2. Personal Development Health and
Physical Education (PDHPE)
PDHPE provides theory and practical sessions in order to effectively address
to all students:
• Development of knowledge, understandings and practical skills that lead to
better health as it results in less sickness and disability, improved quality of
personal, family and social relationships and the ability to make choices in
work and leisure activities.
• Knowledge and understanding, skills and value and attitudes contributing
to healthy, active and fulfilling lives in order to become a responsible and
productive citizen.
• Appreciation of a commitment to healthy and social lifestyles by acting
upon health decisions to enhance personal and community health and well-
being.
• Formation and maintenance of relationships through competent and
composed movement.
(Board of Studies, 2007)
3. Movement Education
• Students need to actually become physically educated rather than just
being informed in a traditional physical education class of “where or “how”
the development of physical fitness, motor skills and sports skills occurs
(Johnson &Turner, 2016).
• The four factors of weight, space, time and flow in fundamental movement
which are required to conduct daily activities such as sports, fitness and
games has established the foundation of movement education (Weiller,
2010).
• Movement education is a strand of teaching which aims to educate
students to develop their motor skills through physical movement.
• According to NSW Department of Education and Communities (2011), K-6
students are required to learn fundamental movement skills which are
static balance, sprint run, vertical jump, side gallop, catch, kick, hop, skip,
leap, overarm throw, two-hand strike and dodge.
4. Benefits of Learning Movement
Students who participate in learning body movement in school grounds are
found to be capable of achieving:
• Physical development to co-ordinate actions of the whole body by learning
fundamental movement skills and patterns.
• Improved performance and composition of locomotor and non-locomotor
movement.
• Physical literacy to prevent self-harm in endangering environments and
real-life contexts.
• Skills and knowledge to participate in leisure and recreational activities to
enhance social development.
• Cognitive development and increase self esteem by having the ability to
effectively communicate, interact, make decisions, problem solve and
move to overcome health issues.
(Board of Studies, 2007)
5. Movement Education as a teaching
approach
Tackling health issues together
According to AIHW (Australian Information and Statistics to promote better
health and well-being) (2014):
• 25% of Australian children aged 2-17 were overweight or obese
• 45% of Australians ages 16-85 will experience a common mental health
related condition such as depression
• About 1 millionAustralians had diabetes in 2011-2012
• Students who are well informed on health issues and have control over
their decisions have higher chances in experiencing less illness and positive
relationships (Board of Studies, 2007).
• Students will no longer feel disconnected from physical education as they
have conceptualised their knowledge on the relationship between physical
fitness and fundamental movement skills (Kirk & Macdonald, 1998).
6. Academic Integration
• Learning complex movement sequences stimulates the prefrontal cortex
used in problem solving and decision making which means this effect could
improve academic performance in the classroom (Sallis et al, 1999).
• Movement education enhances students learning strategies as they gain
kinaesthetic skills while self exploring ideas with their bodies in maximised
space in order to implicitly learn content and about the environment
around them (Kuczala, 2015).
• Movement education can be integrated as either service connections,
symmetric correlations and syntegration because other key learning areas
can work together to increase enjoyment and motivation for students to
fulfil failed outcomes (Russel-Bowie, 2015).
• For instance, utilising movement elements and patterns enhances
mathematical skills and also develop multiliteracies as students can decode
movement as expressions of personal, social, cultural and/or historical life
(Dinham, 2013).
7. Social and Cultural Awareness
• Movement education can contribute to managing classroom behaviours as
the program allows students to become aware of others by adjusting their
movement patterns to avoid collisions and develop positive
interrelationships with diverse students by being able to empathise with
the social and cultural issues which may occur (Pica, 2014).
• Students gaining experience in valuing self and others during movement
education can enhance safety in the community as it prevents the attitudes
and beliefs which trigger discrimination of cultural and personal identities,
body images and physical and cyber bullying.
• Ultimately, the feelings of self-acceptance and the ability to act in the best
interests of themselves and others are developed by understanding the
uniqueness of individual development (Board of Studies, 2007).
8. Parental andTeacher Guidance
• In order for students to reach their full potential in their learning, it involves
increasing opportunities for students to gain knowledge through combined
guidance from parents, teachers and school systems and programs.
• A lack of commitment to refine fundamental movement skills during pre
school and primary school years often leads students to frustration and
failure during adolescence as it restricts their maturity development
process (Gallahue & Cleland, 2007).
• Furthermore, it is fundamental for students to gain positive body
experiences throughout their daily lives so that they are willing to
consistently appreciate the present (Van & McFarlane, 2012).
• Hence, it is desired as a primary educator to communicate and
cooperatively work with all parents as a collaborative team to make a
difference for the children’s lives.
9. References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2014). Australia’s Health 2014. AIHW (Australian Information and Statistics
to promote better health and well-being).Retrieved from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-
detail/?id=60129547205
Board of Studies, NSW. (2007). Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K‐6 Syllabus. Sydney: Board of
Studies. Retrieved from:
http://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/go/personal‐development‐health‐and‐physicaleducation‐pdhp
e
Dinham, J. (2013). Delivering authentic arts education (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.
Gallahue, D. L., & Cleland-Donnelly, F. (2007). Developmental physical education for all children. Human Kinetics.
Johnson,T. G., &Turner, L. (2016).The Physical Activity Movement and the Definition of Physical Education. Journal of
Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 87(4), 8-10.
Kirk, D., & Macdonald, D. (1998). Situated learning in physical education.Journal ofTeachin
Kuczala, M. (2015). Training in Motion : How to Use Movement to Create Engaging and Effective Learning. Retrieved
from http://www.eblib.com
NSW Department of Education and Communities. (2011). Fundamental Movement Skills. Retrieved from:
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/pdhpe/gamessport/fms001.htm
Pica, R. (2014). Early Elementary Children Moving and Learning : A Physical Education Curriculum. Retrieved from
http://www.eblib.com
Russell-Bowie, D. (2015). MMADD about the arts: An introduction to primary arts education (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest,
Australia: Pearson Australia
Sallis, J. F., McKenzie,T. L., Kolody, B., Lewis, M., Marshall, S., & Rosengard, P. (1999). Effects of health-related
physical education on academic achievement: Project SPARK. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 70(2),
127-134.
Van der Kolk, B. A., & McFarlane, A. C. (Eds.). (2012). Traumatic stress:The effects of overwhelming experience on mind,
body, and society. Guilford Press.
Weiller. A. K. (2010). Teaching movement education. Human Kinetics
