Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies

Published in the UK by: University of Central Lancashire, Preston. SSTO Publications: School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors

Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies Volume 7, Issue 1, December 2013 Cricket provision in schools – is the system flawed? An ethnographic investigation

ISSN: ISBN: JQRSS Article No:

a

Joseph Pryle (University of Central Lancashire)

b

Clive Palmer (University of Central Lancashire)

1754-2375 978-0-9566270-7-0 3/6-7-1-2013-PG[40]-070

To cite this article: Pryle, J. and Palmer, C. (2013) Cricket provision in schools – is the system flawed? An ethnographic investigation. Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies, 7, 1, 27-86.

Self-archived URL link to this article: https://www.academia.edu/6322658/Pryle_J._and_Palmer_C._2013_Cricket_provision_in_schools__is_the_system_flawed_An_ethnographic_investigation._Journal_of_Qualitative_Research_in_Sports_Studi es_7_1_27-86

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Copyright © Clive Palmer and the individual authors Notice: The discussions, statements of fact and opinions contained in the articles of The Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies are those of the respective authors and cited contributors and are set out in good faith for the general guidance of student supported research and the promotion of pedagogical discussion in teaching and learning contexts. No liability can be accepted by the Editor, Editorial Board, Advisory Board, the reviewers or the authors/submitters for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying upon particular statements made or circumstances outlined in this journal.

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Pryle, J. and Palmer, C. (2013) Cricket provision in schools – is the system flawed? An ethnographic investigation. Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies, 7, 1, 27-86

Cricket provision in schools - is the system flawed? An ethnographic investigation Joseph Pryle and Clive Palmer (University of Central Lancashire) Abstract This ethnography investigated the strengths and weaknesses of cricket provision within a PE department at a state high school in the north of England. The aim of the study was to enquire why county and international cricket squads appear to draw talent predominantly from the public school education system when evidence suggests 93% of children in the UK attend state schools. The researchers’ placement as a supply teacher within a state funded school offered a variety of observer perspectives, to collect field data. Guiding the study from the outset, the researcher first reflects back on his cricket-education experiences through personal narrative analysis in an attempt to become more self-aware as a researcher in this context. Field notes taken from a range of observer positions within participant observation led to further clarification being sought through formal interviews with three of the PE staff that deliver cricket. The data analysis and conclusions reveal that four major areas appear to contribute to state schools being weak in cricket: facilities, funding, competition and the delivery by staff, these being issues that the public school system, comparatively, may not necessarily have.

Introduction When recruiting for cricket squads an inclination towards selection from the public school system has been observed (Light, 2010; Malcolm (1997, 2009, 2012; Sandiford and Stoddart, 1987; Wagg, 2007). Starting with the England national team, this trend can be traced right back to county age-group squads and district representative teams at the grassroots level. The questioning of this apparent trend from a state school perspective is the topic for this research. Berry (2012) claims that 93% of the population attended state schools, arguing the point that cricket development must target this area for its potentially larger pool of talent. There had been progress made up until about 10 years ago, with many state school educated players making up as much as 78% of the national squad, such as England captains Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff. It may be no coincidence that the introduction of northern based, state school educated figures such as David Lloyd and Ray Illingworth as selectors for the national side, created more opportunities for players that were not from the traditional southern counties. These 27

Journal of Qualitative Research in Sports Studies 7, 1

counties that had established the game, such as Surrey and Middlesex, have a significant heritage of upper class, higher education opportunity and aristocracy that may be associated with public or private school students. Recent figures on player selection suggest a regression back to the colonial style representation at elite level with as many as 76% of the England team having a public school background (Heywood, 2012; Weissensteiner et al., 2012). It is interesting to note that the remainder now come from South Africa, itself steeped in a rich tradition of private or grammar school cricket development (Vahed, 2001). Could this be deliberate or is this simply due to the preference of those in positions of power at the head of the game? Bearing these general points in mind as a backdrop to this investigation it was of interest to explore cricket provision in state schools to establish whether there are any flaws that hamper talent identification and cricketing development. To this end the study had the following aims: •

To investigate the culture and attitude of state schools towards cricket to discover any potential flaws in cricket development.

•

Highlight the successes or opportunities that are provided within state school cricket to promote players and the sport itself.

In the sections that follow a methodology outlines some theory behind the method; ethnography, followed by a review of academic literature surrounding this topic, which leads to an in-depth discussion surrounding the data and discoveries in the field. The personal narrative helps to establish a start point in personal knowledge and experience of the researcher to conduct this investigation as well as providing some thematic structure for presenting data and recognition of potential biases that the researcher might exhibit towards data interpretation. Excerpts of primary data are weaved together non-sequentially in the text, in significant measure, in order to give a detailed qualitative overview of cricket provision in this state school. What are judged to be potential successes and failures of the cricketing system discovered during this research are discussed in the conclusion. Methodology: ethnography and data collection In order to understand phenomena from an ethnographic point of view, the researcher has to become immersed in the environment surrounding that particular field. Davies (1999) reports that ethnography can provide a deep understanding of cultural issues and behaviours of the targeted participants as well as guiding the researcher in their quest to discover richer data. By adopting this stance the researcher can comment not only on feelings, emotions and behaviours of the subjects but also, to sense and speak the language of that world (Sparkes, 2009).

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Joseph Pryle and Clive Palmer

As the study aims to gain an insight into the ‘social way of life’ of a targeted group (McCabe and Palmer, 2007:78) ethnography seems the most appropriate method to collect data on the perceptions of PE staff who administer cricket experiences for students, and thereby identify any potential shortcomings or successes of cricket delivery in their school. As Buckley (2007:89) points out, ‘positivist approaches are quite common within sport as there is a depth of statistical records associated with this field, yet to understand feelings, attitudes and behaviours it is advantageous to adopt a qualitative approach such as ethnography’. NB: Whilst, this study is not aiming to provide statistical information about cricket delivery, some may be used to supplement certain viewpoints, from secondary sources in literature review for example. As the definition of ethnography covers a broad area and is not confined to one particular method of collecting data (Hughes and Palmer, 2010), this study utilises three distinct tools for gathering data; personal narrative analysis, observation and interview. In fact, Hammersley and Atkinson (1995) suggest collecting whatever data are available to throw light on the targeted issues as this is all the ethnographer might reasonably do. As Palmer and Griggs (2010) point out, the data is more likely to be believable and convincing if it is varied and representative of the lived experience which has been the endeavour in this research. Setting a mark in the sand – the personal narrative The study begins by drawing up personal reflections that are relevant to the topic, this could be labelled an auto-ethnography. Initiating one’s own feelings at the onset of the project can assist and guide the researcher as they are more meaningfully placed into the context of the study and can relate to observed phenomena from the benchmark of their own experiences (Baldwin, 2010). By completing this analysis of the self, Reed-Danahay (1997) claims the researcher is able to transcend any prior presumptions made about the topic and start to refer any findings back to their own narrative. Similarly, an individual philosophy can be reviewed in more detail as previous experiences can heavily influence behaviour. Garrett and Wrench (2007) recommend that professionals should expose prior beliefs and discourses as a sense-of-self can heavily influence our subjective take on the world. So it felt important to highlight aspects of my cricket-education biography and any motivations for conducting this research by completing this personal narrative before any primary data collection was undertaken. There are also other benefits of telling our own story, particularly within the world of sport. Hochstetler (2006) believes that documenting personal experiences in this fashion assists the world in maintaining a moral fibre for critical judgements. For example, in this study, if any practices were observed that were judged to be inappropriate or detrimental to cricket development, the researcher has recourse to 29


his own recorded stock of knowledge and experiences as a reference base. From this the researcher may learn to alter his criteria for judgement of what he experiences; i.e. there is discord between his beliefs and experiences compared to what may be observed in the primary data then he may learn new things about cricket and being a researcher. Or, there is harmony between beliefs and experience and what is observed in the field, then the researcher may take confidence, momentarily, in his critical judgments. As Humberstone (2009:256) states, Reflexive ethnographers attempt to make sense of their feelings and selves: they may use personal experiences and relation with other participants in the research context to understand that culture and the participant’s experiences.

Joseph Pryle: A community cricket coach and school teacher: personal narrative In selecting this area of research, I am attempting to understand how a certain culture operates within schools and to further understand how cricket is then implemented within this culture. Before this takes place however, I must first attempt to understand myself and the values and beliefs that drive my desire to seek out information around this field. I therefore reflect back on my own period of development as a cricketer and my early years within school sport. My formative years within sport consisted primarily in creating social links and a sense of camaraderie or comradeship amongst my peers. A lack of top level coaching and encouragement from my teachers ensured these friendships and development were not forged within school but within a club structure. I found I was a natural athlete and could compete at a good level at middle-long distance running yet had no supportive coaching to push this to a further level. I still believe that if this was the case I would have made national level. This is now one of the fundamental drivers of my coaching philosophy today, to ensure my players have opportunities and access to as high a level of coaching as possible. Allied to my athletic ability, I found I had a strength in striking and fielding sports such as cricket, yet had no direction from school to reach higher standards, so sought this at my local club. It was here at my local club where I flourished further, not due to a good level of coaching, but because I was afforded opportunities in a sports environment that had not previously been available in other sports. Personally, I believe that becoming part of a team setting rather than an individual one, also allowed me to develop interpersonal and social skills that have been of major benefit throughout my life. Cricket, for its part, offers cognitive challenges and develops mental toughness in a range of contexts that far outweigh many other sports and this is something I found accordance with. As I moved on to secondary school, I found that the teachers were far keener on cricket yet the curriculum restricted the delivery to not only summer but just a few weeks during this period. If we were lucky, there would be 1 or 2 competitive games per year against other schools, despite having all the facilities and talented players available at the time. The competitive cricket again had to be sought at a local club which for me

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was disappointing because I felt that I was denied the opportunity to play alongside many of my talented peers, instead I found myself playing against them at rival clubs. Playing cricket at a club has provided me with many fantastic experiences and these include winning competitions and making friends but being able to travel has been one truly life changing experience for me. I have been lucky enough to have lived and played in the USA and Australia as well as many competitions within the county and nationwide. I now have many contacts worldwide as a result of cricket. I often reflect however, on how things could have been even better had I the opportunity for school cricket that many others I have met since have had or even are experiencing at present. Coaching takes place in some schools all year round, competitions are more diverse and expansive and in private schools in particular there are thorough cricket structures established.

Critical friend summary of experiential features from personal narrative: •

Through this narrative exercise I realise there is a need for meaningful, rich and honest reflection (about motives, values and beliefs) before any courses of action for research (or applied cricket development in schools) can take place.

•

Import social feedback (for me) in sport; camaraderie and friendship, was not developed in school PE lessons, but in a club setting out of school time.

•

Physically, bodily, I could feel/I knew I was a talented individual but that the level of coaching expertise in schools or even desire/aspiration was not evident in the PE staff at my school. *This is a key driver in my personal motivation for this research.

•

The (out of school) club setting did not necessarily provide high level coaching but did create opportunities for progression in playing skills. The club also provided meaningful social benefits of being in a team – interpersonal skills, commitment and mutual reliance amongst team members (something which school PE appeared to claim but in my experience could not provide).

•

The school PE curriculum was a major restriction to cricket development allowing only a few weeks in the summer period for ‘cricket lessons’ – tokenistic. School cricket matches with other local schools felt divisive and a stage-show for poor cricket skills at a low level – not good for the game, or as good as it might otherwise be.

•

In state schools, from my youth/formative experiences there is a lack of coaching, poor links to clubs, cricket only being played in summer time is limiting practice and funding (for equipment or playing experiences) is poor. Cricket as I experienced it in schools may not even meet personal development aims for PE, for me, better interpersonal relationships were developed in the sport of cricket but outside of school.

•

The international dimension of social experiences in cricket. From this personal narrative I realise I have a rich stock of socio-cultural experience in cricket provision at local/county levels in the UK but also internationally in the USA and Australia. These experiences may permit some interesting further research on the socio-educative use of cricket in different cultures that have fundamentally different attitudes to sport and

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different philosophies for engaging in sport at a community and elite level. How cricket may feature in these strongly contrasting social tapestries would be very interesting to explore in greater depth, ethnographically.

Narrative enquiry is a useful and new form of data collection in sport that offers an alternative to positivist approaches (Smith and Sparkes, 2009) which has also been a success in the health sector where social workers have been able to document private anxieties, sources of anger and frustrations that might not be revealed in interview or some other conventional data collection strategies (Bekhet and Zauszniewski, 2012; Silverman, 2013). However Hammersley and Atkinson (2007) warn that personal narratives must be combined with other methods such as interviews and/or observations as by definition they only offer partial, one-sided viewpoints. My personal narrative helped me to highlight personal motives to research in cricket that could now be examined more closely during the observation phase. Some reflexivity on my experience identified the following practical areas of cricket provision which may be lacking such as: • • • •

coaching cricket skills in PE, poor links to clubs, tokenistic curriculum design for cricket as ‘the summer game’, limited funding for equipment or grants for enhancing playing experiences.

