------------------------------------------------------------------------- n a Loughborough \Cl University Pilkington Library I . Author/Filing, Title ......... M.~.!:-.~ ~ ........................ .'i- '. Vol. No. ............ Class Mark ... ::( .................. <: . Please note that fines are charged on ALL overdue items. 0402799704 1111111111111111111111 I I 11 PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY IRELAND: A CASE STUDY OF CURRICULUM, CONTINUITY AND CHANGE by JOANNE MOLES Doctoral Thesis Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University (February 2003) © by Joanne Moles 2003 Acknowledgements I am indebted to Professor John Evans, my supervisor, who initially inspired me through his writing and, later, by skilfully encouraging me to question my own thinking. I count it an honour to have worked with him. Fiona, Siobhan and John have given me enormous confidence in the potential of Irish PE teachers to educate their pupils positively. My long-suffering family who endure my obsessions and support my frailties deserves acknowledgement, especially Richard. I am aware that my understanding of the discourses of education is still evolving and I am grateful to everyone who has helped in the past, and to those who will continue the process in the future. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ii Table of contents iii Abstract P.1 Chapter 1 Introduction P.3 1.1 Context P. 3 1.2 Purpose of study P.4 1.3 Structure P. 6 1.3.1 Chapter 2 P.7 1.3.2 Chapter 3 P. 7 1.3.3 Chapter 4 P. 8 1.3.4 Chapter 5 P. 8 1.3.5 Chapter 6 P. 8 1.3.6 Chapter 7 P. 8 1.3.7 Chapter 8 P.9 1.4 More detailed description of study development and content P. 9 1.4.1 Proposed changes in syllabus P. 9 1.4.2 The relevance of my experience of child-centred PETE P. 10 1.4.3 Likely effects of these changes P.10 1.4.4 Theoretical basis P.12 1.4.5 Evaluation of the Physical Education curriculum in Irish schools P. 12 1.4.6 Physical Education Teacher Education in Ireland P. 13 Chapter 2 Irish Physical Education in context P.15 2.0 Framework - contemporary Irish society P.15 2.1 Society or economy. P. 18 2.1.1 Post late-modernity in Ireland P.20 2.1.2 Loss of spirituality in Irish society P.22 2.1.3 Aspects of Irish society which specifically influence teachers P.24 2.1.4 Ethnicity in Irish society, accommodating difference P.26 2.1.5 The Irish language - a symbol of culture and ethnicity P.27 2.1.6 GM, culture and/or ethnicity P.28 2.1.7 Church and state P. 30 2.1.8 Geographical and political considerations P.32 2.1.9 Teachers and post late-modernity P. 35 2.1 McDonaldisation in Irish schools P. 37 iii 2.1.1 School structures in Ireland P.39 2.1.2 The culture of Irish schools P.40 2.1.3 The social context within which PE is taught P.42 2.2 Proletarianisation of teachers P.44 2.2.1 PE at the start of a new century P.45 2.2.2 Irish PE teachers - their current role P.46 2.3 Ideology, discourse and dichotomies P.52 2.3.1 Sport as work - commodification of PE P.53 2.3.2 Teachers' roles - agency or structure P. 54 Chapter 3 Theoretical basis of study P.57 3.0 Global influences on contemporary Ireland - society or economy P.58 3.0.1 Late! postmodernity -changes in Irish society P.58 3.0.2 Consumerism in contemporary Irish society P.59 3.0.3 Impact on Irish education P.60 3.0.4 Deskilling or proletarianisation of Irish teachers P.61 3.1 McDonaldisation of society and education P.63 3.1.1 Does education in contemporary Ireland represent a society P.65 or an economy - performance or competency? 3.1.2 Rationality in contemporary Irish education P.66 3.1.3 Structures of Irish education explained as classification and P.67 framing - societal implications 3.1.4 Homogenisation in Irish society P.67 3.2 The place of Physical Education in contemporary Ireland P.69 3.2.1 Rationality and Physical Education teaching P.71 3.2.2 Analysing classroom organisation in Physical Education classes P. 71 3.3 Roles of pupils and teachers in Irish Physical Education P. 73 3.3.1 Socialisation of Irish Physical Education teachers P. 73 3.3.2 Pedagogies of the three central teachers P.76 Chapter 4 Methodology of data collection P.77 4 The framework of the study P. 77 4.1 The research focus P.77 4.2 Procedures used to gather data P.78 4.3 Additional information gathered from the wider Physical education community P. 81 4.4 Ethical