ECGE7004Q Rhiannon Osborne Develop a research proposal suitable for your client group (5000 words) Nature versus nurture has been a matter for philosophical debate for many years. In a school setting, which shapes gender more, genes or external influences that children are subjected to? This leads to reflection about at which point these differences begin to emerge. Results from the LOOK longitudinal study (Rohan M. Telford, et al., 2016) like many other studies highlighted a gender gap surrounding young children in relation to sports activity. The study incorporates many areas such as social, economic and environmental. It stresses the importance of trying to understand where the gender differences in participation of physical activity come from, and acknowledged the positive impact that this could potentially have in settings such as primary schools, where boys and girls are taught in gender mixed groups (Rohan M. Telford, et al., 2016). Wilson (Wilson, 2109) looked at research carried out by Sports England that highlighted a link between happiness, self-esteem and resilience in children. Those that participated in more physical activity fared better in these areas. Currently, mental health issues are a prominent concern that appears to be on the increase. Conflict surrounding gender in society generally is suspected to have an adverse impact on mental health (Daniel Freeman & Freeman, 2013). Therefore, it would seem possible that sport could have a direct and positive effect in this area making it an appropriate topic to research. In the current climate gender inequality is at the forefront of many minds and the negative experiences of many in relation to gender have also been linked to mental health issues such as depression. Messner (Messner, 2009) looked at youth sport to understand attitudes surrounding gender issues, he asked, does sport validate gender equality or reinforce traditionally engrained inequality? It could be argued that sport is not an important topic for research, however, sport plays a major and continuing role throughout the lives of many, and at times is in direct competition with what are considered to be more valuable areas of extracurricular education such as music. Messner (Messner, 2009) also looked at adults and their roles surrounding youth sport. Not surprisingly the organisation of the activities themselves highlighted the deeply engrained and traditional roles of males and females in society. The male parents generally coached the teams while the female parents were responsible for organisation of snacks etc. Since the proposed research will observe the organisation of P.E. within the school setting, it is possible that the beginnings of the gender gap will be exposed here. Which roles do male and female educators assume during the delivery of such activities? What impact if any does this have on the children? Society is bounded by many constructs such as the education system, health care and the political system. These have been formed as a framework to facilitate the running of society and its current cultures and traditions at any given time. Unfortunately, engrained norms and values surrounding historical needs for such practices has not kept up with the shift in society’s attitudes towards much needed change in relation to equality of the sexes. Stevens (Stevens, 2017) looked at research carried out by ‘Women in Sport’, that sought to learn about the opinions of parents and teachers who had experience of girl’s sport in education. Stevens suggested that general opinion was that changes in attitudes and opportunities were needed. He indicated that the desirability for sport participation and the success of the girls in sport was not supported in the same way as it was for the boys. Boys were encouraged to play contact sports while girls were guided to be less physical. Although no specific prevention of any sport activity was enforced within the educational setting, girls who enjoyed football for instance were not provided with the opportunity to do so at secondary level, as very few female school football teams exist. Alongside this was the concern that simple issues such as girl’s clothing was restricting therefore another factor excluding them from sports activities on the playground (Stevens, 2017). This research question has been motivated by an interest in childhood development. Children are our future and therefore as adults it is important to teach our children to be well rounded, tolerant individuals. As a mother of a five it is personally concerning that currently inequality is still experienced by a large percentage of people. Far too many young people experience mental health issues and it is thought that one major risk for this are the inequalities that young people encounter (Gov.Uk, 2019). This along with qualifications surrounding education and experience as a primary school teacher has been another reason for wanting to investigate possible gender inequalities within the school setting. The aim of the proposed research will be to learn if the education system influences the gender gap in sport at all. The research will look at the curriculum guidelines surrounding delivery of physical activity within the school setting. Documents such as the national curriculum will be analysed. Social norms, constructs and perceptions of ideas with specific consideration of language used around young people will also be considered. There are three main areas of literature that will inform the proposed study. As the research topic is looking at possible inequalities surrounding gender the first area of literature to considered will be the Equality Act 2010. The Equality act was put in place to protect against discrimination and states that, ‘It is against the law to discriminate against anyone because of sex or sexual orientation’ (Gov. Uk, 2010). The next area of literature to consider will be the specific policies adopted by individual schools. ‘All schools should provide an inclusive environment that allows every pupil to fulfil their potential, whatever their identity or background’ (Gov.Uk, 2016). The government is clear that discrimination is not acceptable. Schools are given the freedom to implement their own strategies to ensure they adhere to current legislation but must be mindful that