Teaching outdoor and adventure activities: an investigation of a primary school physical education professional development p

Phase 4 - Process evaluation of stage 2 of the professional development 
programme. 
Aim.
To establish if teachers could teach the Outdoor and Adventure Activities 
strand with minimal or no support, six months after stage 1 of the professional 
development programme. 
Secondary research questions. 
Did teachers’ knowledge systems expand? 
Did contextualised professional development work? 
Did the teacher, school and facilitator partnership work and to what 
extent? 
Were there barriers to effective professional development? 
Did teachers become more effective in their teaching of O&AA?
What were the participants’ (teachers’ and children’s) reactions to the 
programme? 
What were the Principal’s thoughts and perspectives on the programme? 
Methodology.
Focus group interviews with teachers and children were used to 
gather data on completion of this phase of the study. A semi-structured individual 
interview was also carried out with the Principal to explore his thoughts and 
perspectives on the programme. Further data were collected whereby lessons were 
observed by the researcher using an observation schedule (N=43). And where lessons 
were unable to be observed teachers completed a lesson evaluation form (N=14).
Teachers also completed a self-efficacy questionnaire pre and post stage 2 of the 
professional development programme. Field notes were made throughout this phase of 
the research. 
Evaluation of the professional development programme. 
Aim.
Evaluate the impact of a contextualised, sustained programme of 
professional development.

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Secondary research questions. 
What were the participants’ (teacher and children) reactions to 
professional development? 
Did participants’ learn as a result of the PDP? 
Was organization support and change evident? 
What was the extent of participants’ use of new knowledge and skills? 
What were the teacher and children learning outcomes? 
Methodology.
All data gathered through Phases 1 to 4, including 
questionnaires, interview, focus group interviews, observations, lesson evaluations, self-
efficacy scales, unit of work, support schedules and field notes were reviewed to 
determine the impact, if any, of this programme of professional development.