1. Unit EDLT115 Learners and Learning
Assignment 1 – Reading Response Task
Semester 1, 2011
Assignment by Julie Papps
Due: Monday April 4, 2011

2. Task 1: From Table 1 the question I have chosen is:
Why is it important that teachers in primary and secondary schools include
physical education in their curriculum?
Physical education within the school environment provides children with the
opportunity to be involved in fitness activities, sport, and health and drug
education. It is designed to encourage children to live a healthier and more
enjoyable lifestyle (Burgeson, C., Wechsler, H., Brener, N., Young, J., Spain, C.
2009: 279). Hence it is important for teachers to include physical education in the
curriculum because physical education aids children of all ages in development,
not just physical, but social, emotional and cognitive development (Krause, K.
Bochner, S & Duchesne, S. 2006: 4). Furthermore physical education helps to
develop life skills such as team work, leadership and social interaction. Finally,
physical education can support children to avoid diseases such as obesity and
diabetes.
Krause, Bochner & Duchesne (2006: 5) illustrate that the development of motor
skills is one of the most important physical developments in childhood. It has
been shown that physical activity has positive effects on growth and maturation
in children. Children who engage in activities such as running, jumping, hopping,
skipping, climbing, rolling, throwing and catching show more advanced motor
skills, strength, balance, coordination and cardiovascular fitness compared with
their inactive peers (Kohl III, H & Hobbs, K. 1998: 550). During middle childhood
the ability to coordinate previously learned motor skills and develop hand - eye or
foot - eye coordination is important. Given the chance children are able to
combine these learned skills and move on to sports such as soccer and netball
(Krause, K., Bochner, S. & Duchesne, S. 2006: 7). Graybeal (n.d.: para. 6) states
that “students who participate in sixty minutes of physical activity everyday

3. experience improved academic performance, academic behavior, cognitive
ability and attitudes”.
Physical education can be the perfect setting in which to concentrate on social
skills because it aids children of all ages to develop skills such as honesty,
teamwork, fair play, leadership, social interaction skills and respect for
themselves and others (International Platform on Sport and Development. n.d.:
para. 2). The Australian Sports Commission (2001: para. 3) states that while
physical activity provides bonding and a sense of belonging, it also challenges
children to work in a group and think of others. Children get to feel part of a team
and can feed off the energy and enthusiasm of fellow team mates.
Regular physical activity during childhood and adolescence can reduce the risk
of developing certain chronic diseases in adulthood such as cardiovascular
disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Because physical activity in children
influences participation in exercise as an adult, physical education in schools can
contribute to children becoming more active and therefore, reducing the risk of
developing these chronic diseases later in life (Lee, S., Burgeson, C., Fulton, J.
& Spain, C. 2007: para. 5). Krause, Bochner & Duschne (2006: 7) identify
television and video games as competitors with physical activity when it comes
to children’s spare time. Because television viewing reduces the opportunity to
be physically active outdoors, it therefore increases the opportunity for dietary
intake, lower metabolic rate and less physical activity which inturn increases the
chance of developing obesity (KOHL III, H & Hobbs, K. 2006: 551). Research
also illustrates that physical activity can have a positive effect on anxiety,
depression, mood, emotion and self esteem (Coalter, F 2005: 12). National
Institutes in America have shown that when quality, quantity and intensity of

4. physical education is addressed, teachers will maximise a child’s potential for a
lifetime of physical activity, health and wellness (American Cancer Society,
American Diabetes Association& American Heart Association. 2008: 3).
In conclusion, as stated by Lee, Burgeson, Fulton & Spain (2007: para. 7)
“quality physical education provides a unique opportunity for students to obtain
the knowledge and skills needed to establish and maintain physically active
lifestyles throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. Burgeson et al.
(2009) demonstrates that children who participate in regular physical activity are
found to have strong and healthy bones, muscles and joints; are able to control
weight, build lean muscle and reduce fat; prevent or delay high blood pressure,
diabetes and obesity and reduces feelings of depression and anxiety. As a result
most early and middle school programs attach great importance to physical
education in schools. Therefore, as Pangrazi & Beighle (2009:21) illustrate
physical education at an early age provides students with the skills needed to be
physically active throughout life and therefore should most certainly be apart of
the curriculum in all primary and secondary schools.

