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Physical education at preschools: practitioners’ and children’s engagements with physical activity and health discourses

McEvilly, Nollaig
; 
Verheul, Martine
; 
Atencio, Matthew
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Affiliation
University of Chester; The University of Edinburgh; California State University
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Publication Date
2013-12-16
Submitted Date
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Sport and Exercise Sciences
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Abstract
This paper focuses on one aspect of a qualitative study concerned with investigating the place and meaning of ‘physical education’ to practitioners and children at three preschools in Scotland. We examine the ways in which the participants engaged with discourses related to physical activity and health in order to construct their subjectivities. Fourteen practitioners and 70 children participated. Research methods employed were observations, interviews with adults, a group drawing and discussion activity with children, and interviews with children. Both the adults’ and children’s talk illustrated the dominance of neoliberal, healthism meanings which position individuals as responsible for their own health. While the children’s talk primarily centred on health as a corporeal notion, the practitioners tended to talk about physical activity and health in both corporeal terms and in relation to the self more holistically. The practitioners also talked about physical activity as a means of regulating children’s behaviour.
Citation
Nollaig McEvilly, N., Verheulb, M. & Atencioc, M. (2015). Physical education at preschools: practitioners’ and children’s engagements with physical activity and health discourses. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 36(6), 832-852. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2013.848780
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Journal
British Journal of Sociology of Education
Research Unit
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10034/576436
DOI
10.1080/01425692.2013.848780
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PubMed Central ID
Type
Article
Language
en
Description
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in British Journal of Sociology of Education on December 2013, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01425692.2013.848780
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ISSN
0142-5692
1465-3346
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http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01425692.2013.848780