the wishes of the parents are incorporated while the needs of the child are met. The government has also invested a substantial amount of funding into staff training and development of policies to ‘tackle harmful stereotypes’ (Gov.Uk, 2016). Unfortunately, despite government legislation gender inequalities still exist. Therefore, it is crucial that research allows us to explore the possible reason for the ongoing issues. It is also important not to disregard the historical background in relation to sport and gender inequality as this may give a deeper insight into our current situation. This will be the third area of literature to inform the proposed research. Historically it is apparent that sport has generally been incompatible with female traits. Kay and Jeanes (Kay. & Jeanes., 2008) look at three rationales where it has been argued that women should not participate in sporting activities. The first being physiological, a woman’s body is simply too delicate and may result in physical harm. Secondly it is not aesthetically pleasing to see women playing sport. For example, a woman sweating or wearing clothing associated with sport is just not attractive. The final rationale to be highlighted here is the social. Due to the socially constructed and traditional image of women, sport is seen to be in direct contradiction to the qualities and behaviours that have been assigned to women. For these reasons, exclusion of women from sporting activities has been apparent for many years. Although change has occurred it has done so slowly. At the time of the first World War although women had taken part in a variety of sports, it was a rare and almost an unheard-of event. During the 1930s, Pierre De Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics opposed women participating in competitive sports and even claimed it to be illegal (McPherson et.al., 1989 as cited in Kay & Jeanes., 2008). The latter discussions would seem to hold some truth for the current situation surrounding sport today. Inequalities still exist and men still appear to dominate physical sports. Given that the gender gap in sport still appears to be widespread and specific research is difficult to find for the chosen age group, then the proposed research would appear to address a gap in this field that needs further investigation. There are several different ways that research can be undertaken. Broadly speaking they fit into two categories, qualitative research and quantitative research. Qualitative research has become hard to define as something that is just the opposite to quantitative research and has many variables. Despite this it is widely adopted and has some commonality. Its general stance seeks to ‘ unpick how people construct the world around them, what they are doing or what is happening to them in terms that are meaningful and that offer rich insight’ (Flick, 2007). Therefore, it is non-structured and develops beliefs. Quantitative on the other hand is a ‘method of generating numerical data and hard facts by statistical, logical and mathematical techniques’ (S., 2018). It is a structured method that is objective and concludes by producing a way forward rather that generating general ideas. In order to carry out the proposed research a qualitative framework with a constructivist position will be adopted. To paraphrase Creswell (Creswell, 1998), the position here is that all participants, researchers and audience will experience and interpret the same event differently thus producing many different realities. Interpretation will be dependent on lived experiences. It will be important as a researcher that the many realities are noted (Creswell, 1998). A constructivist approach is more appropriate in this study as it allows the researcher to become the narrator for participants rather than a positivist approach that would fit neatly into a quantitative framework that believes there is only one single truth. The data gathered from qualitative and quantitative research will be very different, so it is important to choose which is more suited to the research question. It is here the researcher will need to be clear on what it is they are trying to learn about. Understanding both methods of research is crucial. Creswell (Creswell, 1998) notes that the first thing to think about is that, generally a qualitative research question will begin with words like ‘how’ or ‘what’, and will present data allowing a researcher to see what is going on. Whereas quantitative research questions will often begin with words such as ‘why’, that that can allow direct comparisons to be made and cause and effect to be explored. He also highlights that qualitative research allows a topic to be investigated where there are many variables and where there is a need for ideas to be developed in order to gain a clearer understanding of something. It is also within the framework of qualitative research that a wide range of varying data can be collected to ensure many different positions and ideologies can be considered. General ideas and fine details can be recorded providing a considerable amount of data that represents many participant ideologies and lived experiences. Although both areas of research can complement each other, quantitative research is far more structured and objective, only allowing the researcher to investigate and develop one area of a topic. Punch (Punch, 2005) explains the differences as follows. He views quantitative research as the collection of data that is understood through numbers. Since numbers are socially constructed and not naturally produced it is the researcher that translates the information to present it in the form of numbers and tables, in order to do this, a manmade structure must be used. Since this is very rigid it does not allow for deviation away from the topic. To a certain extent the research begins with a preconceived idea that the data serves to confirm. It does not allow observations within a natural setting as the method of qualitative research does. It may be useful here to explore some examples to further clarify understanding and ensure the best research framework has been adopted. The examples shown have been selected as they are simple and clear. The first example is of a quantitative research question. Will a widget sell as it is? For the