Without these initial directions, would have been difficult for me to know what to look for or where to start. Whilst this [narrative] aspect of the research strategy can assist researchers to get started, they must be aware that it is a personal, narrow and one sided viewpoint that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Dependant upon the individual and their experiences or beliefs, this information could be interpreted as biased and unclear and thus a limitation to the study (Wrench and Garrett, 2012). Carless and Douglas (2012) write that certain narratives, particularly within sport, can become dominant and therefore constrict identities or future cultures. However, the act of writing my personal narrative proved essential for early motivation and interest in the study, pointing to specific practical areas to initiate field work and also to structure data in the early stages. It also gave a reference point to look back upon at the end of the research to help realise what had actually been discovered about the topic of cricket in the school and my research journey of becoming an ethnographer. Due to the time constraints placed on the study, the researcher opted to draw only on his personal experiences through narrative analysis. However, a longer study may permit the participants to compile personal accounts of their own, which the researcher could also analyse or draw comparisons from their own reflexive 32


accounts to highlight any differences or similarities. This practice is common within public services such as the police or medical profession, particularly when attempting to overcome traditional social science assumptions (Scott-Jones and Watt, 2010; Anderson and Austin, 2012). Finally, the reflexive nature of this initial approach allowed the researcher to throw questions intended for the research setting/subjects back towards the self and to reflect, in the main, if there are any similarities between the events or experiences that occurred in the personal narrative and what may be encountered during the observation period (Brown et al., 2009). The self-reflection triggered by completing this narrative contributed to a ‘fusing’ of social meanings within the school PE environment and the researcher’s experiences, or as Sammel (2003) refers to in Gadamerian philosophy, ‘one can not only understand the self but can gauge success or failure against other cultures’. Thus, the personal narrative was not a reductive bracketing exercise, to recognise and eliminate personal biases as advocated by a Husserlian approach to phenomenology. Rather it was an informative, enriching and practically useful exercise which seemed to value my personal experiences in a way that would inform the research, giving it structure, focus, and meaning as well as sparking personal motivation to conduct it. This inclusive and expansive approach is in line with Gadamarian developments of Husserlian phenomenology to promote more applied social research (Roche, 1973). Ethnographic observation for data collection A rich source of data came from observing and recording what was happening in the field. Flick (2006) refers to observation as the centre of qualitative research. However this does not simply involve being present and noting the things that happen, a pre-planned structure that allows for analysis of events and context is needed to strengthen the inferences that may be made about what is observed. As Palmer and Griggs (2010) point out, observation is much more than merely spectating, a researcher’s mission is to prioritise, theorise and be self-aware of bias and limitations in relation to the research concept. The personal narrative assisted in identifying themes emerging from early observations. Observation in some instances can be difficult, particularly in private settings when overcoming the access controlled by ‘gatekeepers’ may have consequences for the remainder of the project. The gatekeepers can be anyone who grants access to certain groups or settings which can be a limitation but also a safety ‘valve’ to protect the subjects and also the researcher (Timseena, 2009). In developing relationships with potential gatekeepers the skill of the researcher may be tested and they will need to be able to form a good rapport with the subjects, particularly if they choose to share the research with them, as this may have an impact on certain behaviours and dynamics of the environment. 33


As an ideal in observational fieldwork, Silverman (2013) suggests the initial observations be undertaken in a covert manner; without the subject’s knowledge. This important phase captures natural behaviours in their true state without being ‘staged’ or as Timseena (2009:78) argues, if observer participation becomes overt then the study becomes restricted by public fronts socially constructed by ‘actors’. Hammersley and Atkinson (2007) also discuss that this type of research can be carried out by those who are already participants in the relevant context, it does not have to involve an outsider entering the field. There are ethical issues associated with covert observation however, chiefly that of deception, as the gatekeepers may simply choose to block entry altogether unless the nature of the study is revealed. Gatekeepers may also develop anxieties about having a professional researcher working in their environment. Hammersley and Atkinson (2007) consider that the gatekeeper may influence the study in a direction that seems comfortable for them; they may not want failings to be uncovered. Or alternatively, they may see the researcher as an expert who will be able to ‘sort things out’ or offer recommendations in the least. However, the researchers’ duty, by the nature of ethnography, may only be to provide a commentary, a reflection on a given setting, and not find solutions. As a supply teacher I was constantly going into schools ‘cold’, as a socialunknown which afforded a ‘honeymoon’ period of relative anonymity to formulate discrete first impressions of a setting before becoming better known by staff in that setting. That is, as a newcomer it was natural that both parties are unfamiliar to each other. This moment of ‘not-overt’ or not intentionally deceptive researcher freedom, permitted time for some initial assessment of the appropriateness of the setting and its inhabitants before a researcher role might be revealed to collect data overtly, with their permission. Lofland (1971) refers to this period for the ethnographer as being a novice or ‘acceptable incompetent’ in a given setting, and it is only through subsequent watching, listening, asking questions and possibly making mistakes that they then become more familiar with that setting. By developing a relationship with the PE staff, the researcher moved from being a complete outsider with no input into departmental delivery, to making small contributions (observer as participant). With time and a good rapport becoming established with the PE staff, this developed to having more significant roles such as a participant as observer (short term total involvement) and then becoming totally part of the environment (complete participant). By operating across the participantobservation spectrum, not only is trust formed but richer sources of data can be extracted (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007; Keiding, 2011) which was the experience of the researcher in this study.

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So the question might be; how does a researcher know when to change position (in the participant observation spectrum) to observe from another stance? Silverman (2013) suggests the answer should lie in the construction of ordered field notes that allow for analysis to take place not only of what took place but the approach used by the researcher. What is clear is that this process is not simply about commenting on what was seen, but must involve some critical thinking about what to write down, when to write it and how to go about doing it (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007). The structure of field notes was adopted from Schatzman and Strauss (1973) and later presented contextually in qualitative research by Palmer (2010), McCabe and Palmer (2007), Hughes and Palmer (2010) which involves ordering field notes into clear sections, with separate analytical briefs defined as follows: Observational notes (ON): Entirely descriptive statements about occurrences and experiences witnessed by the researcher. These notes contain no analysis or interpretation but comment in a sensual way about sights, smells, what was said and how and where activities took place. Theoretical notes (TN): An attempt to extract meanings and make inferences. This section is where the researcher draws their own personal conclusions and subjective viewpoints about what has been observed. Adding depth to the data, this information can be shared with other researchers who might provide alternative viewpoints on inferences made; adding to analytical depth (Smith and Sparkes, 2009; Silverman, 2013). Methodological notes (MN): In this section the researcher can reflect on the adopted field strategy and tactics during the observation – pros and cons, limitations, options and consequences. It is within these notes that the consideration of observer positions takes place, as well as timing or other issues such as questions to ask in later interviews (Palmer, 2010). There are other methods of organising the field notes including an unstructured approach (Sparkes, 1992), yet by using this simple and clear design the researcher can move without controversy from a position as an outsider looking in to one where they become invited into the environment and can potentially alter the behaviours of those being observed. That is, the researcher became known to the group and could be classed as a participant as observer, but critically, reflexively becoming aware of his researcher impact in the field. Mulhall (2003:308) defines this as ‘undertaking prolonged observation whilst becoming increasingly involved in the activities of the organization, and whose role is known’. Themes started to emerge and from the methodological and theoretical notes and some questions were formed from this data that later informed an interview schedule. 35


Field notes can also highlight any issues, emergent themes, or any weaknesses with the observers’ practice that can then be addressed and lead to further observations. Palmer (2010) also makes important point that compiling field notes with a purpose must take place as soon after an event to improve the reliability of the information, simply because it is not always possible to capture/recall everything. Laird and Waters (2008) claim that even expert observers can only recall up to 59.2% of witnessed information. Ethnographic interviews for data collection This traditional method for collecting data was used to clarify any points that seemed blurry or confused during the observation process, and so usefully came towards the end of the study, not least because the researcher’s role is fully revealed. Interviews were used to explore the opinions of individuals in greater depth and therefore, in this case, to discover the attitudes towards cricket delivery in PE. However, Kawycz (2007) points out that interviews should only be used to back-up previous findings, classing interviews as ‘manufactured data’ (after Silverman, 2007), which encouraged the researcher to seek more realistic forms of information before interviews were staged. Palmer and Griggs (2010) suggest that simultaneously transcribing and analysing the interview can help to guide the next interview because its schedule will be borne out of previous data analysis. Without simultaneous transcribing and inference making about utterances in transcripts, elicited dialogue may stagnate through asking similar questions to successive respondents, which may be unhelpful repetition in the data in this research context. Not all aspects of interviews are negative however, as Silverman (2013) points out; a transcript will become a public record for use in academic fields as well as having the potential to be re-transcribed, which in turn may open up other avenues of research. The concept of ‘purposive selection’ (Strauss and Corbin, 1990) of respondents in ethnography, as opposed to ‘random selection’ in positivistic research design, means that the respondents must be carefully selected, based on their knowledge and experience (Crang and Cook, 2007). Choosing inappropriate subjects to interview could provide weak data i.e. repetitive, superficial, lacking in depth or richness, no new insights or little development of themes. In this study all the respondents gave their full consent with the broader intentions of the research disclosed to authorities in the school (Head of School and Head of Department). See also Appendix 3 for an example of the Informed Consent Forms used. Hammersley and Atkinson (2007) explain that respondents should be able to make decisions on whether to participate based on comprehensive and accurate information about the study and that they are not pressured to provide information, being free to withdraw at any time.

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Data collection strategies – constraints and opportunities for the researcher in the field. Having worked as a supply teacher in a number of high schools over a 12 month period, the researcher noted that there were issues and difficulties evident within PE departments with regards to cricket provision. A 6 week engagement working as a specialist within a PE department at a high school in the north of England (a state school in a strong cricket orientated region) provided an opportunity to examine some of these issues more closely. Amongst the areas for concern was an assumption that public schools offer more specific coaching for cricket, that the limited facilities in state schools have an negative impact on what can be achieved and staff have to be motivated to deliver cricket. This window of opportunity to become part of the teaching environment allowed for a greater understanding of these cricket development issues. Although this 6 week window was a fantastic opportunity, for a thorough ethnographic study to be undertaken this period may have been too short. Palmer (2010) explains that some fieldwork activities take place over an extended period of time, perhaps over 3 to 4 years. So, how long is an extended period of time? Hammersly (1990) explains that ethnography has no set time-frame, with Sands (2002) commenting that some researchers may never stop gathering data. Gilbourne’s (2011) ponderings on his life as an ethnographer is indicative of this. However as there was a definitive time constraint of 6 weeks, the researcher had to be realistic, accept the constraint and ensure this time was used efficiently by preplanning a data collection strategy. Observations of PE in the school There was an awareness that on entering the school, the first few days would provide an opportunity to make initial assessments of whether this was, actually, a data rich environment to investigate more closely. This was an ideal situation at first, specifically because I was tasked to cover during PE lessons as well as others such as Maths and History, often working alongside another member of PE staff as there were large student groups. Not only did this provide an opportunity to observe another member of PE staff and their behaviours, group dynamics and interactions, it allowed the researcher to form a relationship and rapport with the department members by discussing general issues in PE rather than cricket straight off. However, data collection opportunities became more difficult as the school dictated when a presence in PE was possible because they required cover in other subjects. Therefore having a supply teacher drifting in and out of the PE department and observing sessions that they were not teaching might arouse suspicion and changes in behaviour. A shift in field tactics after a week of working at the school 37


allowed the possibility of still observing cricket delivery. A decision was made to approach the main deliverers of cricket to ask their permission to observe some of the sessions directly. The period spent building rapport worked in the researcher’s favour by being given open access to teaching of cricket in school, they seemed very happy that an outsider was interested. This manipulation of the observer position then opened up a different dynamic; there was a feeling that the staff now perceived the researcher (me) to be an ‘expert’ in the field of cricket. Not only did their behaviour alter during sessions, becoming more formal, but it was noted that there was an attempted justification of the practices that had not occurred previously. Also, being viewed as an expert in cricket and actually leading sessions, the researcher now had moved from being a complete observer to one of participant as observer. After three weeks of being immersed into the environment, being asked to lead extra-curricular cricket coaching sessions provided evidence that within a short space of time the researcher was now in danger of becoming a complete participant within the setting, which in itself could provide different perspectives on practice. A built in exit strategy to this deeper involvement was the awareness that it would only be short term and that there was no intention of becoming fully accepted within the ‘natural setting’ (Hughes and Palmer, 2010). During this spring/summer period there was a consideration that there were some benefits to observing at this stage of the school year. According to the scheme of work, the teaching would be dominated by athletics or striking and fielding games such as rounders and cricket, which presented an ideal opportunity to observe more cricket delivery than would otherwise be the case. In this state school, cricket would likely remain unpractised until the National Curriculum schedule put cricket on the menu again – next summer. Interviews with PE staff A series of in-depth interviews with selected teaching staff at the school were conducted to explore the cricket experiences that occurred during observation phase. They also served as a convenient juncture to halt data collection and write-up the research activity to that point. An interview schedule (Appendix 1) was created from the themes emerging from observations and drawing on some of the influences in the personal narrative. Three interviewees were invited, comprising of a Science teacher who covered extra-curricular cricket purely out if his interest in the game. This teacher was also involved in the school district development group and had links to club cricket for over 30 years, so had an in depth knowledge of the system, yet had little coaching knowledge. This interview led the researcher to ask two PE teachers to contribute. One of whom also provided extra-curricular cricket for Year

