Using lifestyle sports to create a ‘meaningful’ physical education experience

Wintle, J, Durden-Myers, E.J ORCID: 0000-0001-7705-1138 and Lewis, K (2025) 'Using lifestyle sports to create a ‘meaningful’ physical education experience.' In: Leeder, T.M and Beaumont, L.C, eds. Teaching and coaching lifestyle sports: research and practice. Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 69-82. ISBN 9781032589848

Text 16843.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 11 August 2026.

Abstract

Physical education has often been justified as a subject which promotes ongoing involvement in physical activity for young people, both beyond the school gates and into adulthood. However, the subject faces challenges in promoting sustained physical activity among youth, prompting calls for reform in both content and teaching approaches. This chapter addresses this concern by reporting findings from an action research study implementing lifestyle sports interventions in two English secondary schools. Two lifestyle sports units (Parkour and a Kickboxing/Cross-Fit hybrid) were implemented with mixed-sex groups aged 11–13 years old, over a six to eight lesson period. Units were delivered using a meaningful physical education approach and were taught by the lead researcher. Data collection encompasses teacher-researcher reflections, observations, and interviews with observing teachers. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and three major themes were drawn from the data. Major themes include the purpose of physical education, the potential of lifestyle sports, and barriers to implementation. Insights highlight the innovative aspects of the approach and underscore the need for change in traditional methods. We discuss these findings in greater depth and make subsequent recommendations for both future research and practice in this area.

Item Type:	Book Chapter or Section
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General)
Divisions:	School of Education
Related URLs:	https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-and-C...
Date Deposited:	20 Mar 2025 15:00
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2025 15:00
URI / Page ID:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/16843

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