IGCSE PE 0413 · Area 4 · Social, Cultural & Ethical Influences

Access and Participation

Two lists sit behind this subtopic: what stops people getting access to physical activity, and what stops them taking part. Cambridge then asks you to explain how promotion, provision and access can remove those barriers. Learn the lists as lists — the marks are for the number of factors you can name and explain.

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Syllabus coverage

  • Factors that affect access to physical activity: age, gender, disability, social and cultural influences
  • Factors that affect participation: access, discrimination, education, environment and climate, family, financial considerations, media coverage, role models, time and work commitments
  • Strategies to increase participation and overcome barriers: promotion, provision and access

Part of the IGCSE PE 0413 syllabus 0413 / 0995.

Access and participation: the barriers and the fixesFactors affecting ACCESSAgeGenderDisabilitySocial and cultural influencesAccess is whether the opportunity isphysically and socially available at all.Factors affecting PARTICIPATIONAccess; discrimination; education;environment and climate; family;financial considerations; media coverage;role models; time and work commitmentsParticipation is whether the personactually takes part.Strategies to increase participationPromotionAdvertising campaigns, role models,school and club outreach, targetinggroups with low participation.ProvisionMore facilities, better equipment,a wider range of activities, sessionsat times and places people can reach.AccessLower cost, transport, disability-friendly facilities, removing therules and rituals that exclude people.Examiners like this area for 5- and 6-mark questions: name the barrier, explain its effect, then give the strategy thatremoves it.
Participation factors around the performer, with the barriers that limit access and the promotion, provision and access strategies that remove them.

Access and participation are not the same thing

Access is the opportunity to take part — whether a person can get to the activity, afford it, use the facility, and feel that the activity is meant for someone like them.

Participation is actually taking part, and doing it regularly rather than once.

The two are linked but not identical, and Cambridge marks them separately. A person can have access and still not participate, because they lack the time, the confidence or the interest. A person can want to participate and have no access at all, because there is no transport, no session and no suitable facility near them.

Write the distinction down before you answer a question, because it decides whether you should be writing about facilities or about motivation.

If a question says access, write about whether people can get to and use the activity. If it says participation, write about whether they actually take part. Mixing the two is the most common way marks are lost here.

Factors affecting access

The syllabus names four access factors. Learn each one with an example of how it works, because the mark is usually for the effect, not the label.

FactorHow it restricts accessExample
AgeSome activities and facilities have age limits, and provision is aimed at school-age or adult groups rather than everyoneA veteran performer finds no adult entry at a local club; a young performer cannot use adult gym equipment
GenderSome activities are still seen as being for one gender, and provision or changing facilities may not suit everyoneA girl finds no girls' team in a traditionally male sport such as Rugby; a boy finds no boys' Dance class
DisabilityFacilities, equipment, transport and coaching may not be adapted, so the activity is physically or practically out of reachA wheelchair user cannot reach a swimming pool because the changing rooms and poolside have no ramp or hoist
Social and cultural influencesWhat family, friends, religion and the local culture expect of you can make an activity seem unsuitable or unavailableA performer from a family where sport is not seen as important is never taken to a club or given kit; religious dress requirements or beliefs about modesty may rule out certain activities

Factors affecting participation

The syllabus lists nine factors. This is a long list and it is where most of the marks live: a four-mark question can simply ask for four factors, each with a consequence.

Notice that the first one is access. Having access is a condition of participating, which is why the two fit together.

FactorHow it affects participation
AccessIf a person cannot reach the facility, afford it or use it, they cannot take part regularly, however keen they are
DiscriminationBeing treated unfairly because of gender, race, disability or age makes a person feel unwelcome, so they drop out or never start
EducationSchools and PE lessons decide how much a person learns about an activity and how confident they feel; poor experiences at school can put someone off for life
Environment and climateWhere someone lives matters — busy roads, no safe space and no transport limit activity, and extreme heat, cold, rain or pollution can make outdoor activity unsafe or unpleasant
FamilyFamily attitude, support and money shape what a person tries first; a family that values activity produces performers who keep it up, and cost or childcare duties can rule it out
Financial considerationsKit, equipment, club fees, travel, coaching and membership add up; if the money is not there, participation stops
Media coverageCoverage raises interest in the activities that get shown and can encourage participation, but activities that are rarely covered get less attention and fewer new performers
Role modelsPerformers who are admired and written about inspire people to take up an activity, especially when the role model looks like them or comes from the same background
Time and work commitmentsWork, study, family responsibilities and travel leave no regular slot free; if the session time does not fit the person's day, they stop attending

Strategies to increase participation: promotion, provision and access

Cambridge groups every strategy under one of three headings, and questions often give you the heading and ask for examples. Learn two or three examples under each.

