The ebb and flow of curriculum construction in physical education: a Scottish narrative

Gray, Shirley; Mulholland, Rosemary; MacLean, Justine

doi:10.1080/09585176.2012.650487

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…(Scottish Government, 2008: 11)Scotland is not alone in positioning teachers in this way; Priestley (2010) outlines how, over the past decade, curriculum change has taken a similar stance across the western world. Furthermore, a tension has become evident between prescriptive, centrally driven curriculum reform where teachers are positioned as recipients and deliverers of the curriculum, and rhetoric encouraging teachers to interpret and assemble these guidelines into a curriculum programme that takes account of local contexts (Gray et al, 2012; Kirk and Macdonald, 2001; Priestley, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary teachers as physical education curriculum change agents

Carse

2015

European Physical Education Review

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There has been some exploration of the conceptualisation of teachers as change agents within educational change literature. While this body of work does consider how teachers understand, harness and influence the process of curriculum change, within the policy rhetoric and educational change literature there is limited reference made to how the change agent role is translated into practice. To illustrate the complex nature of the change process this paper explores the experiences of generalist primary teachers at the ‘chalk face’ as they initiate physical education curriculum change within their school contexts. This paper reports on the findings of a study investigating how five Scottish primary teachers with a postgraduate qualification in primary physical education construed and took forward curriculum change. A qualitative and interpretivist approach to the research was taken to analyse how the knowledge and skills the teachers gained from the professional development they had undertaken contributed to their agency to initiate curriculum change within their school contexts. Drawing on the work of Fullan, the concept of change agentry is used to analyse the experiences of the individual teachers as they exercised their agency to enact curriculum change. The paper concludes by reflecting on the findings of the study to suggest factors that may support and constrain teachers acting as change agents

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary teachers as physical education curriculum change agents

Carse

2015

European Physical Education Review

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“…However, the ambitions of the Scottish Government (2004;2009) can only be realised by overcoming the long acknowledged problems associated with implementing and sustaining curriculum change (Snyder, Bolin andZumwalt, 1992, Bekalo andWelford 2000). Contemporary research continues to indicate that there is a complex relationship between policy intentions and practitioners actions in the implementation or transformation of policy (Johns, 2003;Priestley and Humes, 2010;Priestley, 2010;Gray, Mulholland, MacLean, 2012a). This paper adds to the discourses on policy and curriculum change by analysing the extent to which teachers translate and enact policy within Scotland's thirty-two local authorities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling curriculum change in physical education: the interplay between policy constructors and practitioners

MacLean

Mulholland

Gray

et al. 2013

Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy

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Background: Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Executive, 2004), a new national policy initiative in Scottish Schools, provides a unified curricular framework for children aged 3-18. Physical Education (PE) now forms part of a collective alongside physical activity and sport, subsumed by the newly created curriculum area of 'Health and Wellbeing' (Scottish Government, 2009). This research set out to examine the new curriculum in Scottish schools at the micro-implementation stage of the policy process within the context of practice. Purpose: The primary objective was to understand the factors that enable teachers to enact government led curricular policy. The secondary objective was to compare policy constructors' vision of Physical Education (PE) to the interpretation of PE teachers who were currently immersed in initiating curricular development. Methods and Procedures: The research adopted a mixed method survey approach. Eighty-eight secondary school physical education teachers responded to a questionnaire that explored teachers' perceptions of curriculum change. Respondents were full time physical education teachers working in secondary schools across Scotland and represented sixteen local authorities. In addition, seventeen physical education teachers within one local authority took part in semi-structured individual interviews. Comparisons were made with ten interviews conducted with policy constructors who were responsible for the initial, interim and final stages of developing and designing the experiences and outcomes for physical education. Main outcomes and results: The results from the questionnaire indicated that 66 per cent of teachers believed there was a need for change within the Scottish curriculum, however only 54 per cent anticipated that they would change the PE curriculum. Crucial in enabling teachers to enact and sustain change was the important role of agency, culture and social and material structures along with the schools capacity to manage new policy development. When comparing the data with the policy constructors the findings revealed a discrepancy between the policy constructors' understanding of the vision of physical education and teacher's interpretation. The alignment of PE within health and wellbeing was seen as an opportunity to build on the strengths of the subject; however concerns were raised that this shift may result in physical education becoming part of a fitness discourse distorting policy intentions. Conclusions : As PE teachers act as agents of change translating policy uniquely to fit with the opportunities and constraints of the school there is a fear that policy intentions may mutate as they percolate into practice.

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“…Consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the health and wellbeing curriculum area sets out the right for all children and young people to have access to appropriate health services and to have their health and wellbeing promoted (Scottish Government,2009b). Importantly, health and wellbeing is viewed in a holistic sense with specific focus placed on mental, social, emotional and physical wellbeing (Gray, Mulholland & MacLean, 2012). The overall outcome for learning in health and wellbeing is for children and young people to develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future (Scottish Government,2009b).…”

Section: Official Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%