Physical Education and Its Changes

Physical Education subject faced a variety of				creativity was an aspect of these subjects. There
significant changes during last 50 years.				were various
Some of these changes are so crucial that there				educational ideologies around during this time. Some
may not have even been an academic subject called				of which
Physical Education to speak about. This essay shall				suggested that the main thrust of the curriculum
aim to uncover the				was recreational with
principle changes the subject has gone through since				the emphasis on games and education for leisure.
1945 and also				There was an awful
provide insight into why these changes did and had				lot of emphasis on playing the game and not a lot of
to occur. I shall				specific teaching
endeavour to tackle these principle changes in a				going on at that time. PE had become categorized
chronological order				as a subject with a
although some have to be considered as an issue on				lack of formal assessment.Assessments up to the
their own.Firstly, however, before uncovering the				mid 1970s had often relied on fleeting evidence
changes in PE post-1945 it is				and a reliance on general impressions, with a lack of
important to know what was going on in this				specific
subject pre-1945. A good				criteria and specific observation. Therefore as a
place to start is in the 1800s in Rugby school where				result assessment
a gentleman named				was never seen as an important issue in PE, any
Dr Thomas Arnold was headmaster. He arrived at				thought given to the
this public school when				purposes, issues and problems surrounding PE
boys were taking part in traditional country outdoor				non-existent. Assessments
activities such				were in the form of school reports, generally for the
as shooting and fishing, though in rebellion of the law.				pupils and
Arnold wished				parents to ascertain the levels of their achievements
to confine the boys at Rugby to take part in				so far. These
activities within the				reports were often vague, hurried and did not have
confines of the school grounds, this meant team				much consideration
games such as Rugby,				given to them by teachers. A move towards
Cricket and Football. He allowed these team games,				certification in PE would provide a sound curriculum
where the boys				and forms of
would often get hurt and covered in mud, to go on				assessment and examination.As of the late 1960s PE
because he believed				had been trying to develop the curriculum and
that they also served an educational role, a means				in 1972 this was mirrored in Curriculum Paper 12 -
of developing one's				'Physical Education
character (Goodwin, 1984). He understood that				in Secondary Schools'. At this time certification and
these games would				assessment were
develop traits in a boy such as courage, loyalty,				not yet considered. However in 1980 plans for an
self-sacrifice,				introduction of a new system of curriculum and
unselfishness, co-operation, a sense of honor and				assessment for 3rd and 4th years of secondary
the ability to				schooling were presented, encouraged by the
accept defeat, "be a good loser" . These games				recommendations in the Munn and Dunning
were				committees. The Munn committee
however very much confined to the public schools.In				established 8 modes of activity within the curriculum
1872 an Education (Scotland) Act was passed that				of which
introduced				physical activity was one. This was part of the core
compulsory schooling for children aged 5-13. Though				and additional
this helped				options structure. The Dunning committee
children receive an education, there was no mention				recommended
of PE, or sport of				that all pupils should be given the right to take part
any kind within the document. In order that these				in courses that
children could receive some sort of physical activity,				could lead to the Scottish Certificate of Education
drill was				and that exams and
introduced to encourage sharp obedience,				assessment by teachers should depict the awards
smartness, cleanliness and				achieved. These awards
order. It was however recognized that other forms				would be at three different levels: Credit, General
of physical activity				and Foundation. Fryer (1986) contends that the
had to occur for the health of the nation. This was				introduction of this structure helped PE to re-consider
the time when				its teaching
therapeutic Swedish gymnastics appeared in order				practices and system of assessment for
that it would				certification.These recommendations for the change
counteract disease and ill health. Physical training and				in the PE curriculum from the
education had				Munn and Dunning report were set in motion by the
become part of the wider developments in health				first Thatcher
