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

Example
 
Coding Reference
 
Quote from teacher, called Mary, from 6
th
class at 
stage 1
of the 
PDP 
1
FGT Mary 6
Quote for a girl from 3rd class at 
stage 2
of the PDP
2 
FGC Girl 3
Lesson observation of teacher, called John, from 5
th
class
LO John 5
Lesson evaluation by teacher, called Kate, from junior infants
LE Kate JI
Field note made on April 6
th
2007
FN 06.04.07
 
Propositional statements.
Figure 6.1 outlines the following propositional 
statements that were developed from the data. Each propositional statement was tested 
against the data and each is underpinned by a number of themes. The propositional 

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statements and their sub-themes were developed both deductively informed by the 
literature and inductively from the coding process.
Figure 6.1 Propositional statements following analysis of the data 
Findings 
Propositional Statement 1: Human and physical resource provision played a 
strong role in the adoption of the professional development programme by the 
teachers 
 
Resources and materials.
All teachers reported that the resources provided 
(outlined in chapter 5) were invaluable in supporting and enabling their teaching; 
‘I 
thought they [schemes and lessons plans] were brilliant … and resources excellent, the 
maps and especially once the controls were outside everything was set up for us’
(1 
FGT Eve 3). Provision of physical resources assisted teachers in facilitating lessons 
especially in the case of O&AA where many resources were school specific (e.g. maps) 
and required time and energy to create. Teachers were delighted to have the resources 
and some teachers even used them in other aspects of their teaching; 
‘We’ll just use 
them [the maps] to walk them [the children] around the area before-hand in the 
geography session’ 
(1 FGT Amy 1). Once resources were prepared, they were used by 
teachers and they commented on how they could be used in other curricular areas.
The resources, equipment and materials necessary for the O&AA lessons were 
stored in the relevant equipment stores and all teachers were advised of this prior to and 
1. Human and physical resource provision played a strong role in the adoption of 
the professional development programme by the teachers 
2. Support of an external expert through modelling, explaining and feedback, 
impacted on teachers' teaching 
3. For changes in teaching to happen, organisational changes are necessary 
4. Teachers gained confidence as their knowledge systems expanded 
5. The professional development programme impacted positively on the children 
and their learning 
6. Teachers’ and children’s perceptions of physical education began to change 
during the professional development programme 
7. Communication and collaboration developed during the professional 
development programme 

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during the PDP. However, as the facilitator was supporting all teachers, and their 
lessons came one after the other, the equipment remained outside. During stage 1 the 
teachers themselves did not have to collect or return the resources and equipment.
Although some teachers indicated that it was their responsibility to ensure that they 
knew where the equipment was kept in reality this did not appear to happen. This was a 
limitation of the originally planned PDP and teachers pointed to this as a barrier to 
future teaching of O&AA;
Cathal (1 FGT 3) 
I’m not sure actually where to go… 
Eve (1 FGT 3)- 
...like where are the maps…they were always down there in the gym 
before the class. 
I didn’t take the time myself to go and look to see where the resources are until 
it came to my Dip
4
 where I had to root through and pick out, so if you had the 
time to see – oh that is what that’s for. I didn’t know what half the resources 
were for until I had to do it myself so I think there was a certain element where I 
didn’t go and kind of look and figure out what was what.
(1 FGT Coleen SI) 
In summary, physical resources generated by the researcher for the PDP were 
seen as good by the teachers, however, the fact that the equipment was available to 
teachers for each lesson, was a limitation of the PDP. Teachers indicated that they had, 
to some extent, become dependent on the facilitator. An objective for stage 2 was that 
this lack of knowledge should be addressed and that teachers would have to be made 
aware of the collection and organisation of the equipment and resources required for 
each lesson as part of the PDP.
At follow-up, stage 2, the teachers were teaching the O&AA unit of work for 
themselves and it was evident that the teachers (and the Principal) still valued the 
opportunity to access the externally generated resources, to support their teaching; 
The resources were brilliant. Like, I think a lot of teachers, you know, whenever 
you do something, oh, is there a website for that … when you realise you don’t 
have to actually spend time making resources, but the fact that you have them 
readymade… but they’re fantastic and to have it all sorted out down there [in 
the store] it’s brilliant. We just grab a box and there’s a Noddy Guide in there, 
you know or the template is there.
(2 FGT Kate SI) 
4
Coleen was a newly qualified teacher completing her Diploma, where she was observed and assessed by a member 
of the Inspectorate from the Department of Education and Skills.

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So the teachers have now a set of lessons as a resource there to guide them 
through the, the curriculum in the school … I suppose we have resources now in 
the school that are clearly kind of identified and have been linked to the lessons 
and so forth. 
(IP) 
The teachers felt that generating the resources for teaching O&AA themselves 
would be time-consuming and a potential barrier; 
That would have been far too much work, preparation and stuff, so I wouldn’t 
have done it, much easier to go out and play football…I think the stuff is all 
there to do it…all the equipment and, so it’s much easier to do it now … that 
was the biggest obstacle, I’d say.
(2 FGT Seán 6)
Seán summed up the value of having resources provided for O&AA in order to 
bring about change, however, getting teachers to this point of change is difficult; 
‘…okay, they’re[the resources] time consuming, but they are not impossible to make’
(2 
FGT Coleen JI). One of the newly qualified teacher’s (NQTs) had prepared all her own 
resources as she preferred to have her own resources, in her classroom and to have easy 
access to them. She had used previous related knowledge from her undergraduate 
degree to inform her preparation and looked to the PDP to provide feedback and 
affirmation on her teaching. 
At stage 2, many of the teachers had new classrooms, the summer holidays had 
occurred, and resources had been misplaced; 
 I was a little bit perturbed to find that some of the teachers, who had been given 
equipment and resources and everything last year, had misplaced them … I 
would say at least six, seven hours this week was given to reproducing 
documents, photocopying documents and resources and making sure the 
teachers got them.
(FN 07.10.07) 
To an extent the teachers’ reliance on the externally generated resources had not 
lessened by the end of stage 2. While these resources were necessary to establish basic 
content knowledge, and provide a starting point for the PDP, the way the resources were 
provided did not facilitate teachers having ownership of them. However, as the teachers 
began to teach they became more responsible for the resources. Teachers were anxious 
before they started to teach the O&AA unit of work that the equipment and resources 
would be available to them and that other teachers would ensure their safe return. This 
anxiety lessened as the PDP progressed through stage 2, as teachers realised the 
importance of ensuring their colleagues had access to the resources for their own 
teaching.

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