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TAbLE 5-4 Barriers to the Delivery of Physical Education and Physical 
Activity Programs to Primary and Secondary School Students
Barrier
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Institutional
Access to and lack of facilities
a,h
Lack of time
a,h
Crowded curriculum
h
Funding
a,h
Access to and lack of equipment
a
Support from other staff
a
Support from administration
a,h
Access to professional development
h
PE/sport not priorities in school
a,e
Large class sizes
a,h
Budget constraints
h
Insufficient infrastructure
e
Other teaching priorities
a,e
Quality of facilities
a
Level of professional development
h
School executive attitudes toward PE
a
Insufficient number of PE staff
a,e
Lack of performance measures for PE
e
Access to and lack of facilities
f
Lack of time
b
Restricted curriculum
b
Funding
f
Ethos of PA for life within the 
school
b
Socioeconomic status of school
c
Time tabling
f
Teacher-Related
Lack of training and knowledge
d
Difficulty of providing safely planned 
and structured lessons
d
Gender stereotyping of activities
d
Poor planning
d
Perceptions of the value of PE
d
High level of accountability for other 
subjects
e
Confidence in teaching PE
g,h,l
Interest in/enthusiasm for PE
h
Personal school experiences in PE
g,h
Attitudes toward PE
e
Expertise/qualifications
g,h,l
Colleagues undervaluing 
activities
b
Ethos of performance/elitism of 
PE department or school as 
a whole
b
Student-Related
Lack of student engagement
i
Expressed dislike for activity
i
Lack of intrinsic and extrinsic 
motivation
i
Intrapersonal barriers
k
Student engagement
f
Lure of sedentary behavior
b
Low fitness levels, therefore 
potentially lower ability
b
Socioeconomic status of student
c
Levels of encouragement and 
motivation
c
Peer support
c,j
Peer pressure
j
Intrapersonal barriers
k
Lack of motivation/laziness
k
NOTES: PA = physical activity; PE = physical education; sport = sport education. 
SOURCES:
a
Barroso et al., 2005; 
b
Boyle et al., 2008; 
c
Dagkas and Stathi, 2007; 
d
DeCorby 
et al., 2005; 
e
Dwyer et al., 2003; 
f
Dwyer et al., 2006; 
g
Morgan and Bourke, 2005; 
h
Morgan 
and Hansen, 2008; 
i
Mowling et al., 2004; 
j
Salvy et al., 2009; 
k
Sherar et al., 2009; 
l
Xiang et 
al., 2002.

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Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
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