Nigel Green

Assessment has increasingly been used for accountability purposes rather than as an important part of pedagogy. This has certainly been the case for Physical Education (PE), where it has tried to maintain parity with other subjects (Decorby, Halas, Dixon, Wintrup, & Janzen, 2005; Kohn, 2003). However, the clarity of what is being assessed, in the name of physical education, and how to do this most effectively, has, in many cases, not been clearly articulated to teachers or clarified by… Show more

Assessment has increasingly been used for accountability purposes rather than as an important part of pedagogy. This has certainly been the case for Physical Education (PE), where it has tried to maintain parity with other subjects (Decorby, Halas, Dixon, Wintrup, & Janzen, 2005; Kohn, 2003). However, the clarity of what is being assessed, in the name of physical education, and how to do this most effectively, has, in many cases, not been clearly articulated to teachers or clarified by governments and guiding physical education organisations. With a clear understanding of what physical education is and what progress looks like, it is possible to develop assessment practices that allow teachers and pupils to reflect on and chart progress. Clearly articulating stages of progression in learning in a multifaceted subject enables PE teachers to chart progress with confidence. Supporting the assessment process with ‘authentic core tasks’, that allow progress to be considered and reflected upon, relative to realistic practical activities, enables teachers, pupils and parents to appreciate and celebrate progression in PE. This paper will consider the key stages of development within PE related to the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) Taxonomy and Threshold Stages, underpinned by physical literacy. It will also consider students progression through surface and deep learning (Marton and Säljö, 1976) within PE. The paper will go on to provide practical examples of how ‘authentic core tasks’ can provide the mechanism by which teachers and students can reflect on their progress and consider their next steps in PE. Show less

Physical Education has been an important part of the education system for over 100 years in India. Successive Governments and States have modified the focus of physical education within the school curriculum from physical training in the early 1900’s towards the current physical education (PE) provision. Physical training and the introduction to sports and traditional games was the initial focus of PE whilst later developments have included an emphasis on sports education, recreation, character… Show more

Physical Education has been an important part of the education system for over 100 years in India. Successive Governments and States have modified the focus of physical education within the school curriculum from physical training in the early 1900’s towards the current physical education (PE) provision. Physical training and the introduction to sports and traditional games was the initial focus of PE whilst later developments have included an emphasis on sports education, recreation, character building and discipline, according to Kumar and Sharma (2019). The addition of well-being to physical training, yoga and sports has more recently led to a new focus of physical literacy being suggested for PE. Physical literacy is our unique disposition towards valuing and engaging in physical activity for life (Whitehead, 2010). The root to developing our disposition lies in our innate and acquired motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding. It is the physical education teachers of India who have the opportunity to create positive learning environments for their students so that they can develop their confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding, which in turn will increase their motivation to engage in physical activities for life. However, if traditional methods of teaching large classes, with limited facilities and equipment and a focus on medals for the few, continue to prevail within the schools then the opportunity to impact on future generation’s holistic health may be lost. This article aims to encourage physical education teachers to reflect on their philosophy, pedagogy and practice and then consider physical literacy as a focus for the future of physical education. Show less

A reflection on the issues of promoting physical literacy in Nepal

A review of 50 years of physical education in the UK

Green, N.R. and Markandy, P. (2019) Physical Literacy in India pp. 156 – 166 in Physical Literacy Across the World, Whitehead, M. (2019), Routledge. ISBN 978-1-138-57155-6

An introduction to physical literacy

Physical literacy is creating significant interest worldwide due to its holistic nature and the potential it has to impact on people’s
lives. It is underpinning many physical education programs, coaching strategies, health initiatives, and policymakers’ decisions.
However, the complex philosophical and holistic nature of the concept has meant that methods used to chart/assess/measure
progress have been very much dependent on the pedagogues interpretation of the concept. This paper will… Show more

Physical literacy is creating significant interest worldwide due to its holistic nature and the potential it has to impact on people’s
lives. It is underpinning many physical education programs, coaching strategies, health initiatives, and policymakers’ decisions.
However, the complex philosophical and holistic nature of the concept has meant that methods used to chart/assess/measure
progress have been very much dependent on the pedagogues interpretation of the concept. This paper will provide a review of
current practices and issues related to charting/assessing/measuring progress of an individual’s journey. It will go on to highlight
considerations that, we suggest, should be made by any organization developing methods to chart/assess/measure progress. Show less

This study considers the implications for teachers of physical education of adopting physical literacy as the focus of their work.
These implications arise from the philosophical underpinning of the concept, from the definition of physical literacy and are in
line with the mission of the International Physical Literacy Association. In the first section of this study, recommendations
stemming from the philosophical roots of the concept will be outlined in brief. The other three sections… Show more

This study considers the implications for teachers of physical education of adopting physical literacy as the focus of their work.
These implications arise from the philosophical underpinning of the concept, from the definition of physical literacy and are in
line with the mission of the International Physical Literacy Association. In the first section of this study, recommendations
stemming from the philosophical roots of the concept will be outlined in brief. The other three sections will demonstrate how this
philosophical basis and the definition of physical literacy should inform, first, lesson and unit content; second, teaching
approaches; and, finally, curriculum planning. Unpacking the implications and what physical literacy looks like in practice is
essential if teachers are to begin to incorporate physical literacy within their practice. Show less