researcher to find the answer they will need to ask questions that gather information allowing them to match numbers and facts to the question. In this instance things like market share, market demographics and customer satisfaction could be considered. The data collected could then be used to improve or change the widget in order to improve sales (Scheid, 2019). The qualitative example looks at a product called a pillow pet, a stuffed animal that opens into a pillow for children to use. The product is designed and put on the market but does not sell, why? In order to answer the question, why, a focus group is selected. The group includes several children who are observed selecting a pillow pet from all available choices. Once it is established which pillow pets are chosen and which are rejected the research can begin. Questions are then designed to find out why the children made their choices. Answers could be linked to gender, colour of the product or aesthetics of the product (Scheid, 2019). As demonstrated with the latter examples it is clear the two approaches suited two different types of research question, and collected two very different types of data, that was then used in two very different ways. The aims and objectives of the proposed research question is to look at ‘how’ gender is influenced through sports if at all within the school setting. Therefore, at this stage it seeks to learn about the individuals involved and understand how policies are interpreted, and what influences those interpretations rather than ‘why’. Focus here is to understand what is going on within the specific school setting rather that comparing it to other settings. The reason for this is that to a degree, comparison could be helpful but due to varying influences in culture and society, these variables would be too great to be collected in a numerical way and would possibly exclude valuable data. As previously discussed, the aim of the research is to discover if the education system influences the gender gap in sport. The objective will be to understand the curriculum and the guidelines surrounding delivery of physical education. This will be done through analysis of curriculum documents. Social norms and constructs surrounding sport and gender within the school environment which will include perception and ideas while specifically considering the language used around young people will be considered. It is at this point that as the researcher a critical/ feminist bias may seep through. Bias is unavoidable but must be acknowledged and as a researcher the position taken supports a feminist view that looks for equality and believes that research should place ‘emphasis on care and responsibility rather than outcomes’ and that ‘daily life dilemmas are shaped by social divisions of gender, class and ethnicity’ (Tina Miller, et al., 2012). The work of social theorist and feminist, Judith Butler, argues that gender is ‘performative and not an essential category’ (Boundless, 2016). It is argued that it is only repetition of what is perceived as male and female that reifies the categories. The proposed research will not exclude the historical stance that provokes the question as to who benefits from the way gender is socially constructed and why does the gender gap in sport still exist at all. It is interesting to note that the social sciences such as psychology and sociology did not emerge as academic disciplines until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Emile Durkheim is thought to be the founder of sociology. He was a French sociologist and philosopher that produced studies such as ‘The dualism of human nature and its social condition’ (Author, 2019). Durkheim along with other scientist such as Weber began to acknowledge that it was valuable to study human behaviour through a subjective lens. He stressed that ‘human behaviour should be studied by understanding human actions’ (Sahifa, 2017). There are many positions that can be taken when planning a research proposal and the suitability of these will largely depend on which research approach is adopted. The approach will again depend on the research question and the chosen framework. Since a qualitative framework has been chosen a constructivist approach will be used. This approach supports the theory that individuals are responsible for constructing their own realities which arise from their surroundings, therefore, there will be many realities. Individual influences such as work, family and friends will be considered in order to ‘learn how they see and interpret the world they live in’ (Sahifa, 2017). To further explain the choice of taking a constructivist approach, it is important to at least consider another approach so that comparisons can be drawn and the rationale for the choice thus explained. Punch (Punch, 2005) defines how he perceives positivism in research. He states ‘that objective accounts of the world can be given, and the function of science is to develop explanations in the form of universal laws’. This approach is a valuable approach but omits certain ideologies that individuals may have as it guides participants in one specific direction and collects specific data. This research proposal seeks to understand how gender may be influenced through sports in a school setting and what contributes to those influences. It will not seek to answer why. The next stage when compiling a research proposal will be to consider the methodology that is going to be used. Methodology could include Ethnographies, Grounded Theory and Phenomenology among others. These must be compatible for use within the chosen framework. In this instance the methodology used will be a case study. ‘A case study provides a unique example of real people in real situations’ (Louis Cohen, et al., 2011). It is thought that case studies can reveal many elements surrounding a topic within one setting and are holistic as opposed to reductionist. By this it is understood that observations can be made within real situations and can highlight complex, dynamic events, human relationships and other factors simultaneously (Louis Cohen, et al., 2011). Case studies are a valuable approach when ‘behaviours cannot be manipulated or controlled’ (Hitchcock & Hughes, 1995, cited in Louis Cohen, et al., 2011). As the researcher going into