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7 and Year 8 boys. Developing from this interview, another PE teacher that covered Year 9 and Year 10 cricket also gave an interview. The interviews lasted approximately 15 to 20 minutes with a steep learning curve being realised immediately during the initial interview. It became apparent that some of the questions posed to the first respondent would not be suitable for subsequent interviewees. This highlighted the importance of analysing each interview in turn before conducting the next. The information was recorded then transcribed verbatim and it was during this process that analysis was carried out to enable the researcher to re-focus a new interview schedule that would be appropriate for the next respondent. By following this process, not only was new information extracted but each question could be probed deeper and differently to enhance the research, sometimes it was simply a case of clarifying what other interviews had discovered. As the analysis took place, a strategic critical summary at the end of each transcript, of the findings and adopted research tactics, allowed the researcher to understand any emerging themes or problems that were encountered within each interview. The research was found to evolve as it progressed, much in the same way that Palmer and Griggs (2010) recommend. See Appendix 2 for an example of a worked transcript and strategic summary critical showing how quickly data developed, with traceable heritage for inferences made, and how the critical summary might inform the next period of field research (interview or observation in this study). Finally, the setting of the interviews may have had an impact on the information that was obtained. The first interview took place during the extra-curricular cricket session in a sports hall. There were immediate problems with acoustics and the constant supervision of the pupils, which side-tracked the respondent so that the researcher did not gain the full attention of the interviewee during the interview. This was taken into consideration for the next interview, which was conducted away from the school in the interviewee’s own time at a neutral venue. However this also led to problems as it became difficult for him to recall information whilst relaxing in an out of context social setting (Andrews and Mason, et al., 2005). A good strategy learned and adopted progressively by the researcher during the interviews was to try and remain impartial and not necessarily agree or disagree with viewpoints but to encourage more information by using follow up or probing questions. It was felt that this approach allowed the respondent to elaborate on given points more than if they felt threatened by a clash of viewpoints from the interviewer. Bell (1999) suggests this is good practice and that common sense and good manners will take you a long way during interviews.

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The socio-educative cricket scene, across state versus public education: a review of literature The difference in provision that appears within school cricket can be linked back to the colonial era when cricket was introduced nationally at the turn of the 20th century. Traditionally cricket has been assumed to have a background within middle and upper classes (McIntosh, 1963). Huggins and Williams (2006:9) discovered that ‘almost all areas would have at least one cricket club whose members belonged predominantly to the local economic and social elite’ while Williams (1999) found that the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and founders of the game’s rules had strong links to the aristocracy and upper classes. Bennett et al., (2007:24) even suggests cricket to be perceived as ‘Conservative and blighted by antediluvian attitudes towards women and post-imperial racism’ amongst other problems. In other words it can possess some outdated ideas towards class. Many of the founders of cricket came from positions such as MPs, JPs, tax assessors, Land Tax Commissioners and Clergymen (Marqusee 1994), and as Williams (1999:89) points out ‘those who exercised power within cricket were morally equipped to be trusted with social and economic power outside of it’. The MCC also spurned trade-workers of all kinds including trade unionist radicals (Marqusee 1994). Indeed, Harriss (1988) suggests that those of a higher ranked position, such as accountants, would look to cricket only as a further means of applying and developing the skills of economics and capitalism in a game setting. Importantly, as Simons (1996) explains, cricket in England was established by aristocrats within the public school system, to which only the powerful and affluent minority could gain access, which satisfied the needs of what was an adolescent but unruly environment which encouraged thuggish and violent forms of power. Within the walls of the public school the English ruling class formed a training ground which brought young men up capable of exercising authority over those of a weaker disposition, and this applied to cricket. Smith and Porter (2000) found surprisingly that this attitude remained within county clubs until around the 1960s, particularly as there was an assumption that only those with wealth and a high level of education could become captains and lead the game. It was discovered that in order to maintain this tradition the wealthy public school educated Gentlemen (amateurs) would pay high sums of money to ensure that working class Players (professionals) did not get the opportunity to perform at a high level. Collectively the players took action against what they saw as a stifling of progress due to amateurs being inserted into teams simply to appease committees that were loaded with Gentlemen. This was carried out purely to ensure that quotas had been reached, not because these players had any cricketing ability (Frith, 1978; Cain, 2010; Light, 2010). The players action led to an overhaul of the 40


game with many breakaway leagues being formed, coinciding with legislation brought into the industries that permitted more free time for working classes to take part in cricket (Heywood, 2012). However there is evidence that in Lancashire and presumably in most other industrial districts, the great majority who played belonged to the lower middle and working classes (Cavanagh, 1988; Huggins and Williams, 2006; Stone, 2008; Heywood, 2012). In fact Wigglesworth (1996:98) states that ‘the Lancashire and Yorkshire professional cricket leagues were established during the 1870s to suit the needs of the factory workers’. Despite this apparent social class divide Williams (1999) argues that cross-class relations are strengthened or united temporarily on a national level in a collective desire for England to succeed in test matches against Australia. This point is reinforced by Bennett et al. (2007) when discussing that cricket is associated with national identity and a sense of kinship or bonding with the nation can be felt when watching England. However, the national fervour created by England’s short-lived Ashes victory in 2005 failed to lift the games popularity across the state/public school sectors. This may have been an opportunity missed for drawing together public and state schools in a common goal for the development of cricket (Bennett et al., 2007). Currently, surveys show that the social class divide still has an impact on participation levels within sport with a significantly higher number of managerial and professional occupations (4.9 million) taking part with lower and more routine level occupations only accounting for (3.69 million) (Sport England 2013). Evidence that the amount of leisure time at the disposal of social classes varies dependant on the occupation of the individual. Further to this, Boyle (2009) claims that cricketers with higher-end occupations are looked upon more favourably by selectors and tend to have a more prolonged career than those from a lower social background. Another barrier to prevent participation from state schools is a noted trend within selection. Malcolm (1997; 2009; 2012) suggests not only class but race may have an influence on counties when selecting talent. This is not only at grassroots level but can be traced right up into the test arena. For example, Malcolm (1997) comments that the background and culture of an individual, particularly those from overseas origin, can hinder further progress. Joey Benjamin and Devon Malcolm together helped England to victory over South Africa in 1994, yet being from working class West Indian backgrounds, they were left on the side-lines for the subsequent winter tours, being replaced by players from a higher educated schooling (Searle, 1996). In similar fashion to the events earlier in the century, where counties had paid to ensure a trend of amateurs with a public school background were present, now the counties were using race and social class ensure similar quotas

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were maintained. This process can be referred to as ‘stacking’, or loading a line-up with players that are from a certain upbringing (Malcolm, 1997). As Berry (2012) has pointed out, those without access to high quality coaching and true grass pitches are missing out in terms of quality facilities but one main difference is the privileged network to the counties that the public school system enjoys. This study learned that whilst the English Cricket Board have attempted to implement their Chance to Shine project into state schools (4000 schools and 1.5 million pupils) only 5% have progressed into club cricket, with even less progressing into the county system. Another finding was that turf wickets are virtually unheard of within state schools which make a significant difference to coaching and skills development, an area that public schools seem more inclined to support. It could also be argued that the curriculum within state schools is weak and does not favour cricket. This may also be true of independent, public schools yet what they have in their favour is a depth of resources and extra-curricular activity that will provide for a wide demand. Sellers and Palmer (2008) criticise the content of the National Curriculum by considering that whilst teachers may intend to teach a variety of skills and meet different learning objectives, some PE lessons are actually a superficial engagement with anything physical, educative or indeed sporting. Further to this, Sprake and Palmer (2012) claim that for the National Curriculum in PE to be considered to have strength alongside other academic subjects, it might change its relationship with sports and exercise or health and fitness towards more valued educational work – Physical Education is not a health club or fitness spa, or indeed a sports club. For this to apply to cricket, specific aims of achieving knowledge and exploring the reasoning behind the playing strategy or skills must be included into the learning about, rather than just playing of the game for the sake of ticking criteria on a ‘can do’ competency chart, or list of National Curriculum Attainment Targets. Recently there has been an attempt to cross over learning skills from other subjects (Marshall, 2005; Roberts, 2011) such as maths/statistics in calculating the scores and game strategy, and this has been successful in assisting individuals in understanding why and when they perform a certain movement, not just how. However with the new government emphasis on competition in sport it remains to be seen whether this National Curriculum will revert back to a plan where only the most talented players are highlighted or signposted for further development with the vast majority being overlooked (Collins, 2010). A shortcoming from this attitude to cricket in PE appears to be that many talented players could be overlooked if they are not at the club or school where 42


primary recruitment takes place for county or regional development squads. This may also include a particular league structure. On many occasions, from my experience [ref: personal narrative] this level of recruitment takes place at private schools and for me shows an imbalance in that talented players get overlooked simply because of their background. This should not be the case and demonstrates a chasm and possible elitism between county structures and state schooling. Consequently this is a strong motivation for my investigating this idea. All of these factors have contributed to the values and beliefs behind my coaching philosophy in cricket which is fundamentally an athlete centred approach. Having recently qualified as a teacher I have had the opportunity to witness some really good examples of cricket in schools recently, yet appreciate there are still many barriers and progress to be made. Part of my motivation for investigating this further now comes from the fact that I am a coach who wants the best opportunities for my players and my future career in teaching puts me in a position where I might be able to do something about this. Into the school and into the data… As the study progressed, a series of themes emerged, informed by the personal narrative, field observations in lessons and follow up interviews, allowing the following data excerpts to be structured/presented around them. Palmer and Griggs (2010) suggest this approach is ideal for interpretative study as the data and researcher should develop as one and that analysis should take place all along the research process to keep pace with the new discoveries. Themes emerging were: 1. Facilities 2. Funding 3. Competition 4. Delivery by staff 1. Facilities The initial class observations immediately highlighted a problem within the state school setting relating to the facilities for cricket delivery. A link on the issue of facilities is made here to my own background [ref: personal narrative] and my need to seek cricket at a local club. In school observation: 10th June 2013 (indoor) Teacher: Andrew Barnes (AB) lunch-time cricket practice This cricket was session held for 30 minutes every Monday lunch-time during the summer term, primarily for Years 7 and 8 boys. By making field notes of previous PE lessons during the first couple of days working in the department, I was

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able to identify the members of staff that delivered cricket. This was the first observation I had made of extra-curricular cricket. ON: The teacher is Andrew Barnes, he is a Science teacher who has a personal interest in cricket so helps out the PE staff by running a lunch time cricket club. I came and stood, just observing, but introduced myself to Mr Barnes as a supply teacher. There was just a small group of year 8’s, enough for two 4 a side games split across 2 sections of the sports hall. One bowler would complete an over and then move into a fielding circle, which would rotate around to give each boy an opportunity to bowl. The resources and facilities determine what can be done; there is a leaky roof which has meant that cricket cannot be played across the full sports hall when it has rained. Outside, rain also prevents play taking place on the grass. The nets are on rails which have got stuck on their runners. The leaks restrict the delivery space during curriculum time so he has had to adapt the delivery. TN: By watching Mr Barnes, it is apparent he has a passion for the game, not necessarily the kids, to him they appear to just be numbers but without him the emphasis on cricket would simply not happen. I also wondered if the style of delivery is deliberate or is restricted by the facilities and available space. MN: Mr Barnes provided me with a lot of information regarding the local cricket development groups and signposted me to further areas of research – the consideration is where do I stop the research as it could go on down so many other avenues. I also need to try and observe some outdoor cricket if it is available.

By reflecting on this short observation, the importance of available facilities for cricket delivery is a problem. If the school do not have well-maintained indoor facilities for when the weather is poor for cricket (or many other sports) they may not be able to go ahead at all. This highlights an issue with funding that will be addressed later. Stiles et al. (2009) contradict this by claiming that having indoor artificial surfaces can be detrimental to the development of cricket as it does not simulate playing characteristics of the game, yet it is better than nothing. In school observation: Thursday 13th June 2013 (outdoor) PE Teacher: Cameron Davies (CD) after school cricket practice Having witnessed an indoor session earlier in the week and wanting to be present at as many of the cricket sessions as possible, it was discovered that there would be an outdoor session after school for Year 7 boys on Thursday. This provided another perspective of the schools’ cricket delivery. ON: This session was run by Cameron Davies, one of the specialist PE teachers. He provided a lot of engagement and was interested in each of the boys, clearly he had developed a good rapport and the boys enjoyed each other’s company. They were participating in their uniform as there was no time to change. Cameron used a skills followed by a game (a traditional approach). He told me that his cricket knowledge was basic, yet he provided as much information for the boys as possible.

