What if the answer to some of our biggest challenges in PE is not adding more, but letting go?
As PE teachers, we are a unique part of the school landscape. We work alongside our students, learn through movement with them, and model what it means to make mistakes and grow. Yet, despite this, much of whole-school professional learning rarely reflects the complexity of what we do. Topics such as adaptive teaching, for example, are things PE teachers often do naturally through activity design, but they are rarely recognised as such.
There is also constant pressure to keep the class moving and to meet the tick boxes that improve productivity. It is no surprise that many PE teachers feel stretched. I was that teacher, feeling frustrated, exhausted, and questioning my purpose. I ended each day feeling like I had been supervising rather than teaching.
When the idea of student agency was first introduced to me, I dismissed it immediately. There was no way my class could handle that level of responsibility. The thought of handing over control felt risky, messy, and even more work on the to-do list. So I held on tightly to my lessons, my structures, and my plans. For too long. The result was predictable: disengagement, repetition, and little sense of ownership for anyone involved.
What does agency mean?
When we talk about agency, we often mix voice, choice and agency interchangeably, although breaking them down can help provide small steps that help build a culture. Voice is about students being heard and expressing their opinions. Having a say in their learning is what starts this process, without student input, you have little to go on. An example of voice in action could include students suggesting rule changes or groupings for future lessons and those then being implemented. Recent research by Cardiff et al. (2023) highlights that authentic student voice in PE extends beyond collecting opinions but relies on teachers adapting based on what students share, as this validates their voice. If you open up the gates for opinions, but don’t actually follow up, voices aren’t real, they are just noise in the background.
Choice is about providing options that are meaningful and give freedom, within certain boundaries. Giving choice takes thought and there are differing levels of choice, particularly when it is fairly new to the teacher. It might start out as “managed choice” of activity levels, for example tackling a skill in beginner, intermediate or advanced groups but then may evolve into choosing parts of the what and how they learn something. Choice is often misunderstood and teachers may believe they are giving choice, but it can often be from a pre-set menu or choice board. True choice lives within 3 main areas:
- process (how students approach the learning),
- product (how they demonstrate understanding) and
- content (what is learned).
Starting with pre-set choices is by no means wrong, but it is only the launchpad for what we can do as teachers (ASCD, 2022). How might your lessons change if students could decide how they show progress or how success is defined in a unit, rather than just what piece of equipment they use?
Finally, agency is the capacity to act and the outcome of successful voice and choice implementation. If students see that their voices are heard, and are given opportunities to shape real choices, they then begin to advocate for themselves and others. It might be how fair the game is, feelings around inclusion, motivation. Once you unlock it, agency is the norm of the class culture, not the exception.
Why does it matter? At the outset, teachers may see that everything is working well, students are learning content, achieving good grades and being compliant. But, are we preparing them for real life? Are we preparing them for lifelong movement? Research connected to the Athletic Skills Model (ASM) suggests that students aren’t to specialise within a sport/activity until the late teens (Savelsbergh & Wormhoudt, 2018). This limits adaptability, creativity, and enjoyment which are key predictors of long-term participation. Moving away from early mastery to movement in any physical environment challenges the definition of success in PE and prepares students to move confidently beyond the gym or field.
What changed for me?
There was no specific turning point, but one particular film set off a chain of reflection and action. I started small, experimenting with ways to make learning more student-centred. I tried, failed, and tried again. Gradually, the shift became visible. Students who once stayed on the periphery began contributing. Those who were more confident in sport started to take on new types of challenges such as leadership and advocacy. Over time, these students became the leaders of the class with me, shaping how and what we learned together.
It was not perfect. There were lessons that fell flat, moments of pushback, and plenty of hesitation both from myself and colleagues. But that is part of the process. Building agency is not about control; it is about creating conditions where shared ownership can grow.
If you have ever wanted to:
• Give students a voice without losing structure
• Teach without constant chaos behind you
• Build systems that allow for natural, organic agency
• Help every student find their place in movement
Then this work is for you.
I bring my framework, classroom experiences, and tested approaches. You bring your context and your experiences. Together, we can design something that works for your students and your setting. You can rediscover what it feels like to love teaching again, without adding to your workload.
Want to get started?
Check out my Student Agency Starter Map to find a free viewing of the film and some resources to spark interest then get in touch and lets explore this more together.
References
Cardiff, G., Ní Chróinín, D., Bowles, R., Fletcher, T., & Beni, S. (2023). ‘Just let them have a say!’ Students’ perspective of student voice pedagogies in primary physical education. Irish Educational Studies, 42(4), 659–676. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2023.2255987
Marshall, T. R. (2022, November). The Promise, Power, and Practice of Student Agency. Educational Leadership, 80 (3), 33-38. Retrieved from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-promise-power-and-practice-of-student-agencySavelsbergh, G. J. P., & Wormhoudt, R. (2018). Creating adaptive athletes: The Athletic Skills Model for enhancing physical literacy as a foundation for expertise. Movement & Sport Sciences / Sci Motricité, 102, 31-38. https://doi.org/10.1051/sm/2019004
About the author
This blog has been written by Nicola Cosgrove who is who is PE Teacher and Department Head at Leysin American School in Switzerland. Nicola is committed to helping educators grow and support their learners so they can thrive beyond the classroom.
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