TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical education across the international media
T2 - a five-year analysis
AU - Hyndman, B.
AU - SueSee, B.
AU - McMaster, N.
AU - Harvey, S.
AU - Jefferson-Buchanan, R.
AU - Cruickshank, V.
AU - Barnes, M.
AU - Pill, S.
PY - 2020/3/23
Y1 - 2020/3/23
N2 - The message of physical education (PE) has been one of a ‘contested ground’ with regular debate around its purpose, alongside conceptual confusions. A major channel of communication that strongly influences public perceptions is through mainstream media, yet how media platforms have reported on the PE profession has received a scarcity of research attention. The aim of this research was to investigate international media reporting of PE over a five-year period. To generate key concepts and themes emerging from the international PE media (English speaking), researchers conducted a Leximancer text mining analysis of media articles published via the Google News function between January 2013 and March 2018. A PE for health discourse was evident from across the international media reporting of PE with regular concepts and themes focused upon the ‘physical’ including activity, health, obesity, physical activity and exercise. It was also evident that there were clear links between the concept of ‘physical education’ with regulatory concepts such as ‘requirements, reporting and law’. Notable thematic absences related to how PE goals can be met through teaching, learning and programming. Unpacking conceptual and thematic insight into how the PE profession has been reported into the public sphere sheds light on key trends, discourses and influences that are being communicated to the public across global contexts.
AB - The message of physical education (PE) has been one of a ‘contested ground’ with regular debate around its purpose, alongside conceptual confusions. A major channel of communication that strongly influences public perceptions is through mainstream media, yet how media platforms have reported on the PE profession has received a scarcity of research attention. The aim of this research was to investigate international media reporting of PE over a five-year period. To generate key concepts and themes emerging from the international PE media (English speaking), researchers conducted a Leximancer text mining analysis of media articles published via the Google News function between January 2013 and March 2018. A PE for health discourse was evident from across the international media reporting of PE with regular concepts and themes focused upon the ‘physical’ including activity, health, obesity, physical activity and exercise. It was also evident that there were clear links between the concept of ‘physical education’ with regulatory concepts such as ‘requirements, reporting and law’. Notable thematic absences related to how PE goals can be met through teaching, learning and programming. Unpacking conceptual and thematic insight into how the PE profession has been reported into the public sphere sheds light on key trends, discourses and influences that are being communicated to the public across global contexts.
KW - communication
KW - discourse
KW - Leximancer
KW - Physical education
KW - reporting
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85079380392&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13573322.2019.1583640
DO - 10.1080/13573322.2019.1583640
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85079380392
SN - 1357-3322
VL - 25
SP - 274
EP - 291
JO - Sport, Education and Society
JF - Sport, Education and Society
IS - 3
ER -