a school setting there will be no need or opportunity to change or control variables. All activities will be dependent on the individual school and the way it delivers physical education. Case studies are carried out in areas that are not well researched. They allow the researcher to look in detail as they focus on a small group of participants. This is an advantage to researching on a much larger scale where it is much more difficult to learn the finer details. However, this can be a disadvantage as it much more difficult to generalise using this method (Gilbert, 2008, cited in Kumar, 2014). Although some commonalities will be found, policies, attitudes, interpretation and delivery will depend on the participants and their external influences. Other methodologies such as Ethnographies and Grounded Theories have been rejected due to their unsuitability for this research proposal. Ethnographies for example set out to ‘convey a detailed account of life in a specific cultural setting’ (Barbour, 2014). In this type of study, the researcher plays a crucial role in that they immerse themselves into the setting they are studying. An important element of this structure is length of time in the setting, which consists of long periods or huge amounts of interaction with things such as objects and events. It is from within these boundaries that this type of research gathers its data (Barbour, 2014). The proposed research only focuses on one element of participant life. This being the school setting and although outside influences such as home life, work and friendships, will contribute to participant perception the study will not specifically consider these elements. A grounded theory differs again in that it is based on scientific fact. This type of methodology generates a concept that explains patterns in data. A researcher would take samples of data sets and pinpoint tendencies and connections among the data. This can then be used to predict what may be found in similar data sets (Crossman, 2019). Again, this is not suited to the proposed research as the research question to a degree is formulated around the data that is being looked at. It does not allow for participant opinion or for meandering around the question that has been posed. At this point the methods used must be decided. There are many methods that can be used to collect data in research. Since the methodology will be that of a case study, appropriate methods will consist of observations and semi-structured interviews. (Appendix one: Example of interview questions). For the purpose of interviews there will be a selection of five boys and five girls taken from a year six class. If possible two male and two female teachers involved with the delivery of physical education within the school setting will also be selected for interview. This selection has been made to ensure enough data can be collected from both male and female participants. Consideration has also been made surrounding time scale while carrying out the research and during the data analysis process. Allowance has been made to mitigate participant withdrawal from the research. There are several types of interview technique. The most commonly used are structured, semi-structured and un-structured. In a semi-structured interview, there will be ‘a list of key themes, issues and questions to be covered’ (Kajornboon, 2004). This type of technique covers the possibility of exploring new ideas that may not have initially been considered. It allows a researcher to be less restricted thus enabling them to add questions as the interview takes place. As Kajornboon (Kajornboon, 2004) explains one advantage to semi-structured interviewing is the option for the researcher to investigate further into the specific topic being discussed. However, she highlights that this type of interviewing technique can also be problematic. It may be difficult for an inexperienced researcher to prompt questions that open unforeseen opportunities. This may then result in relevant data being not being collected (Kajornboon, 2004). Despite the problems that could arise out of semi-structured interviews, in this proposed research the benefits outweigh those problems. This is because the research question specifically wants to learn about external factors that influence participant ideology. To find out what influences participants it will be important to learn how policies are interpreted which will depend on the participants own lived experiences of their world. Since these experiences will differ for everyone there must be some room for manoeuvre during the research process. Creswell (Creswell, 1998) states the importance of ensuring that the correct interview technique is chosen is ‘practical and will net the most useful information to answer research questions’ (Creswell, 1998). For these reasons both structured and un-structured interviews will not be appropriate. To clarify the choice a brief reasoning for the rejection of both structured and un-structured interview technique will be explored. Kumar (Kumar, 2014) points out that an unstructured interview is very beneficial in that a researcher has complete freedom in all aspects of the interview. Structure, wording, format and explanations are formed depending on the relevance to the situation and spur of the moment questions can be added at any time. This allows the researcher to explore in depth a situation and can provide a vast amount of exhaustive data. He highlights disadvantages to this type of interview stating that a high level of skill will be needed. For the purpose of this research proposal an unstructured interview would therefore be very challenging and could also produce data that would potentially not be relevant. The complete opposite is structured interviewing. This method is undertaken through predetermined questions that are written on the interview schedule and followed closely. It is here that explanation as to why this method has been rejected will be provided. Kumar (Kumar, 2014) explains that all the questions have been pre-tested to ensure that they are standardised in relation to language, meaning and interpretation. They are useful as they produce consistent information that can be compared. He tells us that this technique does not demand the same level of skills set as