Student Voice in PE

What is Student Voice?

Student Voice is a process in which children are actively involved in decision-making in the teaching and learning process. By adopting a student voice approach, teachers regularly seek out children’s input and feedback on the lesson structure, content and/or teaching methods. Student voice has many benefits for children, including:

Increased engagement in lessons
Ownership of learning
Supporting expression of views

Getting Started with Student Voice

Download: Getting Started with Student Voice in Primary PE (PDF – 2MB)

To help teachers to get started on their student voice journey in primary PE, the above resource was created. This resource provides a step-by-step incremental approach to using student voice in primary PE based on the experiences of primary teachers.

It centres around the use of 7 strategies:

Strategy 1: Using Choice to Find Voice
Strategy 2: Learning to Direct Play
Strategy 3: Identifying and Responding to Children’s Preferences
Strategy 4: Change One Thing
Strategy 5: Special Interest Badges
Strategy 6: Connecting to Children’s Wider Physical Activity Lives
Strategy 7: Certificate of Achievement

This resource was developed by the VOICE-PE project team in collaboration with the IPPEA. The project was funded by an Irish Research Council New Foundations Grant 2021-22.

Teacher Webinar

In this short video, Grace, a primary school teacher who has used student voice in her own practice, gives a brief overview of how teachers can use student voice in primary

Student Webinar

This 4-minute video is designed for teachers to use in the classroom as a way to introduce the concept of student voice to students. We hope it will help teachers explain student voice in a clear, engaging way, sparking discussions about students’ roles and responsibilities in shaping their PE experiences.

Additional resources & printable templates

Download: A Guide to Student Voice in Primary PE (PDF – 5MB)

This resource builds on the content of “Getting Started with Student Voice in Primary PE”. Stories from children and teachers in Irish classrooms are shared as examples to give you a sense of what is possible. In addition, printable templates are included to help teachers in getting started with student voice in their classroom.

Teacher Testimonial

Listen to this short video testimonial about the benefits of adopting a student voice approach in primary PE. Eimear Colreavy, a teacher involved in the GROW VOICE project, shares how embracing student voice has enriched both her teaching practice and her students’ learning experiences in PE.

As part of the GROW VOICE project, classes from primary schools across Ireland collaborated over five months to explore, implement and advocate for student voice in PE. Teachers and students were supported through webinars and resources designed to help them to bring student voice to life in their classrooms.

Here six classes share their experiences – what worked, what didn’t, and the insights they gained. Taken together, these stories highlight the value of integrating student voice into everyday PE practice. We hope that their stories might provide some inspiration and direction for you getting started. Click on the links below to read their stories.