PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Movement is fundamental to our lives, and contributes to our development, both as individuals and as members of our communities. It also contributes to our ability to help others to develop and be members of our communities.

The importance of taking part ‘in’ movement and the joy movement can bring to people’s lives. It recognizes that learning to move and taking part in movement can open us up to experience enjoyment and enrichment, and to create meaning for ourselves through movement. We can use movement to enrich others’ lives as well.

This focuses on the capabilities and interpersonal skills which we gain ‘through’ movement. It recognises that movements are a vehicle for learning spiritual, social, emotional, political, intellectual, and cultural capabilities. These capabilities include effective listening, assertiveness, showing empathy, problem solving, negotiation and compromise, mediation, and giving and receiving feedback. Developing these capabilities also helps ākonga to work more effectively with others and to respond to new or challenging situations.

This focuses on exploring understandings ‘about’ how the body works, and of ways to maintain and enhance physical experiences. It also encourages us to look at the sociocultural factors which influence movement itself and movement contexts.