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

Stay Safe
targeted schools. Even though a limited number of teachers, in a 
small number of schools availed of this opportunity, modelling of outdoor and 
adventure activities, dance and gymnastics was the most popular form of support 
requested (Primary Professional Development Service, 2010), lending support to the 
inclusion of this type of professional development in any programme design. 
In 2010 the Teacher Education Section (TES) issued a notice to the teacher 
support services stating that a re-conceptualisation of school support provision, ‘a new 
generic and integrated cross-sectoral support service,’ (Primary Professional 
Development Service, 2010, p. 150) the Professional Development Service for Teachers 
(PDST) would operate from September 2010. The TES stated that support would be 
provided regionally by multi-disciplinary teams who would work in close co-operation 
with the Education Centre Network to respond to school-identified needs and national 
system priorities. This support by multi-disciplinary teams, amalgamated to provide 
services to both primary and secondary schools.
Reports speak favourably of each of the groups and their provision of
professional development support (De Paor, 2007; McHugh, 2008; Murchan et al., 
2005; Murphy & O'Leary, 2008), but the fact still remains, in the case of primary 
physical education since 2004/2005, there have been four organisational changes.
Following each organisational change the number of physical education advisors either 
reduced or their role in physical education support diminished. As changes in policy 
and changes in professional development focus moved on, teachers and schools had to 
move with the wave of change and the in-service provision that was the focus in any 
particular year. Teachers were being left with very little time to reflect on any new 
found knowledge, gained through nationally provided in-service or follow-up support, 
or to consolidate learning through teaching, reflection and discussion with their 
colleagues and pupils.

---

49 
Services, even if minimal, were provided to support teachers, however, these 
were not availed of, with only 34 schools and 46 teachers, out of a possible 3,197 
schools and over 27,000 teachers, requesting and receiving professional development in 
physical education. It cannot be assumed that this was due to the fact that teachers felt 
confident to teach the content of the subjects of the new curriculum following national 
in-service, but rather that it is a reflection of the curricular reform and national in-
service which was still on-going.