Participation Pathways

Overview

Lesson 4 of 15 in Kiwi Tag: Get Active! Students investigate the barriers and enablers that influence participation in physical activity for their selected target group. They use this understanding to refine ideas for an inclusive Kiwi Tag experience and justify possible adaptations.

Learning intentions

• Identify personal, social, cultural, environmental and access-related barriers to participation.
• Identify enablers that can increase confidence, enjoyment, safety and regular participation.
• Apply a participation lens to the selected target group.
• Use evidence and reasoning to suggest practical adaptations to Kiwi Tag.

Success criteria

• I can distinguish between a barrier and an enabler.
• I can explain how a barrier may affect my target group’s participation.
• I can suggest realistic enablers or adaptations for Kiwi Tag.
• I can justify which adaptation is likely to have the greatest impact.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: understand how hauora is affected by participation, relationships, environments and access to physical activity.
• Health and Physical Education: examine how societal, cultural and environmental factors influence participation and wellbeing.
• Developing practical knowledge: select and apply practices that support safe, inclusive physical activity.
• Dance performance practices: use reflection, communication and refinement to improve a physical activity experience.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and connection. Teacher opens the participation hook slides with the question, “Why might two people experience the same activity very differently?” and reminds students that each group has already selected a target group. Students make an individual prediction, then share one possible reason participation may be difficult or appealing for their group.

2. 5–12 min · Teach the participation lens. Teacher uses the barriers and enablers teaching slides to define a barrier as something that makes participation harder and an enabler as something that makes participation easier or more likely. Introduce five useful categories: personal, social, cultural, environmental, and access/resources. Students classify examples such as cost, transport, confidence, whānau support, cultural comfort, equipment, weather, time, skill level and fear of judgement.

3. 12–22 min · Target-group investigation. Teacher places students in five groups of five and distributes the barriers and enablers organiser. Model one example: “Limited confidence may reduce participation because a player may avoid joining in; a supportive buddy and graduated rules could enable participation.” Students generate at least two barriers and two enablers relevant to their selected target group, recording a specific effect on participation for each.

4. 22–32 min · Prioritise and justify. Teacher asks groups to rank their identified factors from greatest to least influence, reminding them to avoid assumptions and to distinguish what they know from what they need to find out. Students select the most significant barrier and the most powerful enabler, then complete the sentence: “This matters most because…” They prepare a 30-second explanation supported by a realistic example.

5. 32–43 min · Kiwi Tag adaptation challenge. Teacher uses the adaptation challenge slides to set the task: design one change to Kiwi Tag that reduces the priority barrier or strengthens the priority enabler. Possible adaptations include smaller playing areas, varied roles, walking or low-impact options, equipment changes, cooperative scoring, clear demonstrations, flexible teams, culturally responsive contexts, rest options or a buddy system. Students test their proposed adaptation through a short verbal or low-intensity walk-through, then record the change, intended participant benefit and one possible unintended consequence.

6. 43–48 min · Group share and feedback. Teacher invites five groups to present their adaptation and asks the class to respond using “This could enable participation because…” and “A question or concern is…”. Students listen, give specific feedback and identify which proposal best supports inclusion, safety and enjoyment for the target group.

7. 48–50 min · Exit check. Teacher directs students to complete the final section of the barriers and enablers organiser. Students answer: “What is one barrier for our target group, what is one enabler, and why would our proposed Kiwi Tag adaptation help?” Collect responses to inform the next lesson’s planning.

Resources

• the participation, barriers and adaptation slide deck
• the barriers and enablers organiser
• Whiteboard and markers
• Timer
• Cones or floor markers
• Kiwi Tag equipment used in previous lessons
• Student group notes from Lessons 1–3
• Device or shared planning space, if available

Assessment

• Circulate during classification and group investigation, checking that students explain effects rather than merely list factors.
• Use questioning to challenge assumptions: “What makes you think this is a barrier for your target group?” and “Who might this adaptation exclude?”
• Assess the organiser and exit response for accurate barrier/enabler identification, target-group relevance, justification and a feasible adaptation.

Differentiation

• Provide the category headings, modelled example and sentence starters: “A barrier may be…”, “This could affect participation by…”, and “We would enable participation by…”.
• Offer a word bank and allow students to record ideas using brief notes, diagrams or speech-to-text.
• For students needing support, assign clear group roles and provide a choice of common barriers to discuss before moving to target-group-specific reasoning.
• Extend confident students by asking them to compare two target groups, consider intersecting barriers, or evaluate an unintended consequence of their adaptation.
• Ensure examples avoid deficit assumptions; invite students to use respectful language and draw on the voices, needs and preferences of the selected group where evidence is available.