education in the				government, where a small group of policy individuals
school medical service of 1909. PE therefore from				set about
about 1872-1945 was no longer about discipline but				developing a suitable certificated course. In 1984 PE
about health.It is very important before continuing to				was certificated and came under the title of
have a definition of what				Standard Grade in
Physical Education actually is, from reading the				Scotland. Standard Grade PE (SGPE) held the idea
literature it is hard				that PE was now
to determine one true designation. The Oxford				educationally respectable and it began to enhance
Dictionary (1999) offers				the status of the
the following, "(PE is) the instruction in physical				teachers. It was now seen by others as an entry
exercise and				into the world of
games, especially in schools". Whereas Webster's				testing, exams, knowledge and understanding, thus
New International				implying
Dictionary (1986) offers this description stating that				intellectual activity and serious academic study. The
PE is				SGPE course contained a large element of
"education in methods designed to promote the				coursework concerned with the acquisition of
development and care of				knowledge and understanding of facts, concepts and
the body and usually involving instruction in hygiene				principles about the activities studied, about how skills
and systematic				are learned
exercises and in sports and games". As can be seen				and performed and about the body and how it
from the two				works. All of these
descriptions the Oxford dictionary does not even				elements began to give PE an air of intellectual and
mention the word				educational
education and instead contends that PE is all about				rigor and importance. PE teachers were now starting
games and sports.				to use the same kind of language as their colleagues
This proponent of PE began to surface after				when talking
1945.After 1945 and around the mid 1960s more				about course moderation, examinations, estimates,
significant educational				assessments and
changes began to emerge. In 1945 an Education of				assignments.On Tuesday 31st May 1994 2,288
Scotland Act was				students from 116 presenting centers
passed which increased the school leaving age to 15				sat the first examination in performance for Higher
years old. PE at				Grade PE (HGPE). HGPE was established as the next
this time was a compulsory part of schooling, so				level of certificated education in PE and is offered to
with this change more				students at 5th year level. The
children took part in PE for longer. PE started to				Scottish Universities Council on Entrance (SUCE)
move towards the				approved HGPE for the
more aesthetic elements of the curriculum; dance				purposes of the general entrance requirements of
and movement were				its constituent
particularly popular. This aesthetic aspect towards PE				Universities, this also added to the status of the
fashioned a				educational
movement characteristic, thus maintaining its physical				aptitude of PE. It was important that HGPE was
nature. At this time the majority of PE teachers				equivalent to HG
were female and these teachers pushed towards				courses in other subjects as an entry to University.
more qualitative gymnastics and aesthetics promoting				This of course
that it was a part of self-discovery and expression in				was especially important to parents and pupils when
their				deciding
pupils. These female PE teachers came from a very				particular subjects to pursue. Teachers pushed the
restricted physical				practical vs.
education establishment in the form of specialist				academic battle. Improved standards were a major
teacher training				difference between SGPE and HGPE and to achieve
colleges. These were confined mainly with women				these students must acquire understanding of
and gymnastics until				concepts, assess and appraise both processes and
the end of the Second World War. It was also				product. Thus, the activities selected in HGPE are the
suggested				focus for
that this type of PE placed a certain level of				learning rather than a vehicle for learning as in SGPE.
demand on pupils'				In short, HGPE
intelligence levels and helped to develop cognitive				allows a more in depth study to PE. In order to gain
activity. Male PE teachers argued that this type of				an award at HGPE
expressionist PE was not the way forward and				two activities are selected for the students, decided
instead pursued the idea				as a result of
that PE should be competition based. The male				consultation, which has to be balanced against the
physical educators took				expertise,
on board Olympic Gymnastics as opposed to the				facilities and resources available at individual schools.