an unstructured interview. It is easy to see that through this method the data collection is more structured and will not allow participants the option for independent input. Non-participant observations will be the second method used to collect data. Through the qualitative framework observations will be carried out in an open-ended way. This will allow the natural events and processes surrounding delivery of physical education within the school setting to be recorded as it takes place. It is via this method that ‘concepts for describing and analysing the observational data will emerge later in the research, during analysis, rather than being brought to the research’ (Punch, 2005). Kumar (Kumar, 2014) makes us aware of some problems that may arise when collecting data through observations, these are as follows. Individuals behaviour may change during observation, creating distorted data. Observer bias is a possibility. Observations from observer to observer may be interpreted differently. Finally, due to the need for written notes and the way in which the researcher observes activities, note taking may not include information, as the observer is intensely watching. On the other hand, note taking can distract the researcher from observing properly. Observations for the proposed research will involve all participants, that have given informed consent, from a year six class and will be undertaken during sports activities within the school setting. Recording of both interviews and observations will be done using a Dictaphone and a research diary. Once the data has been collected analysis can begin. Due to the chosen framework of the proposal an interpretative thematic analysis/coding will be carried out. To paraphrase Castleberry and Nolen (Ashley Castleberry & Nolen, 2018) this is a method of identifying, analysing and reporting key themes in data. They explain that analysing data in this way can be very beneficial as it allows the process to be flexible and open to interpretation. They warn that care must be taken to ensure reliability of data but point out the quantitative research cannot reach the same depth of learning. Anderson (Anderson, 2007) states that ‘The researcher groups and distils from the texts a list of common themes in order to give expression to the communality of voices across participants’ (Anderson, 2007). The following briefly outlines the literal process as described by Anderson (Anderson, 2007), she states that firstly several copies of interviews and observation notes should be obtained. Then all data relevant to the research question is highlighted. Themes are drawn out and then sections of the text are cut out and grouped into piles with a common theme. At this stage the piles are labelled with the common theme. This process can be repeated by grouping and regrouping the text until a point at which the themes can be matched to original themes in the primary transcripts. This is a process that is inexpensive and can be carried out relatively easily. It should be acknowledged that the process can be time consuming depending on the amount of data that has been collected. Another technique that can be used to analyse data is discourse analysis. Discourse analysis gathers existing literature and draws on language within the text to try and answer the research question (Admin, 2017). In comparison to techniques like discourse analysis, thematic analysis is an appropriate method for this research proposal as it sets out to collect original data rather than making use of existing data. As with all research ethical considerations are essential. The ethical considerations that will be followed for this research have been outlined in more detail throughout the online contribution section of the module. However, as these are crucial a brief summary will be provided here. The research is surrounding young children aged 10 and 11 years. Participants will also include adults that are employed as educators for the children. All research largely adheres to similar ethical considerations. As this proposal includes children it will use the BERA ethical guidelines document (BERA ethical guidelines for educational research). Since the research is effectively being carried out on behalf of UWTSD (University of Wales Trinity St David) the universities ethical guidelines will also form the basis of the ethics that will be underpin this research proposal. One of the underpinning guidelines in the BERA document states that ‘All social science should respect the privacy, autonomy, diversity, values and dignity of individuals, groups and communities’ (BERA, 2018). The document sets out in detail issues surrounding consent (Appendix two: consent forms), the right to withdraw, transparency, responsibility to participants, risks for all involved, privacy and data storage among other considerations to think about. UWTSD states that any research undertaken on their behalf is carried out under an ethically sound umbrella for the following reason, ‘protect the rights and welfare of participants and minimise the risk of physical and mental discomfort, harm and danger from research procedures’ (UWTSD, 2019). Broadly speaking the latter covers many areas that will be consistently covered throughout the proposed research. Although the latter draws attention to many ethical issues that need to be addressed, participants may be particularly concerned with who will see the data collected from them. BERA (BERA, 2018) specifically states that all research should be set out in an understandable language appropriate for all its audiences. The BERA document also advices that making all research findings public is best practice and that as a researcher contractual obstructions to this should not be agreed (BERA, 2018). This research proposal at this stage is only for the purpose of gaining an academic qualification, therefore, only myself and a supervisor at UWTSD will have access to any data collected. At some stage an exam board may also have access to the final report. To ensure good ethical practice is adhered to, informed consent will be obtained prior to the research taking place. This will include parental consent on behalf of the children as well as verbal consent from the children themselves (Louis Cohen, et al., 2011). Along with the consent form