Effects of Physical Education and Activity Levels - Essay Example

ATHLETICS of the of Institute Physical education is very important in contributing to the education of a student as a whole. It not only develops physical health but also nurtures mental skills, which are important for the overall learning of students. Other than contributing to the physical fitness of pupils, it hones their academic performance, intellectual and analytical skills and therefore it is very important on the part of teachers to introduce formal physical education in the curriculum of students of every age group. But the question is – has this physical education received its due importance in schools and been applied practically? Realizing the importance of physical education in the life of a student, the National Curriculum provides a 5 step process on this aspect. The National Curriculum (2008) attempts to introduce in all young people to: Get involved in different activities that build stamina and strength and develop the whole body. Practice different roles in a physical activity. Excel in specific roles. Develop the ability to perform individually and in a group. Perform better in other areas of curriculum through the link with physical education. In spite of these guidelines provided by National Curriculum for Physical Education, many schools are reducing the requirements of physical education. The statistics show that physical education is on a constant decline as educational year’s progress. The percentage of schools requiring physical education in each grade decreases from approximately 50% in grades 1–5, to 25% in grade 8, to only 5% in grade 12 (Coe, et al., 2006). There is no evidence whatsoever, that reducing physical activity would increase academic performance – the basis on which physical activity is being reduced in higher classes. In fact, physical activity promotes academic achievement by enhancing learning capabilities in students. A proper physical education curriculum helps to develop capabilities to use strategic, tactic and compositional ideas to perform in a better way. It introduces in the students a zeal for competition, better performance, creativeness, and a healthy active lifestyle. It sharpens their memory, attention and confidence. It makes students better responsive not only in school but in other social situations as well. Physical education must encompass more than physical skills; it must include an ability to read the environment and to respond effectively (Whitehead, 2001). With growth of children into adolescence, it helps to develop an optimistic self-concept, and assists in combating social and emotional challenges. Creating an environment which promotes learning is an integral role of teaching. Teachers need to use different approaches and strategies to motivate children, to foster self evaluation and develop competence. Students in the age group of 11-14 are entering from childhood to adolescence and what they learn at this stage is probably going to influence how they behave in real life situations. Physical education helps in their social, emotional and physical development. They learn to play different roles, follow rules and take up responsibility which builds in them analytical skills. At this stage physical education helps to improve strategic thinking, goal setting, leadership skills and risk taking etc. Instilling motivation in students through physical education is often a prime objective of physical education instructors. Motivation is a two-pronged approach: extrinsic, which an instructor can influence and intrinsic, which includes personal eagerness of the student to gain knowledge (Silberman 2010). A kind of individual motivation that is important in determining constructive motivated behavior in physical education and sport is the students’ level of intrinsic motivation (Mitchell 1996). Deci and Ryan (1985) put forward that when students are inherently motivated, they demonstrate interest in an activity; they experience enjoyment and feelings of competence and control. An instructor can motivate students by introducing new games and activities in physical education class, building student confidence through appreciation and encouragement and by making each student participate as being the team leader turn by turn. For this, teachers need to focus on goals that help students to stay on track, when planning physical activities and evaluation strategies for them. At primary school level, e.g. teachers should introduce gross motor skills like running, long jumps, races, high jumps, etc. and then evaluate them in order to see their potential. Instructors should evaluate students on the basis of the latter’s strengths and weaknesses. Students need to be briefed about their course curriculum in order to inform them what is expected from them. Evaluation techniques like grading levels of performance, recognizing achievements and successes not only assess the skills of students but also play a motivational role. This is because when students know they will be evaluated, they are motivated to compete with each other in order to excel. Some strategies for motivation can be pep talk before the actual activity, teacher participation in the activity (e.g. teacher jogs with students), give time for students’ preferred activity when they are done with the planned class activity, etc. Small awards or certificates for the best performer of each class may also help students to stay on track. It has been found that student motivation is based on two important aspects: a) Ego Goal Orientation, which promotes in students to show their superior ability relative to other students and b) Labeled Task Orientation, which