Physical education in the middle years of schooling

This study was designed to examine the role of the specialist trained teacher of physical education in the middle schools designated 8–12 years. Comparisons were made of curriculum content and practice in schools with and without specialist teachers, drawing on the evidence of questionnaire, observation of persons, and practitioners' views. Subsequently groups of boys aged 11+ years were chosen as examples of the recipients of such teaching and some assessment of their physical and affective development was made. Three groups were chosen for comparative purposes: (a) boys in middle schools with a specialist; (b) boys in middle schools without a specialist; (c) boys in 11+ transfer secondary schools. The results showed that a specialist was employed in half the middle schools of the survey; these specialists were predominantly male; their teaching was superior to the non-specialist especially in gymnastics; they offered significantly more intra- and extra-mural activities with competition being at a high premium. [Continues.]