Strategy groupWhat it meansExamples
PromotionMaking people aware of the activity and changing attitudes towards it, so it feels like something for themNational campaigns such as This Girl Can that target groups who take part less often; advertising on television, internet and social media; open days and taster sessions at clubs and schools; using role models to show that the activity is for everyone
ProvisionMaking sure the activity actually exists locally, with the equipment, coaching and facility neededMore local clubs and school teams, including girls' and disability teams; qualified coaches and adapted equipment; cheaper or free sessions, kit provided, and holiday and after-school programmes; new or improved facilities such as an all-weather pitch, a swimming pool or a floodlit court
AccessRemoving the barriers between the provision and the person, so they can get to it and use itBetter transport and travel schemes, or locating sessions close to where people live; sessions at the times people can actually attend, including evenings, weekends and school holidays; accessible buildings, ramps and changing facilities for disabled performers; reduced or free entry, and concessions for students, families or the unemployed; childcare so parents can take part
A strategy question wants a named strategy, how it works, and who it helps: "A reduced club fee removes the financial barrier, so a performer from a low-income family can keep attending instead of dropping out."

Turning knowledge into marks

A state or identify question wants factors, not explanation: "One factor is cost." One factor, one mark.

An explain question needs the barrier and its effect on the performer: "When a pool is only open during working hours, a performer with a job cannot get there, so they stop swimming regularly."

A suggest strategy question needs the strategy, how it works, and who it helps: "A club could run a girls-only session at the weekend with equipment provided, so a performer who feels unwelcome in mixed sessions can take part and may stay in the sport for longer."

Key terms you must be able to define

Access
The opportunity to take part in physical activity — being able to reach, afford and use the provision available.
Participation
Actually taking part in physical activity, regularly rather than occasionally.
Discrimination
Treating a person less favourably because of a characteristic such as gender, race, disability or age, which stops them taking part.
Role model
A performer who is admired and copied, whose example encourages others to take up, or continue in, an activity.
Barrier
Anything that prevents a person from gaining access to, or taking part in, physical activity.
Promotion
Raising awareness of an activity and changing attitudes towards it, through campaigns, advertising and role models.
Provision
Making the activity available locally, with the facilities, equipment, coaching and teams that people need.
Social and cultural influences
The expectations of family, friends, religion and the surrounding culture, which can make an activity seem suitable or unsuitable for a person.

Applied to your sport

Cambridge requires you to apply this knowledge to physical activities. Use these as models, then write your own for the sport you play.

Association Football

A club with no girls' team denies access to a young player, so provision — setting up a girls' team with a qualified coach — removes the barrier and increases participation.

Competitive Swimming

Pool entry, lessons and travel are a financial barrier to participation, so free or reduced-price sessions and a bus scheme allow performers from lower-income families to keep swimming.

Netball

A lack of confidence and the perception that the activity is for other people is a social barrier, which women-only sessions and campaigns such as This Girl Can are designed to overcome.

Track and Field Athletics

An admired Olympic sprinter acts as a role model, so more young people join a local athletics club after seeing that performer win.

Cross-Country Running

Environment and climate affect participation: a performer living where roads are busy, or training through extreme heat or cold, may be unable to run safely outdoors and needs an alternative venue or time.

Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Mark honestly — the tracker uses this.

Q1What is meant by access to physical activity?
The opportunity to take part — being able to reach the activity, afford it, and use the facility and equipment available.
Q2What is meant by participation?
Actually taking part in physical activity, on a regular basis.
Q3State the four factors that affect access to physical activity.
Age; gender; disability; social and cultural influences.
Q4State the nine factors that affect participation.
Access; discrimination; education; environment and climate; family; financial considerations; media coverage; role models; time and work commitments.
Q5Give an example of discrimination reducing participation.
A performer is treated unfairly because of their gender or race, feels unwelcome at the club, and drops out of the activity.
Q6How does education affect participation?
School PE lessons and teaching decide how much a performer learns and how confident they feel; a poor experience at school can put someone off the activity for life.
Q7How does the environment and climate affect participation?
Where a person lives and the weather there matter: busy roads, no safe space or no transport limit activity, and extreme heat, cold, rain or pollution make outdoor activity unsafe or unpleasant.
Q8How can role models increase participation?
An admired performer inspires people to take up the activity, especially when the role model comes from the same background or community as them.
Q9State the three strategy groups used to increase participation.
Promotion; provision; access.
Q10Give an example of a promotion strategy.
A national campaign or advertising and taster sessions that raise awareness and change attitudes, so a group who take part less often feel the activity is for them.
Q11Give an example of a provision strategy.
Setting up more local teams and sessions with qualified coaches and equipment provided, such as a girls' team or a disability session.
Q12Give an example of an access strategy.
Reducing or removing the cost, providing transport or locating sessions nearby, running them at times people can attend, and making facilities accessible for disabled performers.
0 of 12 marked as known

Exam-style questions

7 questions, 23 marks. Write your answer, then reveal the mark scheme and tick each point you actually made. Answering honestly here is what makes the rest of the site useful.

