Exploring the value of student autonomy in physical education: two case studies in the UK and Australia

Physical education can be a subject that students find challenging when they are given little autonomy. This article explores two high school case studies, in the UK and Australia respectively, where students were given a great deal of choice over their learning and assessment journeys. In the UK case study, a Sport England survey was used with students for them to identify which personality type they were of six: confident intellectuals; cautious introverts; everyday youths; thoughtful improvers; ambitious self-starters; sports enthusiasts. Activities were subsequently selected by students in accordance with their personality type. Developing a personality-focused method such as this was found to be a useful tool in curriculum design. In the Australia case study, autonomy was offered through a SOLO Taxonomy-focused intervention, pre and post COVID. This involved students becoming empowered through their participation in the design and assessment of activities via a strength-based approach. Both case studies were successful in their own way, helping to improve students’ engagement and enjoyment levels, thereby facilitating their positive connections with movement and the subject of PE more generally. These types of autonomy-focused approaches might help pave the way towards increased physical activity beyond the school walls into adulthood.