5. Task 2: Reflect on your answer from Task 1 and discuss how this fits in
with your personal beliefs relating to teaching and learning in primary
schools.
In this reflection I will discuss my personal beliefs on why I think it is important
that physical education be apart of the curriculum in primary and secondary
schools. Physical education has formed an important part of my life since
childhood. I have many fond memories of friendships made through sport, of how
good physical activity makes me feel both on the inside and out and how
physical education can set you up for a healthy and happy lifestyle, not just in
childhood but well into adulthood. It is for these reasons that I have chosen
physical education as my elective module for this course and also why I have
chosen to answer the physical education question in this assignment.
I feel the most important reason physical education should be incorporated into
the curriculum of primary and high school is that physical education can help to
reverse the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. The Australian Government
(2006: para. 5) estimates that 20 – 25% of Australian children are overweight or
obese. Obesity is a chronic disease that threatens to undo decades of progress
in the fight against other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease,
diabetes and cancer (American Cancer Society, American Diabetes
Association& American Heart Association. 2008: 1). With children spending so
much time watching television and playing video games before and after school,
I feel that it is even more important that children benefit from some type of
physical activity at school in the form of physical education. Television viewing
reduces the opportunity to be physically active outdoors, and therefore increases
the opportunity for dietary intake which inturn increases the chance for children
to become obese (KOHL III, H & Hobbs, K. 2006: 551). Therefore, if all children

6. were seen to be undertaking physical education at school, it would ensure that
all children are at least getting some form of physical activity a few times per
week.
As stated by Lee, Burgeson, Fulton & Spain (2007) physical education aids
children to develop skills such as team work, leadership, honesty, fair play,
respect for themselves and other, adherence to rules and social interaction skills
which aid children to have better attitudes toward life in general. These are all
skills that generally are not taught in the classroom. In fact, the classroom
actually benefits from children acquiring these skills as physical activity has been
shown to improve academic performance, behaviour, cognitive ability and
children’s attitudes Graybeal (n.d.: para. 6).
Through personal experience physical activity also increases positive self
esteem and self image, while decreasing anxiety and depression. Sarafolean
(2009: 1) explains that suicide as a result of anxiety and depression occurs in
about 8% of adolescent children and is more likely to be successful in young
boys than in young girls. Accordingly as stated by The International Platform on
Sport and Development (n.d : para 2) “physical education and activity can
provide an opportunity for young people to learn how to deal with competition
and how to cope with both winning and losing. These learning aspects highlight
the impact of physical education and sport on a child’s social and moral
development in addition to physical skills and abilities”
After thorough research and investigation into the effects of physical education
on primary and secondary students I believe physical education should hold a
very important part of a teacher’s curriculum. With all the literature I have read

7. the positive impacts well outweigh the negative impacts on children of all ages
when it comes to physical education and physical activities within the school
surroundings. Once I am teaching my own primary school class, physical
education will definitely be an important part of my teaching curriculum.

8. REFERENCE
American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association & American Heart
Association. (2008) Physical Education in Schools – Both Quality and
Quantity are Important. Retrieved from
http://www.everydaychoices.org/082008/PE%20in%20Schools%20Statem
ent%20ACS%20ADA%20AHA%205.27.08%20_final_.pdf
Australian Sports Commission. (2001). The Social Impacts of Sport and Physical
Recreation. Retrieved from
http://ausport.gov.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0006/276927/ABS-
Social_impacts_of_spot.pdf
Burgeson, C., Wechsler, H., Brener, N., Young, J., Spain, C. (2009). Physical
Education and Activity: Results from the School Health Policies and
programs Study 2000. Journal of School Health, 71 (7), 279 - 293. doi:
10.1111/j.1746-1561.2001.tb03505.x
Coalter, F (2005) The Social Benefits of Sport. Pp. 12. Vol. 1. Edinburgh:
Sportscotland
Graybeal, L. (n.d.). Physical Education in Child Development. Retrieved from
http://www.ehow.com/about_6462216_physical_education_child_develop
ment.html
International Platform on Sport and Development. (n.d.). Healthy Development of
Children and Young People through Sport. Retrieved from
http://www.sportanddev.org/en/learnmore/sport_education_and_child_you
th_development2/healthy_development_of_children_and_young_people_t
hrough_sport/
Kohl III, H & Hobbs, K. (2006). Development of Physical Activity Behaviours
Among Children and Adolescents. Paediatrics: Official Journal of the
American Academy of Paediatrics. 549 – 554. doi:
10.1542/peds.101.3.S1.549
Krause, K., Bochner, S & Duchesne, S. 2006 ‘Extract: Emerging Skills’
Educational Psychology for Learning and Teaching 2nd ed. Pp. 3-39
South Melbourne, Vic.
Lee, S., Burgeson, C., Fulton, J. & Spain, C (2007). Physical Education and
Activity: Results From the School Health Policies and Programs Study
2006. Journal of School Health, 77 (8), 435 – 463. doi: 10.111/j.1746-
1561.2007.00229.x

9. Pangrazi, R & Beighle, A. (2009) Teaching Children in the Physical Education
Environment. In Robert P. Pangrazi & Aaron Beighle, Dynamic Physical
Education for Elementary School Children, pp. 20-34. 16th Ed. San
Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.
Sarafolean, M (2009). Depression in School-Age Children and Adolescents
Assessment and Prevention. Retrieved from
http://www.healthyplace.com/depression/children/depression-in-school-
age-children-and-adolescents-characteristics-assessment-and-
prevention/menu-id-68/
The Australian Government. (2006) Child Obesity in Australia – Alarming
Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.child-obesity.info/child-
health/alarming-statistics-about-child-obesity-in-australia.html