What makes a quality physical education program?
Well if you go to Google for the answer you could be a while coming to any conclusions … 1, 520,000,000 – that’s a lot of zeros. And a lot of people who have made an attempt to answer the question.
The first result that comes up is a link with this definition:
A quality program focuses on the successes of students so that they are motivated to continue. Developing positive behaviours toward physical activity is a key goal of physical education.
The National Association of Sport and Physical Education in the US identifies four essential components of a high quality PE program:
- Opportunity to learn
- Meaningful content
- Appropriate instruction
- Student and program assessment
Quality Physical Education (QPE) represents active, inclusive, peer-led learning. UNESCO, 2017
PDHPE, in my opinion, is the most important subject in the school curriculum. Yes, I might be biased, but the evidence seems to support this view also. No other subject prepares students for their future life quite like PDHPE. Physical education plays a key role in the development of these essential life skills as emphasised by UNESCO in the Quality Physical Education Policy.
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Quality PE workshops planned for 2021
Our recent Community Survey highlighted to us that this is a question that many PDHPE teachers are grappling with. More than 1 in 3 respondents wanted professional learning around how to implement quality movement-based lessons and almost 1 in 2 respondents wanted practical strategies to engage disengaged students in PE.
Planning is underway for a program of professional learning that will focus on developing, implementing and assessing quality, inclusive and engaging physical education programs.
“Physical Education should excite students, engage them enthusiastically in activities they find meaningful, and eventually help them develop lifelong commitments to a physically active lifestyle…."