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TN: It appears that Cameron Davies has had more cricket than he claims. I discovered in conversation with him that his son is a member of my own cricket club, so maybe he has picked up some tips by watching the coaches there? However I feel that a specialist coach would be able to pick up flaws in technique and address coaching points. I felt that Cameron did not have these skills - he did his best using what he knew from striking and fielding games that he had learned. Overall the environment (school playground) was suitable for a coaching session such as this and had a positive atmosphere. It would be interesting to discover if the boys return for more having enjoyed it. MN: I may need to revisit this session for further observation. This was possible due to nice weather, if it had rained they may need to use the sports hall and it would be interesting to note the group dynamics if moved indoors.

For a teaching or coaching session, the use of a school playground was suitable in this case and it was clear that the methods employed by the teacher provided enjoyment for the boys. This is an important factor and contributes to them wanting to participate in cricket again, regardless of facilities. This is contrary to the point made by Berry (2012) that without access to real turf wickets, a domain of the privileged public schools, then progress cannot be made. Comment from personal narrative: A lack of top level coaching and encouragement from teachers... despite having all the facilities and talented players available at the time... caused competitive cricket to be sought at a local club.

Again, this point from the personal narrative emphasises that perhaps it is not entirely the problem with having access to good facilities, but having a passionate and encouraging teacher with a good level of skills and/or knowledge in cricket. The insight from the staff may hold further clues to the importance of facilities, so interrogation through interview was useful. Interview: Cameron Davies, Friday 21st June, Martello-Travers Cricket Club JP: Interviewer: Joseph Pryle, researcher CD: Interviewee: Cameron Davies, PE teacher JP: I know that the school is falling apart, but would you feel that more people would come if you had new or more facilities available? CD: I think definitely more would come if we had the facilities because the provision would be better. We could do more things, you know yourself that the sports hall leaks, the yard is rubbish. We do use the flagged yard but that is obviously poor too. CD: What I have seen so far is that it is not from want of trying, it is because you are perhaps hindered by a lack of resources.

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CD: Yes, we do what we can. But I think even me; limited as I am could do a lot more if we had a decent sports hall with nets, if we had an Astroturf strip. JP: Yes PY has mentioned that he just used to do nets when the likes of Tony Cottle were around. So do you feel that it could be holding you back a bit? CD: Yes and also me personally, I would be more likely to push myself to get more skills if we had the facilities or if we had the strip.

This interview revealed that the teacher felt restricted by the quality of the resources and his own skills, however he is open to having further training. His class teaching provision has been noted as being really good with the facilities available yet a continuation of delivery with poor resources may create apathy towards the task of teaching cricket (for the teacher and the pupils), further harming cricket provision. This point was investigated further by Nacar et al., (2013) who discuss that good facilities are not only pivotal for development in sports socialisation for pupils but for teachers as well. There was no mention regarding outdoor facilities however, a major stumbling block not only for lessons but for cricket competition as commented on by Berry (2012). Therefore it was important to explore this issue more deeply. Interview: Eddie Fambridge, Thursday 27th June 2013, PE staff room JP: Interviewer: Joseph Pryle, researcher EF: Interviewee: Eddie Fambridge, PE teacher JP: This is important; do you feel the school has a sufficient environment for cricket? EF: No. JP: Is this hampered by the facilities or knowledge of the staff? EF: Probably facilities, obviously we should have working nets. Those aren’t working at the moment and the only other areas we have got at the moment are yards areas and they are very bumpy. The sports hall is there or the gym, we used to have an artificial wicket but that’s been down about 30 years and been vandalised further in the last 4 or 5 years. Also we used to have nets at one time here. Before my time here they actually used to have a strip actually cut on the fields outside. So the facilities have deteriorated as years have gone by. JP: I have spoken to Andrew Barnes [AB] about the competitions that the school is entered into, what happens when these competitive games are played? Do the opposition have better players, better facilities, is there more equipment available? EF: It’s very, very poor. There is only one school in the authority that has got its own strip (wicket). They got Lord’s Taverners money for that I think. There is no specific schools facility for cricket apart from the odd school that has got nets. JP: So you are saying you have to use club facilities?

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EF: Yes the club facilities around here are open to school use, Kerne-Over-Bridge will use Green Hayes CC, Wood Vale quite often use Allington CC or Weaverdale Brook CC. Barrington CC has got a lot of pressure on them to let schools use their ground. St. Andrews High use Stand CC. We even used Sutton Meadows CC and Ashwicken CC; they have been good to us over the years. But as part of my school role in organising competitions I have got to find grounds to use. Most clubs have been very, very good in the area and quite open. This year finals day is at the fine ground at North Keddington, but over the years of playing schools cricket we have been on virtually every ground in the local area. JP: So that’s good that they are open, how does this contrast to what goes on at grammar schools you have been to? EF: I don’t think they are as keen as they used to be but they have still got their facilities down there and again they have been good over the years in letting us use their wickets. Randal Grammar school have been very good and open.

It becomes clear from listening to him that indoor and outdoor facilities are important issues affected by funding. The schools have little or no priority funding set aside for maintenance of Astroturf pitches so are then reliant on local clubs, who are luckily willing to share. Stiles et al. (2009) point out that artificial surfaces do not necessarily improve performance which infers that grass surfaces are paramount for progression in cricket. The most interesting development however, is that public schools were open and willing to share outdoor grass facilities, contradicting the point made by Simons (1996) that these schools rule with an elitist attitude. Recent developments even suggest that government initiatives have targeted lower socioeconomic groups by releasing facilities in this fashion to improve participation (Voss et al., 2008). 2. Funding To get a feel and understanding of the issue of funding in this state school context, the decision was made to make an observation of the PE department’s equipment to try and pinpoint where funding is most necessary. In school observation: Wednesday 19th June 2013, Kit and atmosphere - impressions of a School PE department ON: I was led down into a corridor with flaky plaster and a crumbling parquet floor. This had been a smart place I thought once but now it was decaying and there was a distinct smell of stale body odour. The floor had not been varnished for years and the school had not had a paint job recently. Immediately I was transported back in time to memories of my own high school of 20 years ago. On entering the PE department I could see boxes of old kit and many of the boys were helping themselves to this as they had not brought their own. Each sport had a store cupboard which I thought was very impressive, yet on further inspection I discovered that this was very basic equipment (in subsequent discussion with Mr Barnes I found out that this equipment had been bought using a

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grant provided when Tony Cottle, the England footballer, had broken the England schoolboy batting record – it was the same kit 20 years on!). The cricket equipment was very old and in poor condition. There were only 4 bats (with lots of dents and scratches) and they had no rubber grips on them. There were some spring back wickets – about 5 sets. The only new resource was a bag of windballs for indoor cricket. Apart from this there was not much else, no pads or provision for the outdoor game. Later on I discovered on the playing field the artificial wicket had been destroyed, and with no grass wicket this left the school yard as the only place to play outdoor cricket. TN: This was exactly like cricket from when I was at school, I noted. The facilities were in exactly the same condition and I genuinely felt like I was back in 1989 (the year I started high school). From this I started to think that if there was nowhere to play and no new equipment – I would not blame youngsters if they were put off playing or went with friends to a local club to play, particularly if that club has more equipment, smarter facilities and is genuinely more appealing. Regardless of this the PE staff soldiered on and utilised the space well. MN: From this position, it is clear that I can see a lot of degradation of the facilities and that not much investment has been put in recently. I cannot find out where the funding goes without asking questions, I will need to interview the staff to attempt to discover what allocation they get.

Based on this experience if there is to be an improvement not only in cricket, but in sports education overall, then there needs to be investment and putting into operation of better facilities (Nacar et al., 2013). Further to this, schools and National Governing Bodies might recognise that sport has a helpful role in the social agenda and can contribute to areas of health, employment, education and reduce crime. For these reasons funding in sport could represent wise socio-economic investment to establish modern resources to enable delivery to take place (Department of Culture, Media and Sport, 2012). In cricket, the English Cricket Board (ECB) invested £2million into state schools for equipment and coaching, yet this backing appears to favour primary schools and has not had much input in recent years (ECB, 2005). For high schools there are charity donations available for equipment yet this is not utilised by all (Chance to Shine, 2013). Clearly this school could benefit from this scheme. Interview: Andrew Barnes, Thursday 6th June 2013, school sports hall JP: Interviewer: Joseph Pryle, researcher AB: Interviewee: Andrew Barnes, Science teacher JP: Would you like to have some formal kind of training? AB: I think at this stage in my career that’s probably not appropriate but I am looking for other staff to get involved maybe. The trouble I have is that a lot of the money was withdrawn from schools cricket. JP: Due to the School Sports Partnership finishing?

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AB: Not that in particular, but instead of the funding going into schools, very small amounts of funding, that money was given to clubs and the schools lost some of that money that might have been used. One of the good things that has happened is that a lot of the coaching has gone into primary schools. Over the last 10 years a lot of the pupils have benefitted from the Local Cricket Development group sending in specialist coaches like Joe Scuderi into the primary schools and I think we have seen an improvement over the last few years because of that.

Immediately, this interview highlighted one of the issues that cricket development in high schools has had, which could explain where the funding has been targeted – at primary school level. The inference to be drawn from this is that governing bodies may regard other sports as a threat in the competition for central funding and so make moves to recruit from a younger age (Vaeyens et al., 2010). Targeting primary age children for specific sports could mean that high school talent is overlooked. In fact some researchers believe that qualities found in successful performance, particularly cognitive skills, are not developed until later adolescence (Martindale et al., 2007; Balyi and Hamilton, 2010, Vaeyens et al., 2010), strengthening the argument for high school investment. Interview: Cameron Davies, Friday 21st June, Martello-Travers Cricket Club JP: Interviewer: Joseph Pryle, researcher CD: Interviewee: Cameron Davies, PE teacher JP: Why should it be the case do you think that it can’t go into high schools as well. What do you think? CD: I think it should because we don’t see a penny. And you know in terms of how we resource it, if we give you a breakdown of expenditure what we allocate to cricket is quite pitiful. But again I think that comes down to the staffing. If me, or the other staff were cricket specialists we would push for more investment. But to go back to primary school funding, I don’t understand why they are targeting them early. Maybe they are prioritising getting them early so that club players are identified early and they are channelled to clubs?

This response indicates that the PE staff have little involvement with the school budget, yet suggests that there could be more done to influence decisions but this seems to be dependent on the interests and priority of the individuals delivering the sport. As both Andrew Barnes [AB] and Cameron Davies [CD] have pointed out, without a passionate individual pushing the sport of cricket in the department, then provision remains basic. 3. Competition There were few opportunities during the research to observe competitive games. During the 6 week placement there had been no official school matches organised.

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That left only the opportunity to witness the dynamics of competition during the extra-curricular sessions. One such observation highlighted a few notable issues. In school observation: Thursday 20th June 2013, outdoor yard area PE teacher: Cameron Davies, after school cricket practice ON: This involved a good turnout (approximately 18 boys, 5 of which played at local clubs). Cameron Davies was leading and set up a basic batter hitting to mid-on drill, who subsequently would return to the wicketkeeper. The command and instruction used was very autocratic which was good as it maintained control and was appropriate for this age group. However it was clear and well understood. As the school only has 4 bats, they had to be put into 4 groups so was very restrictive. This drill was progressed by moving positions around – the batter to fielder to wicketkeeper etc. The weather was good which allowed for the use of the yard, which was ideal space regardless of it surface condition. TN: Again there was a reasonable proportion of boys involved with club cricket and I consider whether this is due to the type of introduction – do they enjoy it as they appear to or is it just the fun of being with their classmates? The dynamics are good and this could also be down to the rapport with the teacher who appears to offer a humanistic, guided discovery approach to his teaching, combined with an autocratic leadership style. He creates a positive environment by using games that offer opportunity for all to participate. By keeping all involved in short bursts eliminates problems and he gets to know them at a personal level by asking questions such as ‘how did you get on in that tournament at the weekend?’ MN: Do I therefore need to discover the opinions of the boys themselves as to what motivates them to play cricket? As the assistant teacher in this session I was also finding myself as a participant observer as I took part in some of the delegating and organising of the boys. By adopting this stance I felt that I could see more directly what was going on and feel the emotions of the game more. I know this took place as I found myself commentating, applauding, laughing and feeling the emotional highs and lows and fluctuations of the game. During this phase I also observed the boys enjoying the game including those that were not involved at clubs.

The main inference to come from this observation is that offering all the pupils the opportunity to participate and socialise through cricket brings greater rewards for all parties. The teacher has less behaviour issues to contend with, the boys all enjoy each other’s company and the desire to learn is enhanced. This student or athlete-led approach to coaching achieves far greater success than driving a win-at-all costs mentality as it allows rapport to form and the pupils to learn self-awareness better (Fraser-Thomas and Cote, 2006; Jowett and Lavallee, 2007; Zukowska, 2007; Kidman and Hanrahan, 2011). It appears from the observation that the teacher has implemented a productive and engaging approach leading to good attendance at his sessions – they enjoyed the cricket experience. Whilst this observation did bring to light a good approach to dealing with relatively poor facilities it is evidence that 50


there can be successful teaching of cricket in schools with limited knowledge and facility. The following observation demonstrates that there are still problems to overcome. In school observation: Monday 17th June 2013, sports hall Teacher: Andrew Barnes, after school cricket practice (selection) ON: It was interesting to note that this session is normally held for year 8 boys and in previous sessions there had been about 10-15 turning up. However the boys were aware just by listening to them in discussion that this was a good chance to be selected for the upcoming school team matches. Mr Barnes had invited year 7 along so that he could observe potential players for the team – a sort of ‘trial’. Due to this reason, 24 boys had turned up, so he split them into 3 groups of 8 and did this based on the ages of the boys. During this period he could stand in a central position and simply observe the skills of the boys. TN: One priceless observation appeared during this phase, as the group containing mixed white and Asian boys appeared to have a conflict. On closer inspection I saw that Mr Barnes had to intervene and separate the incident before it developed into a fight. I could observe that some of the Asian boys had not been to the cricket before – was there some tension or previous disagreement between these boys that stopped them coming to cricket? I feel that this is important, especially as there is a large Asian community present not only at the school, but in the local area and they are keen on the game so need to be encouraged. MN: In terms of class-management for this session is was clearly a different set up for cricket selection; positions in the school team, which may have exacerbated the social tension encountered. I was sat to the side of the sports hall and could see the angst in this situation brewing. I felt torn in my duties as a researcher and a as teacher present in the room. Whilst I was there to observe and this was Mr Barnes session I could have intervened but fortunately Mr Barnes arrested the situation before it got worse. If I had altered roles in response, stepping in as a teacher, I would have spoiled the natural proceedings of the session and upset the data that I was able to observe. This is an interesting dilemma to research further for ethics of research roles in social settings.

From the social tension around this incident there may be a problem with racial inclusion amongst the boys, do the Asian players have a perception that they are outsiders and cannot become part of school cricket? There is perhaps a parallel to be drawn from this between public and state school cricket. Some of the earlier points made by Voss et al. (2008) that there is now a willingness to share facilities confound this perception when there is a deliberate segregation of state schools. By comparing the approaches of the two teachers, some consideration must be made when splitting the boys into groups as this has obviously led to some disharmony which is in contrast to the positive experiences observed when they were all included together within the session. The inferred point is that the inclusive lesson,

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whether deliberate or not, left the boys wanting to return for more cricket and to experience competition as they were enjoying the presence of their peers. Similar studies show that cricket academies prefer to draw talent from organisations that create an opportunity for psycho-social development to take place, which may go some way to explaining why they target public schools for young cricket talent as it is clearly occurring in an inconsistent manner in state schools (Barker et al., 2011; Cowan et al., 2012, Weissensteiner et al., 2012). Creating a division can lead to disillusionment from youngsters, a point echoed below from the personal narrative. Comment from personal narrative: If we were lucky, there would be one or two competitive games per year against other schools... the competitive cricket again had to be sought at a local club which for me was disappointing because I felt that I was denied the opportunity to play alongside many of my talented peers, instead I found myself playing against them at rival clubs.

Interview: Andrew Barnes, 6th June 2013, sports hall JP: Interviewer: Joseph Pryle, researcher AB: Interviewee: Andrew Barnes, Science teacher JP: OK, I’m pretty sure you can tell me a lot about this, but can you tell me a bit more about the competitions or matches that the school enter? AB: I have over the years entered the Northern County Schools competition but only when I have had a decent side as there is a tendency to come across a lot of the grammar schools or some of the independent schools early in the competition and unless you have got a good side it is not really worth entering to be honest. But as I say I do run the a local schools competition which we have been running for about 15-20 years or something and that is to encourage pupils at secondary school to get involved.

This point by Andrew (competitive; only enter if you think you can win) has uncovered what could be one of the major flaws within school cricket. If the teachers are not even willing to enter teams into competitions, regardless of ability, how might they or the sport develop further? Without gaining access to public schools to collect data on this point (which could be a dimension of further research) it is difficult to comment on attitudes from this sector, yet still there is an assumption that these public schools would endeavour to enter into as many competitions as possible, if only to promote the school further (Stearns and Glennie, 2010). From this research in state schools it seems apparent that cricket might only exist in a meaningful way if it is driven by the interests and enthusiasm of a teacher (in this case, not a PE teacher). A benefit of entering teams into competition is that it can increase cognitive, intellectual attributes in pupils, linking to academic success (Bradley et al., 2013). By denying youngsters these opportunities, confidence could 52


be affected and can be detrimental to development in cricket and in life-education – given that competition is a part of life. 4. Delivery by the PE staff The observation phase created a variety of opportunities to witness and reflect upon the delivery of the cricket. Initially starting out as a complete observer and targeting the PE staff, flaws in provision were soon becoming evident: In school observation: 4th July 2013, PE class, gymnasium PE Teachers: Cameron Davies [CD] and Eddie Fambridge [EF] ON: The teams played football cricket. There were two teams of approximately 20 per side; this was due to the rain and the roof leaking on the sports hall. Therefore the groups had to be doubled up and squeezed together into the old, narrow gym. The rules were that it must bounce once and can’t hit the ceiling. It was 4 or 6 for hitting the back ball and the ‘batter’ must run to the cones on either side. The emphasis was on team play and camaraderie, this game was quick and kept them all involved and active – maximum participation. TN: The teachers were keen to use cricket as part of problem solving on the curriculum. However they just observed and supervised rather than play a direct role with specific technical information. All the kids understood the task; everyone had opportunity to take part. The departments’ emphasis was to cover striking and fielding by offering the traditional route – cricket for boys and rounders for girls. They had tried to implement cricket for the girls too but felt that they needed specialist help in the form of coaching. If this is not available then they simply do not push it. They did have an SSCO present which allowed for links to be made outside the school yet this was simply not exploited. I have discussed the fact that cricket provision depends on how interested the teachers are in it and whether it is a priority. I do not feel that this department is necessarily against providing cricket but; 1: They do not feel confident to deliver specialist coaching so would prefer outside coaches to come in or send players to a club. 2: The facilities hamper their progress. 3: The curriculum is set just for summer cricket, no reason why it can’t be all year round and include girls more.

By discussing some of these issues informally with the staff, a clearer picture emerged that as they had not come from a cricket background themselves, they did not feel confident to deliver the cricket skills and drill so the sessions became a process of learning through ‘discovery’ for the pupils. The field notes commented that the staff tend to supervise rather than deliver specific coaching, much in a laissez-faire manner. The adoption of a ‘discovery’ teaching style (Mosston and Ashworth, 1986) may in fact be an excuse by some teachers for not knowing enough about a given sport [cricket] to coach it very well. The flaw associated with this approach is that pupils do not develop a physical literacy, and may lack enthusiasm to engage in sport in later life (Sprake and Palmer, 2012). In simpler terms, In PE 53


they may not be educated to a level that is comparable in other academic subjects in school so do not acquire a cognitive understanding of when and why to apply technical skills (Sellers and Palmer, 2008). Berry (2012) notes that in the public school sector extra-curricular cricket creates opportunities for this information to be taught outside of school, where time and finance are less of a burden than in state schools. Comment from personal narrative: I often reflect however, on how things may have been even better had I the opportunity for school cricket that many others I have met since have had or even are experiencing at present. Coaching takes place in some schools all year round, competitions are more diverse and expansive and in private schools in particular there are thorough cricket structures established.

As the observation period progressed, the transformation from complete observer to one of participant observer occurred to such a level that the PE staff approached me to deliver a session of cricket, the perception being that I was a specialist in this area. I was becoming accepted as one of them. The dynamics of personal interactions altered from this point on and it was interesting to trace/note the changing impact in the following field notes, written from recall. In school observation: Friday 28th June 2013, cricket class, sports hall PE Teacher: Cameron Davies (team teaching with Joseph Pryle) ON: Due to the weather outside being cold and rainy, the session was moved into the hall and this had been cleaned up after the recent leaks in the roof, so was now fine and appropriate for this group. They arrive in small groups of 1, 2 or 3 until eventually 15 are present. I am aware that one or two may have been on their way home and had second thoughts, or simply been kept behind in their last lesson. Quickly I think on my feet, what can I show to these kids bearing in mind the limited knowledge I have of their capabilities? I talk through the grip – referring to this as similar to how they would pick an axe up (I referred to the coaching points that had been provided by my ECB Coach Education). I was able to go down the line and observe this being performed, addressing any flaws individually. Some of the boys commented that it did not feel right - however I instructed them that this was the correct method and would help them play more shots, whilst also being alien to them at first. I then allowed them to practice and play around with it until it became more comfortable. Moving on, I then demonstrated the stance, by this time the boys were becoming impatient as they wanted a game. I made them aware that this was important and would help them, to which they responded really well. As the impatience grew, I thought ‘what batting skill can I show them’. I opted for the pull shot as this tends to be a struggle for beginner batsmen. During this phase I emphasised foot movement and gave 3 simple coaching points to remember. At this point Mr Davies returned to finish the remainder of the session so I gave my feedback to the group and ensured they knew the coaching points by offering a range of open, convergent questions. Finally, I was greeted by a round of applause which made me feel

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like I was accepted and respected within the group as well as checking that they had a positive experience. TN: Is it the case that if the boys had second thoughts about cricket, it is because of the fun, positive environment created? I am pretty certain that given the choice, the boys would go home if cricket was dull or boring so maybe the opportunity provided by the teacher is influencing these kids. I was also aware prior to the session that anything I show these boys can have a lasting impression, so must get this right – the use of metaphor (the axe grip) is a good example. Using three simple coaching points was good as I did not want to overload these boys with information as experience has shown this is a good way to scare people off. Putting the new skills into the game phase was rewarding as there was an opportunity for failure as well as success. It was interesting to see the boys’ reactions to batting poorly and I saw many become determined to succeed when they had further opportunities. From this I can determine that when boys are offered competitive cricket they enjoy the challenge. MN: It may have been impossible to uncover the reactions of the boys and the sense the success or failure had I been a complete observer. By becoming a participant within the group and building a rapport I could sense who was enjoying the session and who was completing the tasks correctly. I would be interested to discover if this occurs at Years 9 and 10, or even within public schools given the chance. I feel this is important in order to continue developing talent and progressing to higher levels when reaching school leaving age.

The predictable session format of a warm up followed by a game that the boys had become accustomed to, was productively altered by having a specialist coach come in and do things differently. At first they seemed uncomfortable but then enjoyed the session, embracing the challenge. The inference is that if poor skills are left uncorrected in the blind belief that they are good skills then they will carry on regardless – it is all that they know. Creasy et al. (2012:5) comment on the importance of teachers providing specialist skills, and a good example for others to follow, a process referred to as ‘pedagogical content knowledge’, with benefits to learning such as greater pupil enjoyment and engagement as well as a higher level of competency achieved. On reflection this seemed to be achieved with the boys at this state school. Not only did they enjoy the session, but proved repeatedly that they had learned one or two new skills using the preferred technique; bowl, catch, drive, lunge. In contrast to the earlier observed practice of ‘guided discovery’ (Mosston and Ashworth, 1986) employed by some teachers, my experience suggested that providing specific knowledge can have a good impact on lesson atmosphere whilst ensuring skills are learned correctly. I was curious to enquire more about teaching methods for cricket sessions in school so took the opportunity to ask about this in interviews. For example…

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Interview: Andrew Barnes, Thursday 6th June 2013, sports hall JP: Interviewer: Joseph Pryle, researcher AB: Interviewee: Andrew Barnes, Science teacher JP: Do you feel confident with your cricket delivery or would you prefer to have some specialist help? AB: Most of my coaching is from the Volley Ball side and I have worked at up to National League level at that. JP: So are you applying some of those principles to the cricket? AB: The cricket is more of an interest of mine, I have never gone in for any coaching qualifications or anything like that. JP: That’s interesting, it’s just something that I have researched with other schools in that they felt that they are not well up with any of the techniques so would prefer a specialist to come in and help. I understand that there is a cost, but would you like to have some formal kind of training? AB: I think at this stage in my career that’s probably not appropriate but I am looking for other staff to get involved maybe.

