Physical Education “in All Sorts of Corners”

The data for this paper were generated during a 3-year, participatory action research project, with 41 female coresearchers and activists ages 15–19 years old, within and beyond the walls of a secondary school. The two questions we sought to answer were (a) what happens when we engage with students to challenge formal physical education curricular boundaries and connect with students' physical culture; and (b) what are the benefits and the challenges associated with engaging in this sort of practical activism? The findings suggest that a boundary-crossing approach to physical education can facilitate students in finding their own meanings in physical education and physical activity. Supporting boundary-crossing practices is, however, a time- and thought-intensive pedagogical design, which will be challenging for many physical education teachers.

Key words:

• participatory action research
• physical education pedagogy
• student voice
• students as researchers

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eimear Enright

Please address correspondence concerning this article to Eimear Enright, Lecturer in Physical Education, Physical Education and Sport Sciences Department, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland