School-based physical education, physical activity and sports provision: A concept mapping framework for evaluation
Objective
Physical education, physical activity and sports provision are important factors in whole school health promotion, however, a standardised evaluation framework to evaluate the contribution of these components is lacking. A framework that accounts for the distinct structures and associated factors, that impact upon provision would facilitate a more coherent evaluation.
Methods
A concept mapping methodology, involving the generation of factors relevant to school physical education, physical activity and sports provision and their subsequent thematic and numeric rating and sorting was utilised. Concept mapping effectively gathers, integrates, and visually and numerically represents the composite thinking of a group of relevant and expert stakeholders around a complex social phenomenon. Following a review of the extant literature and synthesis among 20 expert stakeholders, a list of 95 factor statements relevant to school physical education, physical activity and sports provision were developed.
Results
Each factor statement was rated and sorted by 197 multi-disciplinary participants. An eight-cluster framework that demonstrated good validity (stress value: 0.266), was derived from the data based on: 1. Partnerships and Pupil Centered Physical Education; 2. Physical Activity and Sports; 3. School Demographics; 4. Equipment, Facilities and Budget; 5. Extra Costs; 6. Curriculum and Policy; 7. School Management and 8. Timetable. Statements within the cluster on school management received the highest mean importance and modifiability ratings while statements within the cluster on school demographics received the low?est mean importance and modifiability ratings.
Conclusions
Eight overarching structures which account for school physical education, physical activity and sports provision have been identified. Within each of these, structures and overall factors of greatest importance and modifiability have been illuminated. Findings stemming from this rigorous methodology, provide the foundation for the development of a national provision evaluation index to inform both school-level and national policy and actions. It is recommended the current methodology is replicated in other nations to gain corresponding insights
History
Publication
PLOS ONE, 2023, 18(6):e0287505Publisher
Public Library of ScienceOther Funding information
For this work PR was granted the Government of Ireland, Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme [number GOIPG/2022/555]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. URL:https://research.ie/funding/goipg/.Also affiliated with
- Health Research Institute (HRI)
Sustainable development goals
- (3) Good Health and Well-being
External identifier
Department or School
- Physical Education and Sports Science
- School of Education