Physical education (PE) has long been contested as various discourses compete and conflict on what the subject is and what its purpose ought to be. Within these discussions, less attention has been placed on student accounts of the purpose of compulsory secondary school PE in England, and on the meanings constructed based on experiences of the subject. Therefore, this study sought to build on and extend the insights in this area from the student perspective. Drawing on data generated through six focus groups with 27 students, aged between 11 and 14, we show the obdurate nature of dominant sport discourses within PE in England. The meaning and purpose of PE were largely constructed as sport and positive experiences of PE came mostly from students who enjoyed and participated in sport. PE-as-sport was reported to broadly, and sometimes negatively, influence student experiences based on ability, gender and through lack of choice and autonomy within the subject. We do not conclude with clear ‘practical’ recommendations for change in practice, but instead suggest a continued focus on critically questioning the role of sport in PE amongst practitioners and researchers is necessary.

中文翻译：

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体育运动的连续性：探索英国中学生对体育教育的意义和目的的看法


体育教育（PE）长期以来一直存在争议，因为各种论述在主题是什么及其目的应该是什么方面存在竞争和冲突。在这些讨论中，很少有人关注学生对英国义务中学体育目的的描述，以及基于该主题的经验构建的含义。因此，本研究试图从学生的角度建立和扩展该领域的见解。根据由 27 名年龄在 11 岁至 14 岁之间的 27 名学生组成的 6 个焦点小组生成的数据，我们展示了英国体育领域主流体育话语的顽固本质。体育的意义和目的很大程度上被构建为体育运动，体育的积极体验大多来自喜欢和参与体育运动的学生。据报道，体育运动会因能力、性别以及学科内缺乏选择和自主权而对学生的经历产生广泛的、有时甚至是负面的影响。我们并没有对实践中的改变提出明确的“实用”建议，而是建议从业者和研究人员继续关注批判性质疑体育运动在体育中的作用是必要的。