Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore learners' experiences enacting youth/student voice pedagogies (SVP) to promote Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and meaningful physical education (MPE) in an alternative education setting. Drawing on social constructivist learning theory in understanding and implementing a MPE approach, and a systemic framework for SEL, two research questions guided the research process: (1) How did students interpret and enact these pedagogies? (2) What contribution did the enactment of these pedagogies have in promoting SEL and MPE? This study implemented a qualitative case study design framed by a participatory action research (PAR) approach spanning 12 weeks from February to May 2021. Participants in this study included 16 ninth grade alternative high school students (eight girls/eight boys) aged 14–15 who had just returned to face-to-face learning in January 2021 for the first time following COVID-19. A range of traditional and innovative participatory qualitative research methods including focus group interviews, students' personal biographies, timelines, digital and written reflections, photovoice, and class artifacts were utilized. The Miles, Huberman, and Saldana Framework for Qualitative Data Analysis was implemented involving both deductive and inductive combinations of comparative and thematic analysis. The following themes were constructed: Making responsible decisions; unearthing and sharing mixed emotions; picturing physical activity beyond the classroom; recognizing the role of relationships; considering challenge and competence; and, pursuing meaning. Findings demonstrate how enacting SVP can lead to the development of students' SEL and MPE experiences complimenting multiple learning domains. We call for further embedding of SVP capturing students' physical activity and movement experiences inside and outside of PE in teacher education and professional development that helps teachers and their students make sense of, shape, influence, and enact more MPE and physical activity learning experiences.
Highlights
Reflecting trends in education and societies more broadly (Gonzalez et al, 2017; Cook-Sather, 2018; Mitra, 2018; Mills et al, 2021), the last decade has seen considerable scaling up of research and advocacy for enacting youth/student voice within and across physical education (PE), physical activity, and youth sport settings (Hooper and Sandford, 2021; Iannucci and Parker, 2021)
Students recognized their role in making responsible decisions, ranging from establishing rules, routines, and expectations, regular group processing, and making decisions on selecting and negotiating content: “We worked on discussing our values regarding the class” [Auria, Reflection (REF) 1]; “We got to do what we wanted, like to vote and stuff like that” [Khalid, Focus Group (FG)B]; “It was like a main focus to make sure that everyone felt like they had some say” (Barry, FGC)
This study highlights the significance of enacting student voice pedagogies (SVP) deliberately and consistently, with findings demonstrating how doing so can lead to the development of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and meaningful physical education (MPE) experiences complimenting multiple domains
Summary
Reflecting trends in education and societies more broadly (Gonzalez et al, 2017; Cook-Sather, 2018; Mitra, 2018; Mills et al, 2021), the last decade has seen considerable scaling up of research and advocacy for enacting youth/student voice within and across physical education (PE), physical activity, and youth sport settings (Hooper and Sandford, 2021; Iannucci and Parker, 2021). Any enactment claiming itself to encompass SVP must involve: (1) democratically grounded learner-centered pedagogies that allow participants to understand and take ownership and responsibility for their learning (Lynch and Curtner-Smith, 2019); (2) processes which create communities of learning, where collaboration and cooperation are the norm and students have opportunities to participate in decision making (Hytten, 2017); and (3) provide participants opportunities to share and reflect on their learning experiences while continuing to influence analyses, decisions, and practices (Cook-Sather, 2006, 2014). An area of increasingly growing interest in this regard is how the enactments SVP can promote social, emotional, and meaningful learning experiences in PE
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