My PESS Internship – School Uniform as a Barrier to Physical Activity – Leah Moffitt.

During my research internship, I examined students’ views on the extent to which uniforms are a barrier to physical activity (PA) and physical education (PE) participation in secondary schools, under the supervision of Dr Brendan O’Keeffe and Prof Elaine Murtagh.

Over the eight weeks, I cleaned and analysed a comprehensive dataset comprising of over 1000 responses. Key deliverables from the internship included the facilitation of the write up of a research article that will be submitted for publication, and the development of a position statement and supporting infographic on our findings. The position statement will be released at the start of the coming school year in collaboration with the Physical Education Association of Ireland (PEAI).

As a final year PE student, who will graduate this Autumn, completing this internship was a great stepping stone from my 4-year degree and final year project (FYP) to embarking on my teaching journey in September. From completing my FYP on ‘Students’ Attitudes towards PE’, I noticed that many of the students’ concerns and recommendations to change the subject centered around the theme of uniforms. Hence, when this internship opportunity arose, I was  very keen to examine this topic in more detail. Alarmingly, only half of participants in our study were allowed to wear their PE gear to school on days they had a timetabled PE lesson. Over half of participants indicated that uniforms were a barrier to participation in PE lessons, and 58% stated that uniforms were a barrier to engaging in extracurricular activity. Notably, 30% of students’ recommendations for improving their general experience of PE centred around making uniforms more comfortable and allowing PE uniforms to be worn all day, eliminating the need to use changing rooms. This research will directly inform my practice as a PE teacher, and I hope to use our position statement to help guide uniform policy upon commencing teaching.

I had a positive experience working with my supervisory team. I previously worked with Dr. Brendan O’Keeffe during my final two years in UL as he was my FYP supervisor, so I was excited to continue working under his guidance. From our initial meeting, I was given a clear schedule and we decided on our key outputs. Dr. O’Keeffe was always on hand, at the other end of my emails, answering any questions I had which sped up my progression and gave me a clear path towards success. Towards the end of the internship, I also got the chance to link in with Prof. Elaine Murtagh and PhD researcher Caera Grady, learning from their areas of expertise. Additionally, collaborating with the PEAI in the production of a position statement and supporting infographic was a great opportunity to network with the wider PE community.

This internship has definitely enhanced my love for research and after a couple of years gaining experience in the field (or sportshall!), I have no doubt but that I’ll be back researching and completing further education.

I would recommend completing a PESS internship to anyone. There is a great selection of internships to choose from each year proving to be a challenging, informative and rewarding learning experience. For those interested on the theme of uniform as a barrier to PE participation, keep and eye on the PESS Department social channels over the coming weeks for the release of the position statement.

Leah Moffitt is a final year student in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick.  Leah will graduate Autumn 2024.