Disaffected Youth School Sport PE teachers' Professional Development

Aligned with the phenomenon of youth disaffection and as a way to tackle it investment in Physical Education and School Sport (PESS) programmes has undergone dramatic expansion. In particular evidence suggests that physical education (PE) teachers – as role models and significant adults – can have a life-changing impact on disaffected young people. To enable the effective engagement of these young people in the education context it appears essential to ensure that PE teachers are appropriately trained through Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Career – long Professional Development (CPD) programmes. The purpose of this qualitative research study therefore was to address and explore issues of: (a) the role of PESS in tackling disaffection and in re-engaging these young people into PESS education and further in society; (b) PE teachers’ ways of effective learning with focus on their CPD training.