A Look Inside the Black Box of External Provision in Primary Physical Education

• In Event: Paper Session 2: Curriculum Models, Meaningful Physical Education, and External Provisions

Abstract

The main concept of neoliberalism in education is the opportunity to select and choose the best option available and suitable related to school outcomes and needs (Macdonald, 2011). In physical educational, this is often done through the involvement of external persons; a concept known as external provision. The purpose of this network ethnography was to analyse the infrastructure of PE external provision in an Irish primary school. Participants included two generalist teachers, one PE coordinator, and one PE external provider. Results suggest that the external provision infrastructure is well established, and reflects a changing role for stakeholders; the school is no longer the sole determiner of the content delivered during the PE curriculum time, but instead those from the outside.

Authors

• Jessica Mangione, Edge Hill University

• Melissa Parker, University of Limerick

• Mary O' Sullivan, University of Limerick