Developing your PE curriculum? Here’s some ideas to help define your program vision and philosophy

Developing your PE curriculum? Here’s some ideas to help define your program vision and philosophy

When asked, can you readily state the learning outcomes you would like your students to achieve by the end of a school physical education (PE) program?

Planning your PE curriculum or program around a clearly defined vision and philosophy helps create a unified set of values and beliefs which will drive the development of a high-quality PE program. It is the ‘big picture’ end-goal you must bear in mind to ensure your program balances curriculum delivery requirements with teaching that is relevant to student learning needs.

How to develop a PE program vision:

Influenced by leadership expert, Simon Sinek and his acclaimed TED talk ‘The Golden Circle’ (2009) and book ‘Start with Why’ (2009), the ‘Golden Circle Theory’ states that to develop a vision or know your purpose, you must define the why, how and what.

In PE, educators might consider:

• Why is our program important and why should it be valued?
• How will the learning outcomes take place?
• What experiences will take place to develop the outcomes?

To help unpack the ‘why’ it is important to think about:

• Factors that influence our views of PE. Personal experiences in PE (positive and/or negative) are likely to affect how people feel about and value PE, as well as what they consider important components of their curriculum program. Having a positive PE experience will promote a positive view of PE though it may or may not result in an understanding that not everyone views PE through the same lens. Conversely, a negative experience, i.e., in games and sports, may force educators to not value these areas and exclude them from their program – even though some students may want to experience them.

• The views of other key stakeholders in the program, such as your PE department or if you are the only PE teacher at your school, leading teachers or teachers who support you in your PE or sport activities. Gathering their input will help teachers develop a more relevant program and importantly, gather a greater ‘buy in’ from the students and wider school community. To ensure the needs, interests, and abilities of students have been adequately considered, surveying your students will give you a great picture of their wants and needs. Suggest avoiding simply asking them in class, as it is more likely you’ll only capture the loudest voices, and not those of the quieter students – those who may be among the more reluctant learners in the class who also need to be heard.

How to develop a PE program philosophy:

1) Brainstorm keywords or phrases that represent what you want your PE program to look like or be and ultimately answer “What do I want the students by the end of Year 6 to be able to know and do?” For example: skill proficiency, adapt FMS to specific sports and activities, enjoy being active, fair play, collaboration, strategic thinking, personal skills, model inclusion, healthy habits, lifelong physical activity, sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork….

2) Based on the keywords above, try to define your philosophy in 25 words or less, or come up with 2-4 brief statements which clearly articulate what you want your students to know and develop before they leave your program. What are the key drivers and purposes for your PE program? E.g., Each student has the right to develop skills and behaviours needed for lifelong physical activity in a healthy and safe environment.

3) Using the words at the start, try and group them together. The groups of words might form a theme or a broad collection of observable behaviours that can be written as student-centred objectives or outcomes. Aligned with the four outcomes of Health and Physical Education (Bailey et al, 2009) cognitive, affective, physical and social, try to align an outcome to each. These student-centred objectives or outcomes become the criteria for selecting your programs appropriate content.

The table below shows an example of each of these student-centred learning outcomes:

4) Keep your philosophy or outcomes visible in your PE teaching spaces as a daily reminder to you and your students about what you are working towards. If your students are aware of the ‘why’ they are participating, the purpose becomes self-evident.

Defining and articulating your PE program’s vision and philosophy is an essential step in developing purpose within your program. It will form the foundation of your planning and will help you ensure you are providing your students with engaging and relevant learning opportunities.

Need a little extra help?

Our PL team has developed a range of resources to help you plan and implement quality PE programs essential to the development of lifelong healthy habits and attitudes to physical activity.
Check out our Scope & Sequence eBook, and Curriculum support charts (both F-10), ‘Developing a vision for your PE program’ eLearn course (all levels), or come along to our virtual accelerator program ‘2022 Teaching Primary PE: Back to Basics’ workshop kicking off from 17 February.

If there is anything else we can do to support your professional learning, please reach out to our PL team at achper@achper.victoria.edu.au.