiences of the outsourcing of PE in the UK. Outsourcing involves the provision of PE by external providers such as sports coaches. PE in the UK (and other neoliberal Western contexts) is a site in which outsourcing has become increasingly normalised. I anticipated that, as first year undergraduates, the participants would have relatively recent experience of outsourcing as pupils/students (i.e. experience of receiving outsourced PE provision). Data were generated through written narratives (n = 16), completed on the participants' first day at university, and follow-up semi-structured interviews (n = 10). Drawing on a Foucaultian theoretical framework, I employed a poststructural type of discourse analysis concerned with analysing patterns in language. Referring to PE, the participants drew heavily on a sport discourse, often conflating PE and sport and emphasising the necessity of teachers having knowledge and experience of sports content and skills, as well as a pedagogical discourse (and, to a lesser extent, a 'healthy lifestyles' discourse). The participants had a range of experiences of outsourcing in PE, particularly at primary level. They were in favour of primary PE being taught by either specialist PE teachers, or sports coaches (rather than generalist teachers alone). They spoke positively about their experiences of external provision at both primary and secondary school. While few critical comments were provided, participants raised concerns about external providers' pedagogical knowledge, and some questioned if teachers might feel devalued by external providers being brought in to teach aspects of their curriculum. In general, while the participants recognised teachers' pedagogical expertise, they also valued external providers' perceived content knowledge and sporting experience. As such, by conflating PE and sport, they considered that PE should be taught by sport 'experts' and that external providers could enhance schools' internal capabilities.

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“…Finally, we also expect that the findings of this study could be of benefit to individual schools. It is noteworthy that this intervention was designed and delivered in full by an external research team, and there is some evidence to suggest that schools in England (and elsewhere) are now using their pupil premium grant fund to buy in support from external PE service providers (Ní Chróinín and O’Brien, 2019; Sperka and Enright, 2019; Sperka et al, 2018). The evidence for the creativity-enhancing benefits of dance-based PE provided in this study could benefit schools when choosing such external service providers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of a six-week dance-based physical education intervention on primary school children’s creativity: A pilot study

Neville

Makopoulou

2020

European Physical Education Review

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There is international consensus that creativity is a fundamental outcome of schooling. Opportunities exist to enhance the creativity of schoolchildren, particularly in movement-based subjects such as physical education (PE). In this pilot study, we investigated the effect of a six-week dance-based PE intervention on children’s creativity in a primary school context. Forty second grade students participated in a controlled trial. One class ( n = 20) was assigned to the intervention and participated in dance-based PE lessons (10 girls, 10 boys; age 7–8 years). The other class ( n = 20) was assigned to the control condition and continued regular PE with no dance (10 girls, 10 boys; age 7–8 years). Pre–post assessment of creativity was obtained through an adapted version of Guilford’s (1967) Alternative Uses task. Data were analysed using linear mixed models, with adjustment made for children’s perceived dance ability and for baseline differences in creativity between groups. The overall effect of the intervention was small ( d = 0.36, 95%CI = –0.21 to 0.92), but not statistically significant ( p = 0.21). Post-hoc analysis revealed a large difference in the effect of the intervention between children with above and below-average baseline creativity ( d = 1.26, 95%CI = 0.14 to 2.39, p = 0.03). Children with above-average creativity at baseline benefitted more ( d = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.01 to 1.96, p = 0.047). This pilot study provides further support for the place of dance and creativity within the PE curriculum. However, particular attention should be given to students’ starting points.

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Primary school teachers’ experiences of external providers in Ireland: learning lessons from physical education

Cited by 17 publications

References 31 publications

A Qualitative Analysis of Implementing E-Learning during the COVID-19 Lockdown

A Qualitative Analysis of Implementing E-Learning during the COVID-19 Lockdown

What is PE and who should teach it? Undergraduate PE students’ views and experiences of the outsourcing of PE in the UK

Effect of a six-week dance-based physical education intervention on primary school children’s creativity: A pilot study

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