aims at developing competence and mastery in the role (Dweck & Leggett, 1998). These two orientation goals determine student responsiveness to physical activity depending upon satisfaction, task difficulty and enjoyment. Ames (1992) developed a TARGET framework: Tasks, authority, recognition, grouping, evaluation and time which put forward the reasons for student motivational behavior in class and field. Introduction to a wide range of physical activity is essential to children in primary school level in order to make them recognize their interest, needs and potential. School programs are not sufficient in providing adequate level of physical activity. The teachers need to increase the frequency of physical activity if possible from the curriculum program. A balanced set of courses must focus on enhancing and developing motivation, self assessment, self esteem, competition and co-operation. Students learn from their teachers, as is obvious. If teachers are properly trained and skilled, they will be better in improving the skills of their students. Teachers should employ techniques like asking students to do the activity as the teacher demonstrates. Feedback is an important element to improve performance. Telling students where they lack and helping them to overcome that problem would surely improve their routine. E.g. in a long jump activity, if a student is not able to perform correctly due to unawareness of body position and timing, the teacher should assist him by telling how his body posture can help him perform better. Improvement can also be achieved if teachers brief their students about other factors that can make them better athletes, like healthier nutrition and better understanding of biomechanics of sport movements. Students are generally kinetic learners. They learn more from hands on activity and practical work than from classroom learning. But in many schools, physical education classes are being replaced with other courses due many reasons which include budget problems, increasing educational needs etc. This may lead to less concentration in classes, little or no teamwork spirit, more health problems and poor performance academically. Therefore, to develop skills that are more behavioral based, physical education plays much more significant role than theoretical teaching. According to Goudas and Giannoudis (2008), the skills and abilities that students learn though sports and physical education are applicable to other life problems like working under pressure, meeting deadlines, solving problems, handling both success and failure and accepting feedback and using it for their benefit. Sports and physical activity is introduced in the course of students through demonstration, modeling and practice (Orlick and McCaffrey, 1991). It is a teacher’s responsibility to help the students learn by showing them how to do it and by becoming a role model for them. Instructors should carefully choose and order content, support instructional methods with learning goals, and build significant assessments of physical activity. In programs in which learning skills, fitness concepts, and lifetime physical activities (such as individual and dual sports and adventure selections) are priorities, students are much more likely to be active (Lambert, 2000). Teachers should align activities with desired learning results. A sense of evaluation is another skill polished by sports. On the part of teachers it is essential to introduce new and innovative techniques to instill in the students a sense of evaluation and analysis and to improve their performance, both within and outside of school. Evaluation of student learning should focus on the student’s individual improvement, with an emphasis on their progress and effort. Instructors should also encourage students to view making mistakes as an important part of learning, rather than as an indication of failure (Ames, 1992). Teachers play an important role in developing self evaluation techniques in students. Self evaluation is more effective than traditional evaluation by teachers as it enables students to analyze a situation when there is no one to correct their mistakes or guide them. For example, when hitting a bad shot in a golf game, a student with self evaluation skills will see his mistake and learn to correct it himself rather than waiting for the physical education instructor to correct him. Physical education requires students to “analyze movement, compare and contrast actions, develop plans and learn from what they do” (McCracken, 2001). Athletics teach students to assess themselves. Having set a certain standard which one needs to attain in physical activity aspects, it inculcates in him a sense of self evaluation in reference to his daily performance graph. Teachers should develop in the students a sense of self evaluation in sports. They should be able to judge the outcome of their own action without someone telling them what is right and wrong. They should be taught to be their own coaches. We can take tennis as an example. It is an independent sport so the player is solely responsible for the credit or blame. The player is himself/herself in charge of the result of the hand-eye coordination, the timings, speed, balance and power. An example of sport which helps in developing analytical skills in students is basketball. During the game, the players are constantly evaluating the moves of the other team in order to react to a slightest hint of an opportunity to score. It instills in them strategic planning techniques. It also helps to build cooperation and sharing as the team members learn that by involving every player they are better able to score more than the