What affects who takes part in sport and how can participation be increased?
Engagement patterns of different social groups in sport, the factors affecting participation, and strategies to increase participation.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE PE on engagement patterns: how participation differs across social groups, the factors that affect participation such as gender, age, disability and socio-economic group, and strategies to increase participation.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to describe how participation in sport varies between social groups, explain the factors that affect participation, and suggest strategies to increase it.
Engagement patterns by social group
Factors affecting participation
The main factors that affect whether someone takes part in sport:
- Time and work or family commitments: less free time means less sport.
- Money: the cost of equipment, kit, transport and membership can be a barrier.
- Access and facilities: how close, affordable and suitable local facilities are.
- Family and friends: support and company encourage participation.
- Role models: seeing successful people from your own group inspires participation.
- Media coverage: sports shown often attract more participants.
Strategies to increase participation
Examples include: promoting sport through the media and campaigns, providing affordable and accessible facilities (cheaper sessions, local venues, disabled access), offering a wider range of activities and flexible times, using role models to inspire groups, and targeting initiatives at under-represented groups such as women-only sessions.
The key exam skill is to match each strategy to the barrier it removes, because effective initiatives are targeted rather than general. The cost barrier is tackled by subsidies, free taster sessions and shared equipment, which mainly help lower socio-economic groups. The access barrier is tackled by building local facilities, providing transport, and ensuring disabled access, ramps and adapted equipment. The lack of time barrier is tackled by flexible session times, including early morning, evening and short formats, which help working parents and shift workers. The cultural and confidence barriers, which can lower participation among some women and some ethnic minority groups, are tackled by single-sex sessions, female coaches, culturally sensitive facilities and visible role models who share the group's background. A real example is the way high-profile female athletes and campaigns aimed at women and girls have been used to challenge the idea that some sports are "not for them", though changing long-standing attitudes is slow.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20184 marksIdentify two factors that can reduce participation in sport and, for each, suggest a strategy that would help overcome it.Show worked answer →
A Paper 2 application item, one mark per factor and one per matched strategy.
Award marks for pairs such as: cost is a barrier, so subsidised or reduced-price sessions help lower-income groups take part; lack of access or suitable facilities is a barrier, so building local venues with disabled access and convenient opening times helps.
The strategy must clearly remove the named barrier. A generic "advertise more" only scores if linked to a factor such as low awareness or few role models.
AQA 20219 marksEvaluate the strategies used to increase participation in sport among under-represented groups.Show worked answer →
The Paper 2 extended response, marked in bands. It needs developed strategies, their limits, and a judgement.
Develop strategies (targeted sessions such as women-only or disability sport, reduced-price or free access, local accessible facilities, role models and media campaigns, flexible activities and times) and assess each (for example role models inspire but do not remove the cost barrier; cheaper sessions help only if facilities are nearby and welcoming).
The top band weighs effectiveness and concludes, for example that combining several strategies that address different barriers works better than any single measure.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Physical Education (8582) specification — AQA (2016)