PhD Student

Course Start: October 2018

Supervisor: Dr Joanne Hill
Second Supervisor: Dr Saul Keyworth
Third Supervisor: Dr Angel Chater

Working thesis title

The effects of COVID-19 on Physical Education, how are teachers facilitating learning and continuing in the face of adversity amid a global pandemic, and school closures.

Abstract

The escalating and ongoing issue of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began in December 2019, in Wuhan, China, and has since been recognised as a global pandemic due to widespread human-to-human transmission of a large family of viruses which are phenotypically and genotypically diverse (WHO Situation reports; Hammami et al., 2020). During the early stages of the outbreak of the pandemic, various measures were introduced by authorities including the closing of schools and universities, and bans on things such as social gatherings, cultural and sporting events, and non-essential travel (Parnell et al., 2020). Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced online teaching onto all teachers, even those who may have resisted its implication into their lessons potentially due to a lack of confidence or a deficiency of technical ability to teach remotely from home.

The overall aim of this research programme is to investigate the impact COVID-19 has had on Physical Education, taking into consideration the adaptations and changes Physical Educators have made towards remote learning (teaching from home rather than school). Exploring whether this be through synchronous (live classes) or asynchronous lessons (pre-recorded lessons). This shall be considered through questioning teachers on the different teaching pedagogies they are having to implement whilst teaching remotely (either on or off site) and whether they feel like these experiences are having any benefit or detriment to their teaching ability. The study, however, shall also show caution to social inequalities which may have been exuberated during the pandemic, in particular pupils’ potential lack of access to technology, poor Wi-Fi connection and a lack of food from a lack of free school meals, shall be explored

Research Questions

• RQ1: What is the worth of Physical Education as a subject, how are Physical Educators, teaching Physical Education in adversity in response to the COVID-19 outbreak?
• RQ2: Does online Physical Education offer educators the power to create holistic learners across the cognitive, physical, and affective learning domains? Or can this only be achieved through face-to-face learning?
• RQ3: How are Physical Educators facilitating pupils learning amid school closures and social distancing measures?
• RQ4: How did teachers make their teaching socially just, equitable, or make use of critical pedagogy in the time of online learning?

Get Involved

I welcome any Physical Educators (primary or secondary) who wishes to participate in my research to feel free to contact me via email or Twitter. Participants must have taught during the on-going Coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom.

1. Facilitating pupils learning during the COVID-19 Lockdown One:
   Are you a primary or secondary Physical Education teacher in the United Kingdom with experience of teaching during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? This questionnaire takes on average 40 minutes, and questions vary you’re your experiences of Lockdown One, and how you feel as a teacher you are/aren’t able to adhere to the Governments Eight Teacher Standards.

• https://bedshealthsciences.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_afPGMhVnvox58Yl

2. Lockdown Three: Social Inequalities and Remote Learning:
   Are you a Primary or Secondary Physical Education teacher, how are you finding Lockdown three in comparison to Lockdown one? Do you have 10-15 minutes spare to share your experiences of how you and your school have adapted to remote learning, and whether teaching from home for a second time is more/less challenging?

• https://bedshealthsciences.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6rRkKY0p9cIWtCK

About Me

I first completed my undergraduate degree in Sport and Physical Education BA (Hons) in 2017, and upon graduation embarked straight into a taught master’s degree in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy completed in 2018. During this time, I was offered the opportunity to complete HPL hours, and this cemented that instead of diverging into becoming a secondary physical educator my interests lied more with educating those post 16.

My research interests lie within Physical Education, teaching pedagogies, social inequalities, and sociological issues within the subject as well as the place and limitations of competition.

Outside of academia, I am an enthusiastic swimmer, and teach a variety of baby, children, and adults swimming lessons at a variety of pools across Bedford and the surrounding area. Other than swimming, I actively follow the NBA, being a big supporter of Miami Heat and spend my free time watching Ru Pauls Drag Race.

Contact Information

E: hope.grant@study.beds.ac.uk
LinkedIn: Hope Emily Grant
Twitter: @HopeEmilyMA