“If we view the world
through the eyes of our students and hear the messages embedded in their
actions, we will learn things we never knew we did not know. There seem to be
some consistent messages from our students – messages about the content of the
curriculum, their value perceptions, and the meaningfulness of their
experiences” (Lee, 1997, p.274).
There may be a
tendency to under-estimate the extent to which pupils care and are perceptive
about their educational progress. However, numerous studies and the quotation above
provide evidence that pupils enjoy, are motivated by and strengthen their
self-esteem and respect by being consulted about their school experiences and
welcome the opportunity to share ideas that may help them to learn more
effectively. This can convey to pupils that they are legitimate members of the
schooling system, and acknowledge that a worthwhile school experience relies on
the pupils and teacher informing each others’ learning. That is, the teachers’
practice of teaching is integrated with and through pupil consultation and
subsequent participation.
Physical education teachers strive to provide pupils with authentic
experiences that meet their changing needs and interests with the ultimate goal
being to encourage young people to be more physically active and to adopt a
healthy lifestyle. It is therefore vital that teachers not only understand how
pupils perceive physical education but how such values and beliefs can inform
the development of effective practice in physical education (Brooker &
Macdonald, 1999). The way in which pupil voice can contribute to the
construction of the physical education curriculum in partnership with teachers
(Glasby & Macdonald, 2004) is vital in providing authentic and meaningful learning
experiences.