Aotearoa New Zealand primary school students’ perspectives on their experiences of Physical Education: a qualitative study

Exploring students’ perspectives is a democratic method for educational policy-making and practices. Research into primary students’ perspectives on Physical Education (PE) in Aotearoa New Zealand is insufficient. We thus used a qualitative study design to explore 24 students’ perspectives on their PE experiences in four primary schools. Data were from documents and focus group interviews with photos. Our thematic analysis revealed the students’ perceived intentionality of PE in two themes: (1) keeping fit and losing weight, and (2) we are always having fun. The findings showed students’ partial understanding of the intentionality of PE, focusing on the physical and fun. We discussed the students’ perspectives on what they experienced (the content), where their PE was going on (the spatiality), and how they experienced PE (fun). We argue that students’ PE learning should include diverse ways of involvement with local cultures and contexts to offer all students inclusive experiences.