"I just wasn't good enough"; selection and self-validation in curricular sports programmes in Scotland

This paper explores pupil experiences of a curricular sports programme offered in a Scottish secondary school. Participation in these types of sports programmes is a promising avenue to foster what is known as Positive Youth... [ view full abstract ]

This paper explores pupil experiences of a curricular sports programme offered in a Scottish secondary school. Participation in these types of sports programmes is a promising avenue to foster what is known as Positive Youth Development (PYD). As greater responsibility is placed within the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) to enhance aspects commonly associated with PYD such as social and emotional well-being, it is essential to understand how this school provision may enhance these characteristics. The majority of research involving sport and youth development is cross-sectional and quantitative in nature, with very few studies drawing on qualitative evidence. In addition, research involving curricular sports programmes, and their ability to enhance aspects of PYD, is limited. This research employed a sequential multi-phase mixed methods design consisting of three phases. This paper will focus on the third phase of the data collection that utilised semi-structured interviews with those who were selected to participate in the programme as well as those who did not. This phase was explanatory in nature seeking to provide further explanation to the findings from the previous two phases. This research draws on aspects of the Applied Sport Programming Model (Fraser-Thomas, Côté & Deakin, 2005) and suggests an additional consideration of programme ‘selection’. Developmentally, this selection process appeared to be an important self-validating factor for increases in pupils’ confidence in their athletic ability. This research adds to the continuing conversation regarding the possible developmental nature of sport programmes and the continued search for avenues to enhance psychosocial development in the school context.