Physical activity among adolescents and barriers to delivering physical education in Cornwall and Lancashire, UK: A qualitative study of heads of PE and heads of schools
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Recent initiatives have been introduced by the UK government into secondary schools to increase pupils' access to physical activity (PA). Despite this, not enough is known about pupils' levels of physical activity or whether the delivery of these initiatives in schools facilitates or creates a barrier for pupils' PA. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of adolescents PA levels from the perspective of those responsible for delivering physical education (PE) in schools; heads of PE (HOPE) and heads of school (HS). METHODS: Seventeen semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with a snowball sample of HOPE and HS in schools in the Northwest and Southwest of England. Thematic data analysis using NVIVO was used to identify emergent themes. RESULTS: 17 core themes were generated, 12 of which confirmed the findings from similar research. However, five themes relating to 'ethos of performance/elitism', 'lower fitness leads to lower ability', 'undervaluing activities within PE dept' or school as a whole', 'role of the school' and 'PE department doing all it can' offer valuable new insight into the factors which may encourage or prevent PA inside or outside the curriculum. CONCLUSION: Despite many positive perceptions of the delivery of PE in schools, it is evident that barriers still exist within that delivery which discourages physical activity. More research is needed to particularly address the complex issues of elitism and the ethos of PA in schools.
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Students and PE teachers perceived that they simply do not acquire enough PE.
“Students (and PE teachers) additionally perceived that they simply do not acquire enough PE 45, 47, 49, 52, 57, 78.”
From The school environment and adolescent physical activity and sedentary behaviour: a mixed-studies systematic review (2016) · cites this paper as [45]
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References 37 · Cited by 59
Research works printed but not linked: 4
- Bryman A Social Research Strategies 2001 Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Armstrong N Van Mechelen W From chapter 4 Are young people fit and Active Health Education Authority (HEA) Young and Active? Policy framework for young people and health-enhancing physical activity 1998 London, England: HEA Publishing
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- Authors
- Boyle, S. E., Jones, G. L., & Walters, S. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- Northern General Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Boyle, Spencer Earl
- Venue
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2008-08-01
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 273-273
- ISSN
- 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2518562
- OpenAlex
- W2047961921
- Cited by
- 59
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Leeds Beckett Repository (Leeds Beckett University) (acceptedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Physical Education and Pedagogy
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Life-span and Life-course Studies › Sports and Physical Education Studies
- Keywords
- physical activity, adolescents, physical education, barriers to physical activity, school principals, school ethos, elitism, school role, Cornwall, Lancashire
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Curriculum, England, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Physical Education and Training, Surveys and Questionnaires, School Health Services, Organizational Culture, Exercise
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