Project details
Internationally, governments and society are concerned about the impact of physical inactivity on health, life expectancy and the associated high economic costs. As such, sport, Physical Education (PE), and physical activity are often seen as the remedy. Children who acquire a broad range of movement skills are able to read and interact with their environment confidently, for example, moving to avoid an object, jumping over a puddle, intercepting a ball (Whitehead, 2001).
Physical literacy is, therefore, a journey and process that begins at the start of life. If given the opportunity to engage in relevant and meaningful physical development opportunities, children will become more confident and competent in their movement, physical activity, and embodied engagement with their environment. This will have lasting impact on their physical activity engagement.
Recognising that pedagogy and learning are not bound to the classroom (Bernstein, 2001), this project focuses on the importance of the outdoor natural learning environment. Globally, learning outside the classroom is being recognised as fundamental to young children engaging with their environment in meaningful ways which positively contributes to their physical literacy journey. For example, forest schools within the UK, Scandinavia, and parts of the global south; and bush and beach schools within Australia are all gaining traction in early years provision. Outdoor learning provides young children with different opportunities to be physically active and to develop necessary physical skills in their own communities and contexts.
To this end, the proposed project will draw on the use of qualitative and observational methods to examine importance of outdoor learning on the physical literacy of young children within the early years.
Entry requirements
Our entry requirements are listed using standard UK undergraduate degree classifications i.e. first-class honours, upper second-class honours and lower second-class honours. To learn the equivalent for your country, please choose it from the drop-down below.
Entry requirements for United Kingdom
Applicants will need to hold at least a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) in Sport and Exercise Science, Sport Science, Physical Education and Coaching or a related subject. A relevant Master’s degree will be an advantage.
English language requirements
Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website.
How to apply
All applications should be made online. Under programme name, select School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. Please quote the advertised reference number: SSEHS/JLS/3 in your application.
To avoid delays in processing your application, please ensure that you submit the minimum supporting documents.
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