A similar question was posed to another member of staff in an attempt to confirm whether guided discovery was deliberate. Interview: Eddie Fambridge, Thursday 27th June 2013, PE staff room JP: Interviewer: Joseph Pryle, researcher EF: Interviewee: Eddie Fambridge, PE teacher JP: …ok, moving on, I have seen some really good teaching done at the school with limited facilities. Most of the stuff is guided discovery but have you ever tried any other approaches? EF: Sometimes with some of the younger ones we do bowling practice/batting practice and things like that. Occasionally we’ll change the rules of the game but more often than not with the time we have not got a lot of time to do basic coaching. A lot of that is really done by the clubs. Sometimes we do a bit of basic stuff.

Rather unsurprisingly, the response was that time is an important factor and therefore coaching is left for specialists elsewhere. The next stage was to uncover the reasons why time was an issue in the delivery. Interview: Cameron Davies, Friday 21st June, Martello-Travers Cricket Club JP: Interviewer: Joseph Pryle, researcher CD: Interviewee: Cameron Davies, PE teacher

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JP: Thank you… one final point, this is what Mr Barnes [AB] couldn’t tell me. What could you tell me about the curriculum delivery and why do you feel it’s only during summer term? CD: In terms of the curriculum delivery, where it’s positioned, it’s just seen as tradition to have it in summer. JP: Do you think that’s a flaw of the curriculum itself? CD: Definitely, but again we are limited to facilities, it is hard to do. We’re pretty much full on and doubling up groups from November to February. It’s hard to do when you have got 50 lads in a gym or sports hall. So it’s the only time of the year when we can get them outside. JP: So what do you think you could do to make cricket more integrated and possible throughout the year? CD: To be honest, very little and I am not passing the buck but ultimately those decisions lie with Mrs Smith (Head of PE). She sets it up. JP: Maybe not, maybe it is dictated to by the examining board or higher up. What do you think you could do to influence this? CD: To be honest I don’t know if I would because we are happy with where it is and it is the most convenient and probably the most efficient time to do it because we are so restricted by facilities, so we could use club resources if needed. But in terms of the curriculum we have set plans of work but to be honest that for Ofsted purposes and ticking boxes. Although the lesson plans are there we don’t use them. We go out and are flexible and tend to just play. We don’t go out and coach a lot and do a lot of the skills. It’s more a guided discovery kind of thing.

This was a frank and honest admission that demonstrated that within this state school, the curriculum dictates when cricket should be implemented. Not only is this restrictive but Flintoff et al. (2011) go on to suggest that the pedagogy employed in the curriculum is also outdated. The reluctance to change this teaching schedule could indicate that the teachers are settled and happy with this arrangement of concentrating the cricket entirely into the summer term. Whilst there may be practical timetable benefits to this as he has commented on, as well as the opportunity to work outdoors and perhaps use facilities of the clubs around this time, there is a drawback that the window for skills development is narrowed into a short space of time. Public school cricket delivery may not have this problem, as the programme is more likely to occur across the schools year with extra-curricular, specialist coaching - an unaffordable luxury for the state school (Stearns and Glennie, 2010).

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Conclusion Strengths and weakness of cricket in this state school This research has uncovered attitudes and perspectives towards cricket in the daily life of a state school PE department. Whilst it has been impossible to comment on the broader delivery of cricket in schools in general, the study has highlighted a variety of successes and flaws that may be pertinent to state school cricket. The study aimed to investigate the potential barriers for talented cricketers into county standard levels of the game. Amongst these there were some recurring themes emerging, notably in four main areas: facilities, funding, competition and the delivery by staff – some of these interlinked and were a consequence of a failure in another area. For example, in the case of facilities, without some of the basic equipment and space available there would be a direct impact upon the quality of delivery. This issue comes as a result of a lack of investment, the funding being directed in to primary school cricket development or at high school, in to other activities in PE or diverted to other academic subjects that are deemed of higher importance than sport. With the school not having new cricket facilities provided by the local authorities for many years, the only outdoor alternatives are to either manage with the poor yard areas or seek access to local clubs’ facilities. Luckily, in this case, the local cricket clubs are hospitable and the school has managed to create a vital partnership with many clubs. This is an important point as there are benefits for both parties, the club ensures it has a sustainable input of junior talent, and the school gains not only a facility for use in competition but creates an opening for staff to develop new coaching skills alongside those provided by the club. The main issue with facilities is indoors, much of the school year occurs during the winter months when the playing of cricket outdoors is simply not achievable. In state school, the indoor facilities were very old and beyond the repair of a regular school budget, especially with leaky roofs preventing classes going ahead, curricular or extra-curricular. This would probably not be the case within public schools as the priority funding would be in place to ensure general maintenance prevents these problems. Many classes had to double up in numbers, lessening the impact of the teaching and sometimes creating chaos with the timetabled scheme of work. This has a direct impact on cricket as it relies on space and time in order to achieve its potential as a sport but also a medium for learning and personal development. This research found that the teachers might do a better job for the pupils with regards to competition. However there were some notable exceptions where the teacher had fostered a positive environment. This led to pupils wanting to return for more cricket and they enjoyed the challenges provided as well as the social benefits

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of competing alongside their peers. This was an issue reflected on by the researcher in his own background and experiences of school cricket as a boy. An interesting shortcoming is the reluctance, fear of failure, of the teachers to enter the school into competitions. In denying this opportunity to the cricketers at the school who did want to compete, the danger is that they cease to become involved with cricket and more talent is lost, the lose enthusiasm and play something else. Another weakness linked to this is that the PE department openly claim to have many links with local schools and clubs, which they clearly utilise in other sports yet in the case of cricket, have not taken the opportunity to do so. The problems also lay in the delivery of the cricket. As most of the staff did not come from a cricket background, they did not possess the knowledge or the skills to deliver sound technical coaching to the boys, this was a factor that they did also acknowledge as a weakness. It was discovered that although the boys may be able to learn through ‘discovery’, they are not being educated to become sound practitioners who can understand why and when to implement skills. This can have a lasting effect for lifelong participation, more often than not resulting in a large scale dropout. The teachers in this state school indicated they are open and willing to undertake this continuing professional development. However, there were successes and strengths within state school cricket and it was another of the study’s aims to uncover these. The most prominent was the approach taken by some of the teachers in providing an inclusive environment and opportunity for all to participate. By achieving this successfully, notable benefits were observed in that pupils returned for more cricket rather than become disillusioned. It was also clear that unless there are individuals within a PE department who have a clear interest or are driven to deliver cricket, then the provision becomes very basic and only carried out as a requirement of the National Curriculum. In this school there appeared to be a couple of teachers for whom cricket was a passion and for one (Andrew Barnes the Science teacher), vital links to clubs and development pathways were used to good effect. Finally, the unique perspective afforded by undertaking ethnographic research in this manner has highlighted many areas to help with cricket development where it may be really needed in education, as well as opportunities and topics for further, deeper social research. To close, the last comment from the critical friend analysis of my personal narrative hints towards future research developments: The international dimension of social experiences in cricket. From this personal narrative I realise I have a rich stock of socio-cultural experience in cricket provision at local/county levels in the UK but also internationally in the USA and Australia. These experiences may permit some interesting further research on the socio-educative use of

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cricket in different cultures that have fundamentally different attitudes to sport and different philosophies for engaging in sport at a community and elite level. How cricket may feature in these strongly contrasting social tapestries would be very interesting to explore in greater depth, ethnographically.

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Appendix 1: Initial question bank/areas of enquiry for interviews – ideas stemming from thematic analysis of field observation notes. *NB: successive more specific, focused and individualised interview schedules were devised from progressive transcript analysis. 1. Can you give me a brief overview of your background to sports? How did you come into teaching? Where does cricket fit into this, have you ever played or coached cricket out of the school curriculum? 2. What are you attempting to achieve in your cricket provision? Is it to identify talented individuals or to provide opportunity for all? 3. Do you feel confident on your cricket delivery? Would you prefer additional, specialist coaches to come in? 4. Have you ever tried different approaches in your striking and fielding activities? For example, structured technical coaching/guided discovery or even adjusting the scheme of work (timetable plan) so that cricket can be practiced in winter. Do you use other facilities? 5. Do you feel this department has a sufficient environment for cricket or is hampered by the facilities/knowledge of the staff? 6. Tell me a bit about the competitions or matches that the school enters or plays. 7. I noticed that there is some good provision for Years 7-10 for cricket, what happens at year 11? (It may be important to discover this information for progression into county teams from school cricket rather than left only to clubs). 8. I also noticed a lot of Year 10/11 being allowed to make decisions on their own PE activities. Is there a reason for this or can it be changed? 9. What happens with more talented players, do you signpost them to clubs/development groups or are they left to discover this by themselves? 10. What do you think would happen if extracurricular cricket was not provided? Is this part of your job role or is it something you volunteer to provide? Do you find that the same people keep returning or do you get newcomers regularly? (This could be an indicator of the positive environment that is set/rapport with teacher). 11. I have noticed that many of the activities provided by the staff allow the children to learn by discovery. Is this deliberate or is it due to time constraints/knowledge of staff? 12. What happens when competitive matches are played? Do other schools have better facilities? Is there more kit available at other locations? 65


Appendix 2: Example of one analysed interview transcript with strategic critical summary Appendix X:

Interview transcript No. 2

Interviewer:

Joe Pryle (JP)

Interviewee:

Cameron Davies [CD] (Physical Education teacher)

Date:

21st June 2013

Location:

Martello-Travers Cricket Club

Enquiry:

Cricket provision in schools: is the system flawed?

Schedule: This interview is based on observations regarding the extracurricular cricket provided and questions derived from interview 1 with Andrew Barnes [AB]. Qs

Verbatim typed record of utterances, questions and responses. Questions in bold

1.

Initial coding – analysis of responses: themes, trends and inferences

JP – Hello, thank you for speaking with me in this interview, For the record I’ve got Cameron here from the High School’s PE department. I’m just going to elaborate on some of the points that [AB] gave me in a previous interview with him. Alright, first of all can you give me an overview of your background to sports and how you started with PE teaching? CD – I think throughout school I always had an interest in sport and PE, played in different teams. That then followed through until I was in 6th form at the school and I started helping out with teams in the lower school. That’s where I got into voluntary coaching and developed an interest for teaching. I was just helping out

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Non verbal communication actions, reactions disturbances and/or researcher notes

CD is very relaxed and takes time to contemplate his answers before delivering. I do not pressure him but as we are both having a drink it gives a nice pause for him to collect

From this I can tell that he has had a basic training in PE without having specialist knowledge in a


taking teams with basketball and the football. It was basically a one man band in the PE teaching so once we got into 6th form and as we knew all the kids he was after any help he could get.

his thoughts.

The fact that he has helped out in basketball and football at college is evident – as I have observed him taking extracurricular groups in these sports at the school too.

I had really loved playing sport and getting involved in it, but that really got me thinking about it in terms of a career path that this was something I could go into.

However I can also read that he has a generous quality within him that pushes him to help out and assist, which may have lead him to take up the running of the cricket teams at the school.

So from there, after A – levels I took a year out to work and then went to uni to take the BEd 4 year teaching course.

2.

particular area.

JP - So you didn’t take a sports specialist degree like a sports science course, you did a general teacher training degree? CD – No, that’s right… because that’s (PE teaching) what I really wanted to do and with not having the A-level background of PE I thought it was probably best to head straight for a B.Ed., because I was quite focused that I wanted to be a PE teacher. It wasn’t a case of doing sports science and then I might go and do a PGCE, I knew that was what I wanted to go into so it was a direct path into teaching.

There is not much in the way of body language, however as he has a strong accent he tends to talk very fast once he starts.

The lack of ‘A Level background’ and the firm expression of interest to avoid specialism may be why CD seems so comfortable as a PE teacher. I wonder if there is a feeling that he, and others like CD, are more comfortable that nothing too specialised is being asked of them in cricket, or anything else in teaching perhaps? Have these PE teachers become so good at working with relatively poor resources that that has become their

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specialism, may be to the extent that greater coaching expertise, high spec equipment and higher expectations would leave them out of their comfort zone? Is dealing with poor teaching conditions; environment equipment, timetable etc now their specialism? Is there possibility to explore the irony of being specialised at producing mediocrity? 3.

JP - So after you qualified, what experience did you have in schools and how can this link to cricket, or has any of your cricket come through this? CD – No not at all. My school that I was at, I never saw a cricket bat in the whole of the 7 years I was there. JP – You were just in the one place? CD – Yes and at school I went the whole way through from 1st year to 6th form and cricket was never mentioned. It was just something to do in the summer. The estate I grew up on was purely football; there were no cricket teams or cricket clubs close by. I think that can be connected to the type of area I grew up in to be honest.

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CD shows a keen element in his voice, however there is not much emphasis in his body language, this may be as he is feeling very relaxed. As we are sat observing a junior cricket coaching session at the club we both take time to watch a bit of action in between points, maybe this triggers some ideas from CD that would not come if we sat in an office.

