Barriers and enablers to participation (SACE Stage 2 Physical Education)
“Identify and analyse the barriers and enablers to physical activity participation, and evaluate strategies that reduce barriers and strengthen enablers.”
A barrier is anything that makes physical activity harder; an enabler is anything that makes it easier. They operate at three levels: individual (motivation, skill, health), social (family, peers, role models) and structural (cost, facilities, time, transport, policy). Lifting participation means reducing the barriers that matter most for a group while strengthening the enablers that support them.
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What this dot point is asking
You must identify and analyse barriers and enablers to participation, and evaluate strategies that reduce barriers or strengthen enablers for a particular group.
Levels of barriers and enablers
It helps to sort influences into three levels, because effective strategies usually target the right level.
Individual (intrapersonal) factors.
- Barriers: low motivation, perceived lack of time, low skill or confidence, poor health or injury, negative past experiences, body-image concerns.
- Enablers: enjoyment, competence, intrinsic motivation, goal setting, perceived health benefits.
Social (interpersonal) factors.
- Barriers: lack of support from family or friends, no one to participate with, negative peer attitudes, few role models.
- Enablers: encouragement from family and peers, participating with friends, supportive coaching, visible role models.
Structural (environmental and organisational) factors.
- Barriers: cost (fees, equipment, transport), distance and lack of facilities, unsafe environments, inconvenient times, lack of policy support or inclusive programming.
- Enablers: affordable and accessible facilities, safe spaces (paths, parks, pools), convenient scheduling, supportive school and government policy, inclusive program design.
A barrier is a factor that reduces the likelihood or ease of participation; an enabler is a factor that increases it. The same dimension can be either: cost is a barrier when fees are high and an enabler when an activity is free or subsidised.
Why motivation is not enough
Telling people to "just be more active" rarely works, because many barriers are social or structural and outside individual control. A person can be highly motivated yet unable to participate if the nearest facility is unaffordable or hours away. This is why analysis should not stop at the individual level.
A strategy only works if it targets the actual barrier. Subsidising fees addresses a cost barrier but does nothing about distance; building a local court addresses access but not low skill or confidence. Strong interventions diagnose the dominant barriers for a specific group first, then act at the matching level.
Strategies and interventions
Interventions can target one or several levels at once:
- Individual level: skill-building programs, confidence-focused beginner sessions, goal-setting and education on health benefits.
- Social level: buddy and team programs, mentoring, family-inclusive sessions and promoting relatable role models.
- Structural level: subsidised fees and vouchers, building or opening facilities, safe active-transport routes, flexible session times and inclusive policy.
Evaluating a strategy means judging whether it addresses the real barrier, whether it reaches the target group, and whether it is sustainable, not just whether it sounds positive.
Designing a targeted intervention
Survey data from a group of Year 11-12 girls show the top barriers are time pressure from study, low confidence in skills, and self-consciousness in mixed sessions. A well-matched intervention combines levels: flexible early-morning or lunchtime sessions (structural: convenient timing), a girls-only beginner program with a supportive coach (social plus reducing self-consciousness), and skill-focused activities to build competence (individual: confidence). Because it targets the actual reported barriers across levels, it is more likely to lift participation than a generic "exercise more" campaign.
Do not list barriers and enablers without analysing them, and do not propose a strategy that fails to match the barrier it is meant to fix. A frequent error is treating every problem as a motivation problem and recommending only individual-level fixes, ignoring cost, access and social support. Always identify the level of the barrier and choose a strategy that operates at the same level.
Assessment-style questions
Questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer, written by ExamExplained. Physical Education has no written exam, so use them to check your understanding before your assessment tasks.
Practice8 marksA survey of 200 Year 10 girls found that 35% met the recommended weekly physical activity level. The most reported barriers (students could choose more than one) were: cost of club fees 48%, lack of time because of study and part-time work 41%, feeling self-conscious when exercising 37%, and no transport to venues 22%. Analyse the barriers and evaluate a strategy to lift participation.Show worked answer →
An 8 mark source-and-evaluate task needs data analysis, barriers sorted by level and a matched strategy.
Analyse the data. State the participation rate and the top reported barriers, citing figures.
Sort by level. Classify barriers as individual, social or structural so the strategy can target the right one.
Evaluate a strategy. Judge whether the strategy addresses the dominant barrier, reaches the group and is sustainable.
Markers reward barriers sorted by level, a strategy matched to the actual barrier and a weighed judgement rather than a list.
Practice6 marksExplain, with examples, the three levels of barriers to participation and why a strategy must match the level of the barrier.Show worked answer →
A 6 mark task needs the three levels with examples and the matching principle.
Individual. Low motivation, skill or confidence; addressed by skill-building and goal setting.
Social. Lack of support or role models; addressed by buddy programs and mentoring.
Structural. Cost, distance, time; addressed by subsidies, facilities and flexible scheduling.
Matching principle. A subsidy fixes cost but not distance, so the strategy must target the dominant barrier. Markers reward the three levels with examples and the matching point.
Practise this
Sources & how we know this
- Stage 2 Physical Education subject outline (2025 onwards) — SACE Board
- Stage 2 Physical Education: external assessment — SACE Board