more qualitative				Assessment
recreational sort. They supported scientific principles				is internal with external moderation.Carroll (1994) has
and skill				suggested that this move towards a certificated PE
development as the best form of education. The				curriculum did mean that PE became more centrally
popularity of this				involved in the
approach grew as the numbers of male PE teachers				functions of the school, moving from a more
increased. The males				marginal role to a more
criticized the females, suggesting that their approach				central one. However, as a result, it also meant
contained a				involvement in the
lack of teacher involvement and direction and that it				ideologies of assessment and lost its sense of
was mainly based				freedom, accepting
around the pupils teaching themselves. With the				external control in order that there is clarity of role,
introduction of other activities into the curriculum the				personal
debate surrounding educational or Olympic gymnastics				development for teachers and possibly even the
died down. It would not be until 1988 that male and				survival of the
female PE teachers would teach the same				subject. The development of nationally recognized
thing.Games were made compulsory in state schools				forms of assessment
in 1944 even though they				and certification did, according to Reid (1996), finally
had been a very important aspect of private				settle the
schooling for years. PE around the 1960s consisted				problem of marginal status of PE in relation to other
mainly of team games. These games were often				academic
taught by non-specialists, this was especially the case				subjects. Kirk and Tinning (1990) believe that PE
for the boys' games programme. At this point out of				finally demonstrated
school games or extra				that it was an educationally worthy subject when it
curricular school sport was a major part of the				demonstrated its
physical education				scientific basis. They may then believe that the
programme. An assessment for the selections of				certification of PE
school teams was often a job undertaken by the PE				led it to become a more scientific subject and that
staff. The pupils selected for these teams would be				this is the reason
the best players in the school as seen by the PE				that it is worthy of intellectual pursuit.As can be
staff. This was an opportunity where the PE				seen from this essay there have been many changes
teachers could make a				in
name for themselves and gain prestige from their				physical education since 1945. These changes have
peers by picking				most notably been
winning teams. Often the prestige of the school				down to changes in the curriculum and this occurred
came before attempting				due to the
to give all pupils a game.As can be seen so far PE				ever-rising argument that PE was not an
had already made some big changes. It had				educationally significant
transformed itself from the rough games and				subject. Before 1945 PE was more about play and
character building of				building ones
Arnold's Rugby School to militaristic drill taken by				character through this play. Since this period, PE
sergeants to				moved to become
aesthetic gymnastics and movement to the				more to do with the philosophy of movement and
scientisation of the male				more aesthetic
taught Olympic gymnastics. Once again though PE				qualities began to surface, especially with the
has returned through				introduction of
this chronological order to the team games that				Swedish gymnastics and the beliefs of many female
were prevalent back in				physical educators.
the 1800s, however, here it was to promote the				PE has also seen changes towards a more scientific
status of the PE				subject with the
teachers and help them to create a name for				introduction of male teachers who believed that PE
themselves within the				was more than just
schools.In 1965 a Sports Council was set up to				movement and creativity and that it should have
advice the government on future				some form of
policy on sport and PE. This was a unique step and				competition. One theme of these changes that has
came from the				been noted throughout
advice of the Wolfenden committee, which reported				has been the ever-changing status of PE. It seems
in 1960 on 'sport				from the literature
and the community'. Sir John Wolfenden chaired this				that PE has always had a certain stigma attached to
committee and David Munrow was one of its				it that it has
members and also the				tried so hard to shed. An important change within
Director of PE at Birmingham University. This				this context then
committee was formed to				was the certification of the subject and its resulting
examine the general position of sport in Britain and				educational
to recommend any				significance in the school curriculum. The Munn and
action that they think should be taken.Between the				Dunning report
late 1970s and early 1980s PE was lacking in				being the main benefactor of this change. The later
educational				introduction of
significance. PE teachers were regarded as having a				the higher grade structure also enhanced PE's status
low status that				and gave it
they were good for talk about the weekend's				significance as an entrance into University. All these
sporting events but they				changes have
did not teach a very educational subject. Musgrove				led PE to the subject that it is at present, however
and				without a few of
Taylor (1969) suggested that practical subjects had				these changes it is hard to say whether there would
always been				be an education to
regarded as low status. PE had been linked with				be had in PE.The article was produced by the
subjects such as				member of
Music, Drama and Art in the section of the				Sharon White is a senior writer and writers
curriculum known as the				consultant at term papers. Get some useful tips for
'expressive arts'. This convenient label was based on				thesis and term paper writing .
the fact that

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Physical Education and Its Changes

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