considerations P. 82 iv 4.4.1 The process of choosing teachers for this study P. 84 4.4.2 Methods of selection of the three teachers P.84 4.3.1 Interviews and observed classes with Fiona, Siobhan and John P. 85 4.4 Attributes of the cooperating schools P. 86 4.4.1 Fiona's school P. 86 4.4.2 Siobhan's school P. 88 4.4.3 John's school P. 89 Chapter 5 Pedagogic Discourses in Irish Physical Education P.90 5.0 Context for Irish Physical Education P. 90 5.0.1 Commodification of Physical Education P. 90 5.0.2 Focus in NCCA PE syllabuses P. 91 5.1 The proposed new Physical Education syllabuses - analysis of implied discourse P. 91 5.1.1 Interviews with the Education Officer of the NCCA Physical Education Course P. 92 Committee and the Physical Education Inspectors 5.2 Analysis of questionnaire responses P. 92 5.2.1 Questionnaire response from UL Tutors involved in PETE P. 93 5.2.2 Questionnaire responses from 4th year PE students in UL P. 96 5.2.3 Questionnaire responses from non-PE teachers in Fiona, P. 99 Siobhan and John's schools 5.2.4 Questionnaire responses from pupils in the cooperating schools P. 100 5.0 The Physical Education curriculum considered by Fiona, Siobhan and John P. 102 5.1 Fiona, Siobhan and John's responses to the NCCA Draft Physical Education Syllabuses, January 2000 P. 103 5.4.1 Fiona's response P. 104 5.4.2 Siobhan's response P. 105 5.4.3 John's response P. 106 5.4.4 Summary of the three teachers' responses P. 108 5.2 Classes observed being taught by the three teachers P. 108 5.2.1 Fiona's observed classes P. 109 5.2.2 Siobhan's observed classes P.114 5.2.3 John's observed classes P.120 5.3 Commentary on observed classes P. 121 5.6.1 Summarising classes taught by each of the three teachers P. 123 Chapter 6 Four key questions - a synthesis of pedagogical discourses P. 125 6.1 Review of key questions P. 125 v 6.1.1 Providing a structure to examine the questions P. 125 6.1.2 Official knowledge in I rish Physical Education P. 126 6.1.3 How is the official text regarded in the Irish Physical Education community? P. 127 6.1.4 The role of assessment P.128 6.2.0 Society or economy P. 129 6.2.1 Society or economy? View of the Department of Education P.131 6.2.2 Society or economy, views from PETE tutors in the University of Limerick P. 133 6.2.3 Views from Fiona, Siobhan and John, other teachers and pupils in their schools, regarding Ireland as a society or an economy P. 134 6.2.4 View of the role of physical Education held by teachers of various subjects in Fiona, Siobhan and John's schools P. 137 6.2.5 Role of Physical Education - views of pupils in Fiona, Siobhan and John's schools P. 137 6.3 Homogenisation of Physical Education in Irish post-primary schools. The nature of the subject within the NCCA PE syllabuses (2000) P. 138 6.3.1 Views from the Department of Education Inspectorate and the NCCA P. 139 6.3.2 Homogenisation in the Physical Education programme in the University P. 139 of Limerick 6.3.3 Homogenisation of Physical Education - views from Fiona, Siobhan P. 140 and John 6.3.4 Views of homogenisation of Physical Education from teachers, principals and pupils within the three schools P.141 6.4.1 Proletarianisation of Physical Education teachers: Views from the Department of Education Inspectorate and the NCCA P. 142 6.4.2 Views from the University of Limerick on the proletarianisation of Physical Education teachers, P. 143 6.4.3 Proletarianisation of Physical Education, views from Fiona, Siobhan and John along with teachers and pupils in their schools P.144 6.4.4 Effects of proletarianisation on the three teachers P. 144 6.5 Regulative discourse and pedagogical discourses - the effects of recontextualising the Official Knowledge within schools P.145 6.5.1 An examination of regulative and pedagogical discourses in the PETE programme in the University of Limerick P. 146 6.5.2 Gap between the Official Recontextualising Field and the Pedagogical Recontextualising Field evidenced by Fiona, Siobhan and John and teachers and pupils from their schools P. 147 vi Chapter 7 Reflections and conclusions P.150 7.0 Reflections regarding the key questions posed P.151 7.1 Valuing Physical Education in contemporary Ireland - commodity or community? P. 156 7.1.2 The three teachers roles in the Irish Physical Education communityP.159 7.1.3 Teachers' roles in contemporary Ireland - professional or P.