Planning, Performing and Evaluating in National Curriculum Physical Education: A Critical Review

This paper critically reviews the concepts of ‘planning, performing and evaluating’ in the evolving discourse of National Curriculum Physical Education (NCPE). After outlining the history of the three concepts in NCPE, the discussion draws upon qualitative research into the implementation of the curriculum in six physical education departments in secondary schools in England. The data show that the case‐study teachers interpreted ‘planning, performing and evaluating’ in a variety of ways, resulting in wide variations in practice. Furthermore, although most teachers found the concept of ‘performing’ to be relatively unproblematic, both ‘planning’ and ‘evaluating’ were fraught with practical and ideological difficulties. The paper concludes by critically questioning the ways in which the terms ‘planning, performing and evaluating’ are used in NCPE, by urging teachers to use their collective wisdom to shape the discourse more appropriately, and by considering the status implications of the discourse as it is currently conceived.

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Notes on contributors

A. Theodoulides

A. Theodoulides is Head of Physical Education at Slough Grammar School, Slough, UK

K.M. Armour

K.M. Armour is with the Department of Sport Sciences, Brunei University, UK.