rivals. It requires the players to be alert and attentive, carefully anticipating the actions of the other players. It arouses evaluating techniques as to see if the game plan is not working, they need to revise it and re-adjust the game plan. Self evaluation, motivation and better performance are actually very much interconnected in sequential manner. By carrying out self evaluation, the person becomes motivated in order to attain the next level of success thereby meaning that there is an ever increasing urge in him to be at the highest level. It actually helps a person to exploit his own self. It gives a new shape to his personality. Urge for achieving goals in one’s life is a characteristic which makes a person choose a way to follow and get what he wants. Motivated people are known to do well in every field of life. And with motivation comes improvement in behavior and performance not only in academics but in other aspects of life as well. It is a known fact that children who are physically fit are better able to perform well in other classroom activity. Therefore, it is important for teachers to include in the course proper physical education. Schools can offer exceptional learning opportunities to students by giving them an environment that polishes their physical performance along with academic performance. This can be emphasized by a nationwide survey conducted by Nelson and Gordon-Larson (2006) which collected information from 11,957 young students (aged 10-14) across the United States to determine the relationship between physical activity and classroom performance. It was found that active participants in physical education and sports had 20% more chance to earn an A in Math and English than their peers who did not participate. Physical activity’s role in improving achievement is evident from a number of examples. For example, a student’s attempt to an accurate landing in a jump helps in developing orientation and judgment skills. Basic running, stretching and balancing enables to perform well in dance routines. Swimming builds stamina and flexibility which develops control over one’s body. Competition is also an integral force behind improving overall performance as it initiates in students a desire to be better than others and excel in an activity. Also, it has been observed that students’ performance is better when they know they have an audience. This factor contributes in developing self esteem and self confidence. With all these benefits associated with sports and physical education, it is rather unreasonable to exclude it from the curriculum of the students. It should be accepted by all that sports brings with itself a package of life lessons which are not even achieved though academic learning. These life lessons form the basis of different behaviors a student may exhibit in different situations of life. The overall conduct of a student is honed through the development of motivation, self analysis and better and improved performance. References Ames, C., 1992. Classrooms: Goals, Structures and Student Motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84, pp 261-271. Web. Viewed 16 October 2011 at: http://www.unco.edu/cebs/psychology/kevinpugh/motivation_project/resources/ames92.pdf Coe, DP. et al., 2006. Effects of Physical Education and Activity Levels on Academic Achievement in Children. American College of Sports Medicine. pp 1. Web. Viewed 16 October 2011 at http://www.kapoleims.k12.hi.us/campuslife/depts/electives/dance/Effects%20of%20Physical%20Education%20and%20Activity%20levels%20on%20Academic%20Achievement%20in%20Children.pdf Deci, EL & Ryan, RM. 1985. Intrinsic Motivation and Self Determination in Human Behavior. New York: Plenum. Web. Viewed 16 October 2011 at http://www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT/documents/2000_RyanDeci_IntExtDefs.pdf Dweck, CS & Leggett, EL. 1988. A Social-Cognitive Approach to Motivation and Personality. Psychological Review, 95, pp 265-273. Web. Viewed 16 October 2011 at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/psychology/cgi-bin/drupalm/system/files/A%2520social-cognitive%2520approach_0.pdf Goudas, M & Giannoudis, G. 2008. Life Skills Through Physical Education. Learning and Instruction, 18, 528-536. Web. Viewed 16 October 2011 at http://www.spectrumofteachingstyles.org/pdfs/literature/Goudas_Giannoudis.pdf Lambert, L. 2000. Healthy Bodies, Minds and Buildings: The New Physical Education. Viewed 16 October 2011 at http://www.pelinks4u.org/articles/misc/lambert1.htm McCracken, B. 2001. It’s Not Just Gym Anymore: Teaching Secondary School Students How to be Active for Life. pp 22, Viewed 16 October 2011 at http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=s4r4BLAWnhUC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Mitchell, SA. 1996. Relationships between Perceived Learning Environment and Intrinsic Motivation in Middle School Physical Education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 15, pp 368-383 Nelson, MC & Gordon-Larson, P. 2006. Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Patterns are Associated with Selected Adolescent Health Risk Behavior. Pediatrics, 117, pp. 1281-1290. Orlick, T & McCaffrey, N. 1991. Mental Training with Children for Sport and Life. The Sports Psychologist. 5(4). pp 322-334. Silberman, C. 2010. Motivating Middle School Students in PE Class. PE Central Article. Web. Viewed 16 October 2011 at http://www.pecentral.org/articles/Motivating_Middle_Schoolers_8-27-10.pdf Whitehead, M. 2001. The Concept of Physical Literacy. British Journal of Teaching Physical Education, 6, pp 127-138. Web. Viewed 16 October 2011 at: http://www.physical-literacy.org.uk/concept.pdf . Read More