Again. I can see that he has no background within the game of cricket and has only brief experiences. The interesting fact that he mentions is the geographical areas He grew up in – traditional working class areas in northern Britain. I am aware from my own knowledge that his home city has some strong cricket teams and connections; however these are segregated, probably in terms of class divide, as the southern, upmarket parts


of the city tend to have strong links to cricket. Yet other areas in his city, more of a working class area where CD comes from, do not play the game and as he states the favoured sport is football. 4.

JP – Ok so I am interested now to know where your cricket actually started from. CD – First time I ever did it was when we did a 6 week teaching module at uni. That was it really. We had a few cricketers on our course and a few lads that played. But I still never played or got involved as I felt at that point that I was too far behind to start. JP – Just from my observations, you have obviously got quite keen on the game. I am just interested to know where this interest has evolved. CD – Probably since being at this high school. My first school that I taught in… we didn’t do much, I did 5 years there… once qualified from uni and we did a little bit in the summer. We would actually play staff cricket… staff football in the winter and staff cricket in the summer. I was basically there to make up the numbers. That was more social, fielding with a beer. It wasn’t an appreciation of the game… more like something to do on a Friday night.

At this point CD’s wife arrives with his son. From personal experience I am aware that she is the daughter of a first class cricketer. There are a few distractions from other spectators but it does not impact on the interview, they leave us alone once they see what we are doing.

As CD’s wife has a link to the game through her father, could this now be the driver behind him gaining interest in the game and having a presence at my local club? My questioning discovers that he has only had a 6 week basic introduction to the sport at university and it is only through necessity of the job that he has since had more involvement in the game. I feel that without this need to deliver ALL sports in his role as PE teacher, he would not have any other connection to the game. The positive to draw from this however, is that it may not only be the pupils that can be brought into cricket through schools, but adults such as teachers

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may start to develop an interest too. It appears from what CD has commented on so far that the school emphasis on cricket has certainly led to more interest from himself. 5.

JP – I can totally understand that. So it’s just basically the PE department [at the study school] that push it or is it because of the curriculum? CD – I think mostly it’s the PE department. Mr Barnes is really the driving force of cricket. He’s mad keen on it and has got so much involvement through town teams and umpiring that he’s the one that keeps it going because with the 3 others (teachers) it’s almost like we do it because we have to, but if Andrew Barnes wasn’t there driving us on the emphasis just wouldn’t be there.

There is a shrug here from CD as he concedes that AB is the main driver cricket delivery at the school. But also his voice is upbeat which perhaps indicates that he is keen too.

JP - I have definitely picked that up but what I have seen is some really good provision. Do you think that has come from spending time at the club here, picking up ideas or is it purely because you have your own interests in the game? CD – I think it’s what has happened at the school that has developed my interest further. I have got to be honest and I was saying this to one of the dads before that knowing it now and the social benefits of the game, it is a game I would have loved to be involved in when I was at school. The time I have been coming to cricket (with his son) I have not

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This point confirms my feelings from the interview with AB that without a person involved at the school who has a keen interest in cricket then there is a lack of emphasis or push for it to succeed.

My earlier point about the development of staff into cricket is confirmed here. CD is clearly hooked on the game now and would not be previously. Again he takes time to consider his answers and when discussing playing the game himself his eyes widen with raised eyebrows. This is an area of interest for him.

The fact that he now runs an after school club and also has his own son involved at a local club has only ignited his interests further. However, the necessity as part of his job role to follow the school trends and deliver more cricket


really had much involvement with the club cricket.

is also evident here. He states that with the school having more emphasis on the game than any he has previously worked at, this has forced him to get more involved.

It has mostly come the school year 7s cricket practice that I have been running. It is also the school that has had most emphasis on cricket, the 3rd school that I have been at, but it’s had the biggest push on the game.

I feel that if the school had a priority on tennis for example, then he would also follow this lead – sort of towing the line or as he points out ‘dragged on board’.

So you just get dragged on board and get involved in it.

6.

JP – Do you think that this point can be linked to the area you grew up in? Was cricket less popular where you grew up… as in this area it is quite popular? CD – Yes it is definitely a geographical thing. Where I was nobody played cricket but some of those that were teaching at my first school they were from the south side, the nicer areas, not far from the city Cricket Club, so they played. But like I say, around the school there are so many clubs and the kids are interested that I have felt the need to get involved to help out.

During this question his arms are moving now, he is more animated as this is something that is clearly close to him – speaking about his own town and background brings out more passion in his voice. I struggle to keep up as he is a fast talker.

Working in a geographical area that has cricket high on its agenda has clearly rubbed off on him and although he has felt the need to get involved through the job, at no point is this a negative issue. CD appears to have a very open mind and is keen to get involved and help in any way. I would be interested to find out how other teachers feel about this, particularly those involved in the delivery of cricket – again those not involved in the sport already. For cricket to be a success in schools I feel this point is important and that the

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staff must be open and enthusiastic about the delivery. JP – Basically what you have just said clarifies what I have already observed. This is interesting, what are you trying to achieve with your cricket delivery? Is it to pinpoint talent and success primarily or is it to provide opportunity for new kids to get involved? CD – For me it’s opportunity for all. For example that lad Maneeb who is not great but is mad keen and is not at a club. I think in terms of the talent, that’s been identified already. For example those year 7s, there’s 8 or 9 of them already club players. In terms of my provision, I don’t feel I have the skills to technically bring them on I am just there to facilitate them getting a bit of extra cricket. I can’t bring them on because that’s for the clubs to do. But for the other lads and those that couldn’t play, they are mad keen to get going so it’s about giving them a bit of an opportunity.

Again talks with a lot of passion but as he squirms a bit in his seat I feel that he is uncomfortable admitting that he does not have the skills for cricket. He nods to me to sort of signal to me that he understands this is a weakness for him – I nod back to signal I have taken his point on board.

This is a good response, school cricket should at the least be used to provide a starting point for anyone to get involved and I am pleased to hear – although I did observe too, that CD wants to provide a chance for those not at a club already to play. Again, the fact that CD has not had any specialist coach education may be holding him back here. By being able to deliver some good technical coaching rather than just allowing the boys to discover through play, may allow more of the individuals to realise that they have the skills to compete further. However it is also important to discover what happens if any of these boys want to progress further. I did ask this question to AB but on reflection it would have been interesting to find out CD’s thoughts about

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what he might do with talented cricketers. 7.

JP - I know that the school is falling apart, but would you feel that more people would come if you had new or more facilities available? CD – I think definitely more would come if we had the facilities because the provision would be better. We could do more things, you know yourself that the sports hall leaks, the yard is rubbish. We do use the flagged yard but that is obviously poor too. JP – What I have seen so far is that it is not from want of trying, it is because you are perhaps hindered by a lack of resources. CD – Yes, we do what we can. But I think even me; limited as I am could do a lot more if we had a decent sports hall with nets, if we had an Astroturf strip.

There is a stern look about CD, here he obviously feels strongly about the facilities and the conversation has turned more serious. It is clearly an area he has discussed before to others. Very animated and arms waving about more with emphasis in the voice and expressions now.

It might only be discovered in the future with the building of a new school what difference having brand new facilities would make to the cricket provision. We both agree that having new cricket resources available would not only draw more pupils in to play – as it becomes more appealing – but would make the teachers’ position have more options.

JP – Yes AB has mentioned that he just used to do nets when the likes of Tony Cottle [talented young player] were around. So do you feel that it could be holding you back a bit? CD – Yes and also me personally, I would be more likely to push myself to get more skills if we had the facilities or if we had the strip. JP – So do you think you might go and do a level 1 for example? CD – Yes and I think also with my lad now playing and being involved I would like to learn more skills.

I let him speak rather than interrupt and try to keep a neutral position – neither agreeing nor disagreeing as I want his true thoughts to come out.

CD sounds as though he has developed some apathy towards the facilities at the school and if it was to persist he may lose interest. But again his open mindedness points out here that a new start with the new build of the school may push him to seek out new

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I do enjoy sitting at the side with a pint but I also like getting involved. I think if we had the facilities then I would change.

8.

skills for his coaching. Again he mentions his son playing too which adds further emphasis to his need to get involved more.

JP – This is major important now this question, something that sticks with me a bit. A lot of the funding in cricket, from the ECB, the government, tends to go into primary schools and target this area. Why should it be the case do you think that it can’t go into high schools as well. What do you think? CD – I think it should because we don’t see a penny. And you know in terms of how we resource it, if we give you a breakdown of expenditure what we allocate to cricket is quite pitiful. But again I think that comes down to the staffing. If me, or the other PE staff were cricket specialists we would push for more investment. But to go back to primary funding I don’t understand why they are targeting them early. Maybe they are prioritising getting them early so that club players are identified early and they are channelled to clubs. JP – I think you may be right, they are competing with other sports to get players early.

He tries to put a comedy slant on this by laughing about the situation, he is more relaxed again now after the previous point and is laughing about the hopelessness of the situation – again a shrug indicates a concession on this point.

An interesting point made here. He mentions that if he was a cricket specialist he would perhaps push for more funding – why should this be the case? This point makes the case that without Andrew Barnes in the school, who is keen on cricket then the other members of staff may not even push it to the level it is now. Again, he also makes the same point that Andrew Barnes made in his interview that there is no reason why more funding cannot be allocated towards the

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high schools over primary schools. I also get the feeling that he was not aware this was even happening, just making a speculative guess as to why it has been targeted at primary school level. 9.

JP – I don’t know if you can tell me a bit about this but Andrew Barnes has given me a good background. Can you tell me a bit about some of the competitions that you have entered with the school? CD – Two main competitions, the main one that Mr Barnes runs is the Year 7 and 8s local schools’ cup. Basically what we do ad-hoc is organise our own friendly fixtures amongst our contacts in other departments in the local area. … And then there is that one organised competition for Years 7 and 8 combined, so it is under 13. And then we have the under 15s too. I think it stops there, I don’t think it feeds through to a higher Regional competition, I could be wrong, I just don’t know. In other sports like football it feeds through like a pyramid system. JP – So you would like to see that? CD – I think so yes, for example in basketball it starts off in at a local level, then District, then Regional. JP – So there is no reason why? CD – I don’t see why not, there used to be an indoor kwik cricket

This is really good information that backs up ABs points. However the fact that they only organise competitions ad-hoc could mean that: 1. If they did not have the contacts this would not be possible and 2. There is not a regular, pre-planned and organised set of fixtures each year. The major point to come from this however, is that CD is not even aware that the school can be entered into the County Schools Competition yet AB chooses not to if the team is weak. I feel that CD needs to have more input into this as it appears he lets the entire organisation be left to AB. What would happen if AB was not around?

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competition for Year 7s in the first 3 years I was here. But I have not heard anything about that for the past 4 years. 10.

JP – OK to link to this, what do you think about talented players not playing for school because they want to play in the County age group squad or club? [not part of schools/education system]. What do you think if you were to have a talented player come to your extracurricular session or after school club and he stopped coming after a while because he thinks he is too good? CD – I would be really disappointed, I would want him there. I will use Alex (year 7) as an example. He is obviously a really good player, the best one there and it is good for the kids aspirationally to see him there as he drags the standard up. And then using him not just as a player but getting him involved in the coaching because situations have arisen where I’ve provisionally arranged a fixture for 2 weeks time and done it for a Wednesday night but then he can’t play as he has a County match on a Wednesday. But when I have asked other lads he was the only one not available. So I have said Alex, I am going to do the match on Wednesday, I know you can’t play but it is better to have one missing than have to cancel it and it is also giving someone else an opportunity. Alex understands then that he is still getting a lot of opportunity. But I still want him there every week for practice.

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This is important to find out in contrast to ABs point that he would not play the games if the better players were not available for fear of losing/embarrassment. It is good to know that CD would go ahead with the game and not block opportunity for others to take part in cricket. I also feel that while he states that he would be disappointed if his better players chose to play for club/county, he would also feel some satisfaction and be glad that these players are succeeding at a higher level. It is also nice to discover that he would not be like other coaches who might say to a youngster that they are not going to pick them if they don’t turn up – he has stated that he would


still welcome him at training and this is also important in maintaining interest, particularly in a sport you are trying to develop and have only a few numbers to start with.

JP – That’s really good.

11.

JP – Ok, nearly there, ah yes, on this point, this is what AB couldn’t tell me. What could you tell me about the curriculum delivery and why do you feel it’s only during summer term? CD – In terms of the curriculum delivery, where it’s positioned, it’s just seen as tradition to have it in summer. JP – Do you think that’s a flaw of the curriculum itself? CD – Definitely, but again we are limited to facilities, it is hard to do. We’re pretty much full on and doubling up groups from November to February. It’s hard to do when you have got 50 lads in a gym or sports hall. So it’s the only time of the year when we can get them outside.

I expect him to be more open about this point but surprisingly he is firm and very stern about his answer. His hand comes down with a resolute gesture to indicate that this area will not be changed within the department. A slight shake of the head confirms this thought that no they will not change.