participants will be given an information sheet outlining the research, its intentions and will tell participants how the data collected will be used (Appendix two: Consent form & Information Sheet). This research proposal will be low cost as is does not require any expensive equipment. Some cost will be inevitable and will include travel expenses, stationary and the cost of a Dictaphone. It is also relevant to note that qualitative research can be very time consuming and the time scale for data analysis greatly underestimated (Creswell, 1998). Throughout the process of researching for this assignment it is apparent that issues surrounding sports activities and gender has been a topic under debate for many years. Historically literature looks at the binary of traditional gender in sport rather than looking at any specific age group. However, it has proved difficult to source literature specifically surrounding children aged 10 and 11 years. The available sources seem to be general and span broadly across schools and other educational settings. To understand why the gender gap in sports activities still exists it may be beneficial to look at the issues from the perspective of this proposal. Do the issues still arise out of societal and cultural norms and traditions? Is it policies and documents that are restricting educators, forcing the inequalities to remain? Or is it simply that nature guides us to choose purely on our biological differences as men and women? This proposal sets out to give those living the experiences a voice to help others gain understanding around the issues that can help effect future positive change that eradicates gender inequalities. References Admin, 2017. Discourse Analysis and its Advantage and disadvantage: What is discourse analysis?. [Online] Available at: http://www.journogyan.com/2017/03/discourse-analysis-and-its-advantage.html [Accessed eighteenth December 2019]. Anderson, R., 2007. Thematic Content Analysis (TCA): Descriptive presentation of Qualitative data using microsoft word.. [Online] Available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/36098984/Thematic_Content_Analysis_manuscript.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DTHEMATIC_CONTENT_ANALYSIS_on_Microsoft_W.pdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIWOWYY [Accessed eighteenth December 2019]. Ashley Castleberry & Nolen, A., 2018. Thematic analysis of qualitative research data:Is it as easy as it sounds.. Science Direct, 10(six), pp. 807-815. Author, B., 2019. BLOG:Born on April 15: Durkhiem, 'Founding Father' of Sociology. [Online] Available at: https://berghahnbooks.com/blog/durkheim-the-founding-father-of-sociology [Accessed twelth December 2019]. Barbour, R., 2014. Introducing Qualitative Research: A Student's Guide. second ed. London: Sage. BERA, 2018. BERA: Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research fourth edition 2018. [Online] Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018 [Accessed nineteenth December 2019]. Boundless, 2016. The Social Construction Of Gender. [Online] Available at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/cochise-sociology-os/chapter/the-social-construction-of-gender/ [Accessed tenth December 2019 ]. Creswell, J. W., 1998. Qualitative inquiry and research design choosing among five traditions. first ed. America: SAGE. Crossman, A., 2019. Definition and Overview of Grounded Theory. [Online] Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/grounded-theory-definition-3026561 [Accessed thirteenth December 2019]. Daniel Freeman & Freeman, J., 2013. Lets talk about the gender differences that really matter-in mental health. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2013/dec/13/gender-differences-mental-health [Accessed eleventh December 2019]. Flick, U., 2007. Designing Qualitative Research. 1st ed. London: Sage. Gov. Uk, 2010. Discrimination: Your Rights. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights [Accessed eighth December 2019]. Gov.Uk, 2016. Gender Identity In Schools. [Online] Available at: https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2016/06/22/gender-identity-in-schools/ [Accessed eighth December 2019]. Gov.Uk, 2019. Children and Young People. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/better-mental-health-jsna-toolkit/5-children-and-young-people [Accessed seventeenth December 2019]. Kajornboon, A. B., 2004. Using interviews as research tools. [Online] Available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/57e1/87565ff9c19fb9d7673b964cd77f485bcab0.pdf [Accessed sixteenth December 2019]. Kay., T. & Jeanes., R., 2008. Women, Sport and gender Equity.. In: B. Houlihan, ed. Sport and Society. London: Sage, pp. 131-133. Kumar, R., 2014. Research Methodology: a step by step guide for beginners. Fourth ed. London: Sage . Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion & Morrison, K., 2011. Research Methods In Education. seventh ed. London: Routledge. Messner, M. A., 2009. Its all for the kids:Gender, families and youth sport.. [Online] Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=s7IwDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=gender+differences+surrounding+children+and+sport&ots=k49PIDBkbC&sig=L0Iljnhk9wL6TykYs4a2luJgT10#v=onepage&q=gender%20differences%20surrounding%20children%20and%20sport&f=false [Accessed fifth December 2019]. Punch, K. F., 2005. Introduction to Social Rresearch- Quantitative and Qualitative approaches. Second ed. London: Sage. Rohan M. Telford, et al., 2016. Why are boys less physically active than boys? Findings from the look longitudinal study.. [Online] Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150041 [Accessed fifth december 2019]. S., S., 2018. Differnce between qualitative and quantitative research. [Online] Available at: https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-qualitative-and-quantitative-research.html [Accessed tenth December 2019]. Sahifa, 2017. Constructivism Paradigm in Social Science Research. [Online] Available at: http://readingcraze.com/index.php/interpretivist-paradigm-social-science-research/ [Accessed twelth December 2019]. Scheid, J., 2019. Bright hub project management-Simple examples of quantitative research. [Online] Available at: https://www.brighthubpm.com/methods-strategies/118659-project-analysis-find-answers-using-the-quantitative-method/ [Accessed eleventh December 2019]. Stevens, T., 2017. 