Teachers’ views on the construction, management and delivery of an externally prescribed physical education curriculum: higher grade physical education

There is strong agreement that teachers are central to curriculum planning and development as it is teachers who ultimately decide whether or not, or to what extent, to implement innovations. By applying Basil Bernstein’s (1990) theoretical framework on the social construction of pedagogic discourse, this paper examines teachers’ views towards the process of a particular curriculum innovation in physical education in Scotland, Higher Grade Physical Education (HGPE). Also examined are teachers’ views on the consequent subject content and the management of the subject in schools, in an attempt to identify factors that aided or hindered teachers from supporting and delivering HGPE. It is suggested that as a consequence of teachers being expected to deliver an externally prescribed curriculum, de-professionalisation and de-skilling are probable teacher experiences.