StateAO11 mark
State one factor that affects access to physical activity.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Any 1 of these score full marks. The examiner only needs 1 distinct point - pick the ones you actually made.
Examiner tip: One factor, one mark. You do not need to explain it — the command word is state.
IdentifyAO13 marks
Identify three factors that affect participation in physical activity.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Any 3 of these score full marks. The examiner only needs 3 distinct points - pick the ones you actually made.
Examiner tip: Three separate factors, one mark each. Repeating cost as 'financial considerations' and 'money' is one factor, not two.
ExplainAO23 marks
Explain how financial considerations can affect a performer's participation in Competitive Swimming.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Three marks, three costs, each with its effect on taking part. Cost on its own is not a mark.
ExplainAO24 marks
Explain how social and cultural influences and disability can restrict access to physical activity.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Two marks for each factor means two complete effects per factor. Naming both factors without the effect scores nothing.
SuggestAO24 marks
Suggest two strategies that could increase participation in Netball among teenage girls, and explain how each would overcome a barrier.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: A 'suggest and explain' answer needs the strategy, how it works and which barrier it removes. Two strategies, each fully explained, is four marks.
DescribeAO23 marks
Describe how media coverage and role models can increase participation in Track and Field Athletics.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Link the coverage to the role model to the effect on joining. Three separate links, three marks.
EvaluateAO25 marks
Evaluate the view that providing more sports facilities is the best way to increase participation in physical activity.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Both sides plus a judgement. Give two reasons for the view, two against, and a conclusion that states what the best answer actually is.

Exam technique for this topic

  • Count the marks and give that number of separate factors. "Cost, transport and time" is three factors and three marks on a state question.
  • Learn the nine participation factors as a fixed list — you can deploy them across most questions in this subtopic.
  • When a question asks for strategies, label each one promotion, provision or access, so the examiner can see you have covered the syllabus grouping.
  • For every strategy, say who the barrier affected and who benefits. A strategy with no barrier attached is only half an answer.
  • Use only activities from the syllabus list in your examples. Netball, Competitive Swimming and Track and Field Athletics all work well here.

Why students lose marks here

A student wrotePeople do not take part because they are lazy.
Why it loses marksThis blames the performer instead of naming a barrier, and no mark is available for an opinion. Cambridge wants a factor from the list.
The answer that scoresOne factor is time and work commitments: a performer who works shifts cannot attend a session that only runs on weekday evenings, so they stop taking part even though they want to.
A student wroteAccess means how much someone enjoys the activity.
Why it loses marksAccess is about the opportunity to take part — being able to reach, afford and use the provision. Enjoyment is a reason to keep participating, not access.
The answer that scoresAccess is the opportunity to take part: whether the performer can reach the facility, afford the cost and use it. If the pool has no ramp, a wheelchair user has no access regardless of how much they would enjoy swimming.
A student wroteTo increase participation you should just build more facilities.
Why it loses marksBuilding a facility is only provision. If people cannot get there, afford it or attend at the times it is open, the barrier has not been removed and participation will not rise.
The answer that scoresBuilding a facility is provision, and it only increases participation when access is dealt with too — transport or a local site, reduced fees, and sessions at times people can attend. Promotion is also needed so people know the activity exists and feel it is for them.
A student wroteDisability is the same as a lack of access.
Why it loses marksDisability is a factor that can restrict access, not another word for it. The examiner wants the factor, then how it restricts access.
The answer that scoresDisability restricts access when facilities, equipment and coaching are not adapted: if a pool has no hoist or the changing rooms are not accessible, the performer cannot take part even though the activity is available locally.

Where this fits in IGCSE PE 0413

This page is one topic of Cambridge IGCSE PE 0413 / 0995. IGCSE PE 0413 is the course home: every area and every topic in Cambridge's own order, the papers you sit and what each one tests, and the exam-practice tools. The full topic list, with each topic linked to its revision page, is on the IGCSE PE 0413 syllabus page.