'By secondary it's too late-readers on promoting girls' school sports.. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/28/by-secondary-its-too-late-readers-on-promoting-girls-school-sports [Accessed Fifth December 2019]. Tina Miller, Maxine Birch, Melanie Mauthner & Jessop, J., 2012. ethics in Qualitative Research. second ed. London: Sage. UWTSD, 2019. Research integrity and Ethics. [Online] Available at: https://uwtsd.ac.uk/research/research-ethics/ [Accessed Nineteenth December 2019]. Wilson, J., 2109. Sports England discover 'early gender gap' in attitudes and particiaption in sport.. [Online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/womens-sport/2019/03/21/sport-england-discover-early-gender-gap-attitudes-participation/ [Accessed 21st november 2019]. APPENDIX ONE: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE The interview will take the following format. (This will be for the adults who participate) *Introduce myself to the participant. *Introduce the research proposal; explain that the aim of the research will be to discover how much the education system influences the gender gap in sport, if at all. *The participant will be informed that the data will be used only for the purpose of this research proposal, and since the research is a small study for the purpose of an educational qualification, will be destroyed when the final mark for the work has been confirmed. *Participants will be reminded that all data will be confidential and stored securely and that the only people who will have access to the data will be myself and a research supervisor. *Right to withdraw will be stressed and any questions can be skipped with no negative impact. *The participant will be made aware that a Dictaphone will be used to record the interview and an explanation of how the data will be transcribed given. *Participants will be informed of the summary sheet that will be available when the data has been analysed and findings written into a report. (A feedback sheet may be given at the end of the research) *Informed consent will then be obtained in writing. *The interview should take up to 30 minutes however, there will be no time limit. Gender of participant: Job title: 1) How long have you been teaching? 2) Why did you choose teaching as a career choice? 3) Tell me a little bit about your view of the profession. 4) What are the highlights and negatives of your job? 5) Can you tell me more about how the delivery of sports activities are organised in this school? 6) Does the national curriculum document influence the sports activities within the school? 7) How much do the school policies influence your delivery of sports activities? 8) How many staff members are involved with the organisation of the sports activities within the school? 9) Tell me a little bit about how you organise the sports activities for your year group. 10) As an educator do you notice if boys and girls choose to participate in activities that have historically been assigned to them? 11) Do you think that the choices the children make surrounding their participation of sports activities are influenced by external factors or natural choices? 12) How do you think the delivery of sports activities could be improved within your school, if at all? The interview schedule will be slightly different for the children who participate. The children will be given the same information as the adults, but the language will be simplified to ensure their understanding. The questions that are asked will also be different due to the age of the children and their position within the research process. An example of the questions asked are as follows. Gender of participant: Year group of children: 1)Hi, can you tell me a little bit about your school day? 2)Do you have a favourite lesson? 3)How often do you have a sports lesson in school? 4)Tell me a bit about your sports class? 5)So, do you have a favourite sport activity that you like to play? 6)Can you tell me why you like the sports activities that you do? 7)Do you think boys and girls like different sports activities? 8)How could your teachers improve your sports activities for you and your classmates? Some of the questions may need prompts if the participants do not understand or struggle to answer e.g. when asking about the sports class children may not think about the gender of the teacher or the fact that the girls and boys may have been separated. At the end of the interview all participants will be thanked for taking part. APPENDIX TWO:CONSENT FORM AND INFORMATION SHEET Rhif Adnabod Cyfranogwr: Participant Identification Number: FFURFLEN GANIATÂD CYFRANOGIAD PARTICIPATION CONSENT FORM Teitl Y Prosiect: / Project Title: How is gender influenced through sport? Enw'r Ymchwilydd / Name of Researcher: Rhiannon Osborne Blwch Cychwynnol / Please initial box 1 Cadarnhaf fy mod wedi darllen a deall y daflen wybodaeth dyddiedig ar gyfer yr astudiaeth uchod. Rwyf wedi cael y cyfle i ystyried y wybodaeth, gofyn cwestiynau, ac rwyf wedi cael ateb boddhaol i’r rhain. I confirm that I have read and understand the information sheet dated for the above study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily. 2 Deallaf fy mod yn cymryd rhan o’m gwirfodd a bod croeso i mi dynnu’n ôl ar unrhyw adeg, heb roi rheswm. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time, without giving any reason. 3 Deallaf y gellir defnyddio unrhyw wybodaeth a roddir gennyf mewn adroddiadau, erthyglau neu gyflwyniadau gan y tîm ymchwil. I understand that any information given by me may be used in future reports, articles or presentations by the research team. 4 Deallaf na fydd fy enw’n ymddangos mewn unrhyw adroddiadau, erthyglau neu gyflwyniadau. I understand that my name will not appear in any reports, articles or presentations. 