Physical Education and Well-being in Primary Education

Hello Bloggers!

It has been a long time since I last wrote a blog but I am happy to be back writing. The following blog series will continue to focus on the areas of learning and experience and their effects on primary education. Today’s blog will focus on how physical education can be used to promote well-being in primary education.

Cabinet Secretary for Education in Wales, Kirsty Williams (2018) believes that teachers should be recognising changes in children’s physical health and wellbeing. Williams states that it is important that teachers identify the changes and intervene in order to prevent the health and wellbeing of the child from deteriorating, however, only 4.2% of children that have access to counselling within their school will go on to seek additional help with wellbeing (Cording, 2018). Williams highlights that it is the responsibility of the school to help their students that are struggling with their health and wellbeing and not the responsibility of outside agencies. 

It is vital that schools ensure the health and wellbeing of their pupils, as the World Health Organisation (2014) identified that children spend 40% of their time at school. The National Association of Head Teachers (2017) found that schools that invest in ensuring the health and wellbeing of their pupils perform 11% to 17% better in tests compared to other schools.

Health and Wellbeing is one of the six areas of learning recommended by Professor Graham Donaldson (2015). Following the recommendations PE will no longer be a standalone subject, physical education will also look at tackling obesity, relationships and sex education. Donaldson (2015) states that children need to experience social, emotional and physical wellbeing, these are important issues, in which there is a need to learn about it in schools. Ensuring the wellbeing of children allows them to fully engage in their education (National Children’s Bureau, 2016). Nielson et al (2016) argues that previous initiatives to promote wellbeing in primary schools were extracurricular activities that were ’add-ons for the curriculum’.

How does physical education promote health and wellbeing?

Physical education in schools allows children to be active. Increased activity can have beneficial effects on a child’s wellbeing. For example, physical activity can be linked to having a positive mood (Thayer, 1996) which will make the school day a more positive experience for students. Regular physical activity also reduces stress and anxiety and increase children’s self-esteem (DfH, 2011). Sofi et al (2011) identified a number of cognitive benefits to regular physical activity, they found that exercise prevents cognitive decline, they studied participants for twelve years in order to identify this. Physical education is also a way in which children are able to socialise, being social is a major aspect of wellbeing. Alexandratos, Barnett and Thomas (2012) suggest that physical activity is a meaningful social interaction, for example when playing a game, you are part of a team and talk to your team members.

However, not all children are active, an important current issue today is obesity, in particularly in children which is an element of physical education. In today’s society there is growing pressure on children to look, eat or exercise a certain way.  Schools can contribute to this expectation, as they expect students to be physically fit to take part in activities. The media, government and other influential organisations promote what they think is perfection which is instilled in teachers and schools that are responsible for teaching children (Evans and Rich, 2011).  The teacher is seen as the person that is supposed to address these issues and not to reinforce what is said in the media (Evans, Davies and Wright, 2004). However, UK Active (2013) have found that at all ages low fitness levels were more common than obesity, 20% of children in their study had low fitness levels and only 11.2% were obese, a worrying figure was that obesity was most common in ten-year olds. The sample of this study was 8550 children between the ages of ten and sixteen from twenty-four schools in the East of England, this sample is not representative of the UK as a whole. If the sample was extended to children aged under ten, it may be found that children younger than ten had higher percentages of obesity.

The inspiration behind this blog is a lesson I took part in at University. The session was held in NIAC with a PGCE student that had previously studied PE. The session started with a warm up, where we were asked to run, skip, hop or jump in a closed space when we were instructed to do each type of movement. After the warm up, we then went onto learn a short routine from a dance that the teacher had created. We observed the routine and then practiced it altogether. We were split into groups where we were asked to create an additional sequence to add to the dance. 

This lesson promoted well-being as we were exercising throughout the warm up and by practicing the routine. We were then working collaboratively together with friends to create an additional sequence, which was fun and enjoyable as it allowed us to be social. One aspect of the lesson could have a negative effect on the wellbeing of students, which was performing the sequence that we had all created in front of others in the class which could make children feel nervous and uncomfortable. However, in this session performing in front of others was an option however, the session was fun and we were made to feel comfortable as the teacher was nice and engaged with us and encouraged us to engage with each other so all groups chose to perform. This lesson linked to Donaldson’s Successful Futures (2015) 4 purposes of the curriculum in particular one of the purposes which is creating healthy and confident individuals. This link can be made because we took part in physical activity and we all had the confidence to ‘participate in performance’ due to holding positive relationships with the teacher and other students (Donaldson, 2015). Donaldson based the recommendation of making physical education a larger part of the curriculum following the Melbourne Declaration on Educational goals for young people in 2008.

References

Alexandratos, K., Barnett, F., & Thomas, Y. (2012) The impact of exercise on the mental health and quality of life of people with severe mental illness: a critical review. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol75(2) Pp. 48-60.

Cording, James. (2018) Guest Lecture at Cardiff Metropolitan University, 29/January.

Department of Health PA, Health Improvement and Protection, (2011). Start Active, Stay Active: A report on physical activity from the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers. London: Department of Health.

Donaldson, G. (2015). Successful Futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. Caerdydd: Llywodraeth Cenedlaethol Cymru.

Evans, J., & Rich, E. (2011) Body policies and body pedagogies: every child matters in totally pedagogised schools? Journal of Education Policy, Vol26(3), Pp. 361-379.

Evans, J., Davies, B., & Wright, J. (2004) Body knowledge and control: studies in the sociology of physical education and health. London: Routledge.

National Association of Head Teachers / RCPsych (2017) The role of schools in a country that cares for the mental health of all children.

National Children's Bureau (2016) Partnership for Well-being and Mental Health in Schools. A whole school framework for emotional well-being and mental health. Available at: https://www.ncb.org.uk/sites/default/files/field/attachment/NCB%20School%20Well%20Being%20Framework%20Leaders%20Resources%20FINAL.pdf (Accessed: 10.3.18).

Neilson et al (2017) 'Are children participating in a quasi-experimental education outside the classroom intervention more physically active?', BMC Public Health, Vol17.

Sofi, F., Valecchi, D., Bacci, D,, Abbate, R., Gensini, G. F., Casini, A et al. (2011). Physical activity and risk of cognitive decline: a metaanalysis of prospective studies. Journal of Internal Medicine, Vol269(1), Pp. 107-17.

Thayer RE (1996) The Origin of Everyday Moods. New York: Oxford University Press.

UK Active (2013) Childhood Physical Literacy Report. Available at: http://www.ukactive.com/downloads/managed/Start_Young_Stay_Active.pdf (Accessed: 10.3.18).

Williams, K. (2018) Children, Young People and Education Committee. Available at: http://record.assembly.wales/Committee/4533 (Accessed: 10.3.18).

World Health Organisation (2014) Mental Health: a state of well-being. Available at: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/ (Accessed: 10.3.18).