A longitudinal study of physical education trainee teachers’ experiences on school placements in the south-east of England (1994-2004)

Abstract

This research highlights issues relating to Physical Education (PE) and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) over the last ten years. The discussion is based upon data collected from three separate surveys of trainee teachers and their teaching experiences of PE during statutory periods of school-based training. The samples used in this, the most recent survey and in our previous surveys, were four-year undergraduate trainee PE teachers studying a Bachelor of Arts Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) degree course at a university in the south-east of England with a strong tradition of PE teacher training. The secondary schools used for school-based training by the university covered the south-east region of England and included state, independent and single-sex schools. The trainees had all completed the statutory thirty-two weeks of school-based experience. A questionnaire was formulated after discussions with trainees based on their continued professional development. The results of this latest survey (2000-4) have been analysed in the light of our previous two surveys (1994-8; 1997-2001). Hence, this article constitutes a longitudinal study covering the period 1994-2004. Key findings are identified in the areas of gender, examination experiences, the use of information and communications technology (ICT) and national curriculum activity areas of study. This article identifies areas where there have been some changes to practice, as well as demonstrating aspects where little has changed in the last ten years of ITE.