5 Cytunaf i gymryd rhan yn yr astudiaeth uchod. I agree to take part in the above study. Enw’r Cyfranogwr Name of Participant Llofnodwyd Signature Ymchwilydd Researcher Llofnodwyd Signature Cewch wrthod cymryd rhan yn yr astudiaeth hon. Cewch ddod â’ch cyfranogiad yn yr astudiaeth hon i ben unrhyw bryd. Os penderfynwch barhau’n ddienw, bydd sicrhau hynny’n flaenoriaeth a chymerir pob cam ymarferol i guddio pwy ydych. Os yw’n well gennych fod yn anhysbys, ni fydd unrhyw wybodaeth yn eich enwi ar dapiau sain na thrawsgrifiadau o’r cyfweliad hwn nac o unrhyw un arall. Ni fydd neb yn clywed unrhyw dapiau sain nac yn gweld unrhyw drawsgrifiadau heb eich cydsyniad o flaen llaw. Bydd deunyddiau a grëir yn sgil y cyfweliad hwn neu unrhyw gyfweliad arall yn aros yn gyfrinachol. You may decline to participate in this study. You may end your participation in this study at any time. If you decide to remain anonymous, maintaining your anonymity will be a priority and every practical precaution will be taken to disguise your identity. If you prefer anonymity, there will not be any identifying information on audiotapes or transcripts of this or any interview. No-one will hear any audiotapes or see any transcripts without your prior consent. All materials generated from this or any interview will remain confidential. Ar ôl llenwi’r ffurflen, dychwelwch hi yn yr amlen a ddarperir (lle bo’n berthnasol). Rhoddir un copi i’r cyfranogwr a chedwir y gwreiddiol yn ffeil y tîm ymchwilio yn: When completed please return in the envelope provided (if applicable). One copy will be given to the participant and the original to be kept on the file of the research team at: UWTSD ENW A CHYFEIRIAD YR YMCHWILYDD NAME & ADDRESS OF RESEARCHER Rhiannon Osborne 34 Trenel Pembrey Carmarthenshire SA16 0UT Rhif Adnabod Cyfranogwr: Participant Identification Number: FFURFLEN GANIATÂD CYFRANOGIAD SAMPLE PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET Teitl Y Prosiect: / Project Title: *MAE’R FFURFLEN HON I’W DIWYGIO A’I HADDASU YN ÔL YR ANGEN Annwyl Gyfranogwr: Fy enw i yw XXXX ac rwy’n astudio yn Ysgol XXXX. Hoffwn i eich gwahodd i gymryd rhan yn fy mhrosiect ymchwil. Bydd y prosiect hwn yn xxx ac anela at xxx *Amgaeaf gyda’r llythyr hwn holiadur byr a ddatblygwyd gan XXX a fydd yn asesu XXXX. Credaf y bydd eich barn o fudd mawr i ni. Trwy eich cyfraniad yn yr holiadur a/neu’r cyfweliadau, gobeithiaf ganfod XXXX. Cedwir pob holiadur yn gwbl gyfrinachol gan yr ymchwilwyr sy’n rhan o’r gwaith ac NI ryddheir unrhyw holiaduron unigol i’r cyhoedd. Mae hyn yn rhoi cyfle i chi ddweud eich dweud am eich rhaglen mewn fforwm cyfrinachol a dienw a gwneud gwahaniaeth o hyd. Mae cymryd rhan yn yr astudiaeth hon yn gwbl wirfoddol ac felly cewch roi’r gorau i lenwi’r holiadur ar unrhyw adeg. Dylai ein holiadur gymryd tua XXX munud i’w lenwi, ond nid oes cyfyngiad amser. Hefyd nid oes unrhyw atebion cywir nac anghywir. Gyda’r llythyr hwn yn ogystal â’r holiadur amgaeir XXX (e.e. taflen gyfarwyddiadau / ffurflen gydsynio / taflen adborth). Gan mai prosiect newydd yw hwn, mae eich adborth hefyd yn bwysig iawn inni a byddwn yn ddiolchgar iawn pe baech yn cwblhau’r daflen adborth yn ogystal â’r holiadur. Deallwn fod eich amser yn brin ond mae eich barn yn werthfawr iawn i ni. Ar ôl inni ddadansoddi’r data o’r holiadur hwn yn ofalus ac yn fanwl, bydd croeso i chi gael copi o’n canfyddiadau os dymunwch. Gobeithio y bydd canlyniadau’r holiadur hwn yn gwella fy nealltwriaeth o XXXX ac fe’i cedwir ar XXX. Bwydir canlyniadau’r ymchwil yn ôl i XXX. Diolch ymlaen llaw am eich amser a’ch cyfraniad. Os bydd gennych unrhyw gwestiynau, mae croeso i chi gysylltu â ni pan fydd yn gyfleus. ENW A CHYFEIRIAD YR YMCHWILYDD NAME & ADDRESS OF RESEARCHER Rhif Adnabod Cyfranogwr: Participant Identification Number: FFURFLEN GANIATÂD CYFRANOGIAD SAMPLE PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET Teitl Y Prosiect: / Project Title: How is gender influenced through sport in education? Dear Participant: My name is Rhiannon Osborne and I am studying in the School of sociology. I would like to invite you to participate in my research project. This project will observe the delivery of sports activity within the school setting. I will be taking notes in the form of a research diary. I also hope to interview ten pupils at the school from a year six class, (5 boys and 5 girls), and 4 teachers involved with delivery of physical education, (two male teachers and two female teachers). I will be looking at documents such as the national curriculum and any other policies that the school has in place surrounding sports activities and gender related issues. The project aims to discover how much education influences the gender gap in sport, if at all. Through your participation in the interviews and observation process, I hope to ascertain an understanding of the curriculum and its guidelines alongside perception and ideas of participants. I will also consider the language that is used around young people. All observation notes and interview transcripts will be kept strictly confidential to the researchers involved and at NO time will individual questionnaires be released to the general public. This gives you a chance to express your views on gender issues surrounding sports in a confidential and anonymous forum and still be able to make a difference. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary so you can withdraw from the interview and observations at any stage. Our interviews should take fifteen to thirty minutes to complete, but there is no time constraint. There are also no right or wrong answers. Attached to this letter is a consent form for you to sign. As this is a new project, your feedback is also important to us and at some stage you may be asked to complete a feedback sheet. We understand that your time is at a premium, but your opinions are very valuable to us. After careful and precise analysis of the data obtained from the interviews and observations, I will be happy to provide you with a copy of the findings at your request. The results of this interview will hopefully enhance my understanding of gender and sports activity within the school setting and will be stored either on a laptop with a secure password or in a locked draw. The results of the research will be fed back to all participants in the form of a summary leaflet. Children will be fed back the results if deemed necessary in an appropriate level of language and in the form of a circle time activity. We thank you in advance for your time and participation. If any questions do arise, feel free to contact me at your convenience. ENW A CHYFEIRIAD YR YMCHWILYDD NAME & ADDRESS OF RESEARCHER Rhiannon Osborne, 34 Trenel, Pembrey Carmarthenshire. Sa160UT.