Review of literature

This literature review looks at how teachers develop pupils through physical education using quality standards and which teaching styles are required?

This review of literature will look at how the quality standards of teaching and support within PE can help pupils develop their talents. Teachers are required to develop pupils through using the quality standards of teaching as recommended by the government.

Talent development within schools has been looked at in greater detail by the department of education and skills (DFES) in (2001) and (2002) and the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) (2003). The provision of schemes such as the PESSCL strategy and enrichment schemes can see if these help pupils develop within schools. The different types of teacher styles can also be an important factor to each individual’s talent development.

What is talent?

‘Talent matters’ describes talented pupils who demonstrate high-level ability within a range of PE contexts, or have the potential to do so. www.talentmatters.org (Gagne 2000, p. 67) believes talent is,

‘the superior mastery of systematically developed abilities (called competencies or talent) and knowledge in at least one field of human activity to a degree that places a child’s achievement within at least the upper 10% of age peers who are actively in that field or fields’ Trackle et Cushion (2006, p. 267).

Freeman (1998) goes on to mention that ‘in defining Gifted and Talented pupils as ‘those who either demonstrate exceptionally high level performance… or those whose potential for excellence has not yet been recognized’ Bailey et al, (2004 pp134).

Every school has talented pupils these pupils once identified, require high quality teaching and support to help them fully realize their talents www.talentmatters.org.

Within schools, teachers are the people responsible for developing talented pupils of which whom demonstrate high level ability within physical education. High quality talent development is characterized by identification and selection, teaching and supporting, professional development and policy www.talentmatters.org.

This was considered an interest by the government as they believed that children that had great ability within physical education could be developed into sports players that may well compete at the highest level. The Department for Education and Skills (DFES, 2001) mentioned that the identification and development of children in schools is the foundation for future elite performance and international success (DCMS, 2000; Kirk & Gorely, 2000).

Bailey, Tan, Morley, (2004) also believe that the governments huge emphasis on the identification and development of talented pupils within schools will improve a pupil’s performance as well as giving them the best opportunity to perhaps progress through to the elite level after their school education is complete.

Office for Standards in Education, 2001 (OfSTED 2001) mentions that achievement criterion within schools should not just work with high ability children who are achieving through physical performance but those pupils who have the potential and make every effort to achieve. Freeman et al., (1998 pp137), mentions ‘they should take a broader perspective, encompassing the potential to excel’. Talent matters also mentioned that schools should recognize pupils who are currently achieving, underachieving or have the potential to achieve a high level ability.

The problem also found here with talented pupils or pupils that may have the potential to excel is that the school can only identify a limited number of pupils who have talent. Bailey et al (2004). Bailey et al (2004), mentions that the flexible provision for gifted and talented pupils is limited to one third per year group which gives less opportunity for all pupils to develop.

This is probably due to teachers not having the time to help every child progress and develop which affects pupils that have potential but won’t be identified purely because of the time for identification to be observed. (Office for Standards in Education, 2001) can only identify approximately the same proportion of gifted and talented pupils each time within each year group although there could be a year group with more gifted children that cannot be identified by schools due to the proportion. Bailey et al (2004).

This is why the government has tried to set a framework on the provision of school-based mainstream curricular identification and provision strategies which should develop talented pupils. Fisher, (1996); Beashel, (2002), found it unfortunate that evidence is showing a proportion of pupils excluded from activities, because not being given the opportunity or support to develop their selves which is why these new strategies and schemes should be put in place within schools to prevent any talented pupils being excluded.

Government plans for provision of school-based mainstream curricular identification and provision strategies are put in place within schools so it can help teachers identify this talent and develop them to the elite level as mentioned by Kirk et al, (2000).

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) mention that schools systems and teachers need to consider the best way of identifying talent, which could be through assessing a pupil’s ability which can help keep tracks of their progress www.qca.org.uk.

The quality standards is a measure of high quality practice in the identification, selection, teaching and support of talented pupils, as well as the professional development of teachers involved and associated school policy.

A model was produced by the ‘talent matters’ which showed abilities that were needed, to develop talent and how quality standards of identification and teacher support could produce the best outcomes for pupils within physical education. Looking at appendix 1 shows the model of talent development, and if quality standards are met then it would help produce,

• Lifelong physical activity

• Rewarding PE experiences

• Elite sport performance