Realistically, the PE menu of sports [curriculum] does have to try and balance out a range of sports throughout the year and dedicate only certain [equal?] blocks to each sport. So the fact that cricket does appear to get its share is a fair point and I would not expect a different answer from other state schools. However it is possible to include cricket earlier in the curriculum and I am in the knowledge that the County Cricket Club and public schools do have an arrangement for extra-curricular cricket most of the year round. CD makes the point that he is happy with where cricket sits in the curriculum, but would his mindset change if he had better facilities and

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could do some cricket in winter?

12.

JP – So what do you think you could do to make cricket more integrated and possible throughout the year? CD – To be honest, very little and I am not passing the buck but ultimately those decisions lie with Mrs Smith (Head of PE). She sets it up. JP – Maybe the presence and practice of sports is dictated by the examining board or higher up. What do you think? Could you influence this? CD – To be honest I don’t know if I would because we are happy with where it is and it is the most convenient and probably the most efficient time to do it [cricket] because we are so restricted by facilities. So we could use club resources if needed. But in terms of the curriculum we have set plans of work but to be honest that is for Ofsted purposes and ticking boxes. But we very rarely think we are on year 7s and this is what we are doing. Although the lesson plans are there we don’t use them. We go out and are flexible and tend to play. We don’t go out and coach a lot and do a lot of the skills. It’s more a guided discovery kind of thing.

Again a shrug of the shoulders as he does not seem to have the answer to this question, but does not have a negative expression and is quite honest about his reply – which was carefully considered again.

He takes the time to have another drink and think his answer through before replying.

Maybe this topic needs asking to someone else to clarify. Important point in that having their own facilities might make a difference, in summer they are able to use club resources so that is why they earmark it in the calendar for summer term. It is a fair point and with new facilities or at other state schools this might be different.

Convenient and efficient use of time to get the cricket content ‘done’ – this attitude hardly prioritises the game as a vehicle for excellence in sport and learning. It is also very interesting to discover that they do not always follow the lesson plan structure. From what I saw in observation I can also understand the reasons behind this – the facilities dictate who and what can be achieved, especially if they have to double groups up due to weather. The final point about not coaching skills is a major issue however it reveals what may be a

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fundamental flaw in this school system. Some structure to skills lessons is even more important at key stage 3 where virtually no instruction is given with regards technical skills. CD says that they allow the kids to learn by discovery rather than give formal coaching and there is no clear reason for this. I am convinced that this would not happen in public schools, maybe groups are smaller and time is more available, yet there should be no reason why teachers cannot give technical guidance to the children. JP – OK lastly, I have seen some really good stuff done with yourself and Mr Barnes. Eddie Fambridge obviously does some good stuff with the Year 9s and 10s. Why do you think cricket can’t be covered for the year 11 apart from the obvious problem of exams? This is important for me in trying to progress them in the sport when they leave school. CD - I think that’s the big question thing and why the competitions are purposely targeted to under 15s because the school year and exams are big pressure, with league tables.

CD gives another shrug as if to reluctantly concede that there is little that they could do.

AB did tell me here that there is still a competition that can allow Year 11s to stay involved, yet CD is not aware of this and again there appears to be a need for more communication between them in case AB stops being involved in cricket at the school.

JP – So do you think that could change and Year 11 could be involved more?

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CD – I think that would be hard, the way we are set up in terms of curriculum delivery now I don’t think we could.

I maintain a neutral position as I want his honest answers to not be persuaded by me.

What we do at key stage 4 now is we give them options when on core PE and we have tried to put cricket on as an option and you’ll get your club players wanting to play but very few others. JP – OK, a lot of what you have said draws into line with many of my observations. Just to close, if I may I would like to come back to you in the near future when I have transcribed this interview and show you what I have done with it, and my inferences about what you said. If you want to add to, alter or revise any of these points then your input would be most welcomed. I think that is all, thanks ever so much for your time.

The point is made that giving the pupils a choice [of activities] on core PE could be a weakness to cricket provision again. Can there be any reasons why the teachers can’t influence more strongly what sports are being delivered in these sessions? Rather than give the choice perhaps they could insist on more cricket being delivered, particularly if they feel this is a weak area. Would forcing young people to play cricket solve the issues of cricket development and progression to higher levels of play? – probably not.

STRATEGIC CRITICAL TRANSCRIPT SUMMARY Overview of interview commentary This interview highlighted many of the issues that Andrew Barnes [AB] could not elaborate on, such as the curriculum delivery and specialist coaching. It was really positive and open of Cameron Davies [CD] to divulge information about his background to cricket, stating that his provision is very basic and that without the emphasis and necessity of his job, he would not have any further interest in the game. So the organisation and culture of the environment he works in has had a positive effect and this demonstrates that not only can cricket engage youngsters but can develop the staff at a school, with possibilities that they can become deeply involved in the game outside school. It was really pleasing for the researcher to discover that this teacher gives major priority to providing opportunities for all the children and not targeting specific talented individuals. 80


However, a shortcoming was that the staff in the PE department do not provide instruction on technical skills in cricket with formal coaching but rely on a guided discovery approach through the implementation of games. I feel that this is important and is especially important at key stage 3 where no instruction is provided at a time developmentally when it is most needed. With regards to the curriculum at Years 10 and 11, allowing choice for the pupils may also be a weakness for the development cricket, as many pupils simply opt out. Stipulating that more cricket is to covered during these years might go some way to ensuring more participation in the older age groups. A reason for a tailing off of interest could be that cricket is not engaging and enjoyable enough to hold teenagers attention, so with specialist training the teachers might be able to alter this attitude. Notes to researcher I feel that following the previous interview, I successfully let the respondent tell me more about his background. That way I could learn about his genuine motivations. The fact that during much of the interview the respondent is doing most of the talking is a positive; he is relaxed with me as a researcher and ‘yielding’ lots of useful information. The interview took place away from the school setting in an environment that we were both familiar with and by sharing a drink over the conversation, it not only helped him to relax making it a more informal situation. Valuable information was then gleaned that may have not been learned had we been in the school setting, such as the point about not using the lesson plans – that they were only there for Ofsted purposes. I think this was a successful approach in the tactics of staging a research interview. However I did feel that drawing the interview out a bit longer did start to become onerous to CD as he was relaxing and enjoying his own time away from work so to be discussing these issues in his leisure could have become a bit annoying to him. But he is an open minded individual and willing to contribute to the research so I did not go further than 15 minutes, appreciating his help at the same time. I did not influence CD with overt physical body language or false emphasis on intonation or disagree with many of his points, although I have been critical about CDs comments in the analysis. I tried to stay neutral and allow him to make his own decisions with the answers, however on one or two occasions I did give some of my own opinions before asking the questions which may have led him a bit. For example I told him that the issue of funding at primary school level was something I disagreed with and maybe I should have kept my opinion out of it until he had answered.

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Future research questions to consider / areas to develop • Have you ever tried different approaches in your striking and fielding activities? Can core PE for Year 10 and 11 be done differently? For example more structured technical coaching/guided discovery or even adjusting the scheme of work so that cricket takes in winter? Do you use other facilities? • Do you feel this department has a sufficient environment for cricket? What might hamper this, is it facilities or knowledge of the staff? • What happens with more talented players, do you signpost them to clubs/development groups or are they left to discover this by themselves? • What do you think would happen if extra-curricular cricket was not provided? Is this part of your job role or is it something you volunteer to provide? Do you find that the same people keep returning or do you get newcomers regularly? • I have noticed that many of the activities provided by the staff allow the children to learn by discovery. Is this deliberate or is it due to time constraints/knowledge of staff? • What happens when competitive matches are played? Do other schools have better facilities? Is there more kit available for them? • Do you feel the school emphasis on cricket has heightened your own interests in the game? • The push for cricket, do you feel this comes from the pupils or the staff?

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Appendix 3: Example of consent form used with interviewees

RESPONDENTS INFORMED CONSENT FORM: Name/affiliation of researcher: Mr Joseph Pryle (MA researcher UCLAN) General area of research: Cricket provision in Physical Education Title of study: Cricket provision in schools - is the system flawed? An ethnographic investigation. Dear interviewee: Please read this form carefully and complete it. If you are willing to participate in this study, please circle the appropriate responses and sign and date the declaration at the end. If you do not understand anything and would like more information, please ask the named researcher. 1. I have had the research satisfactorily explained to me in verbal and/or written form by the researcher. YES / NO 2. I understand that this aspect of the research will involve one, fifteen minute (max) face-to-face interview. YES / NO 3. I understand that I may withdraw from this study at any time without having to give an explanation. This will not affect my future care or treatment. YES / NO 4. I understand that all information about me will be treated in strict confidence and that I will not be named in any written work arising from this study. YES / NO 5. I understand that any recorded material of me will be used solely for research purposes, will not be used out of context and will be stored securely. YES / NO 6. I understand that aspects of data I provide may be used in publication and that my identity will be protected/concealed/anonymised. YES / NO 7. I understand that you will be discussing the progress of your research with your research supervisor / tutor at University. YES / NO 8. I freely give my consent to participate in this research study and have been given a copy of this form for my own information. YES / NO

Signature: …………………………………..

Date: ……………………………

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JQRSS: Acknowledgement Footnote 1.

Author’s reflective comment: The process of applying qualitative research methods in the field which, in combination, encompass the essence of ethnography, has been immensely enjoyable allowing me to evolve as a researcher, and my project to afford deeper insight to the use of cricket in education. In completing the personal narrative I was struck by the value of auto-ethnography to such a degree that it will form a pivotal basis for my MPhil/PhD project which I am about to embark upon. I would like to thank all contributors, especially Dr. Clive Palmer for his confidence in my writing skills and his enthusiasm for me as a researcher in this study.

2.

Author profile: Joseph returned to Britain in 2008 from stints in the USA and Australia, with a clear intention to move into education within sport. A background of 20 years in cricket as a player and coach led to completion of Foundation Degree at Wigan and Leigh College, then a Top-Up year at UCLan to graduate with a BA (1st Class Honours) in Sports Coaching in 2011. This was followed by postgraduate studies with a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education (2012) and an MA in Sports Coaching (2013). The confidence gained from completing in-depth qualitative research has encouraged him to embark on an MPhil/PhD programme at UCLan in the field of cricket development, beginning in 2014.

3.

Dear reader, if this article has stimulated your thoughts and you wish to find out more about this topic the authors can be contacted on: Joseph Pryle [email protected] and Clive Palmer [email protected] .

Reviewer (1) comments: This paper offers much to many, from the sporting practitioner to research methodologist alike. Recognition of PE in schools and more specifically the traditional teaching of cricket, forms the vehicle of an ethnographic study that is both insightful and structured in a contemporary way. Structure is applied from two perspectives. The first is the research design that commences with a personal narrative analysis, which moves onto collecting field notes and concludes with a series of formal interviews. The second is the concurrent application of observational notes (ON), theoretical notes (TN) and methodological notes (MN) which together demonstrably combine to both inform and deepen the qualitative analysis in a meaningful way. Such data triangulation produces emergent themes that actively take the reader beyond an exploratory insight and into a well-thoughtout and illustrated explanatory analysis. This emersion between the observer, observee, complementary research methods and sporting activity provides a persuasive account that illuminates the marriage between theory and practice. As a result, the study provides a highly useful yet transferable approach to both data collection and analysis that could benefit an array of social science disciplines and qualitative research studies simultaneously.

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Reviewer (2) comments: This paper is well informed with data and uses grounded critical analysis. The data is context-close, thick and rich and indicates sound investigative potential to develop the investigation further. A well-crafted personal narrative is employed to structure and scaffold the research without becoming obtrusive or detracting from the paper in any way and is used skilfully to show how the development of knowledge is dependent upon social awareness. This brings a meaningful context to the investigation which endorses Giacobbi, Poczwardowski and Hager’s (2005) suggestion that any enquiry of value should aim to expose ‘truths’ to the consumers of that enquiry. There is an overarching sense that the researchers were acutely aware of the methodological approach underpinning and informing their ‘tale from the field’ and their ethnographic stance illuminates areas for consideration that more traditional methods might have failed to.

Reviewer (3) comments: I found the article very interesting both in terms of its content and methods. Within the domain of physical education, teachers are increasingly being given more autonomy to deliver what they wish within the UK's new National Curriculum. This research whilst focussing on cricket in particular highlights some of the major issues that impact upon wider PE delivery and ultimately upon the pupils' positive / negative experiences of sport and physical activity during their formative years. The authors' use of personal narrative was a valuable addition to the presentation of interview data. The critical friend perspective served to clarify, reinforce and even exaggerate some of the underlying messages relating to teacher behaviour, coachathlete relationships, and the delivery of sport within our state school system. Finally the inclusion of the raw data itself in the form of a whole interview transcript is both innovative and enlightening. It allows the reader to get much closer to the data collection and qualitative analysis process. By making linkages between the data and theory in this way, the reduction of data and selection of the most prominent thoughts help to make more explicit new meanings and inferences that are drawn.

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