How can physical education be used to promote wellbeing in primary education?

This blog post will aim to answer the question “how can physical education be used to promote wellbeing in primary education?”. In order to achieve this, definitions of physical education and wellbeing will be explored, as well as the increasing importance of physical education in Welsh primary schools due to the positive impacts and benefits on peoples’ physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing. 

To begin, physical activity has been defined as "all movements in everyday life, including work, recreation, exercise and sporting activities” whilst physical education specifically focuses on “developing physical competence so that all children can move efficiently, effectively and safely and understand what they are doing” (School and Physical Activity Task and Finish Group, 2013, p.18). Physical education “is unique in that it is taught through physical activity in weekly practical lessons both indoors and outdoors, in a wide range of physical, creative and aesthetic settings” (Ofsted, 2013, p.4). Due to some children not having many opportunities to exercise outside of school, it is essential that children are given the opportunity to stay physically active whilst they are in school. Therefore, teachers and coaches in schools are best placed to stimulate pupils’ early interest and enthusiasm for play, physical activity, PE and school sport. They are also responsible for providing children with the recommended level of physical activity - at least 60 minutes daily (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). 

We all know that being physically active is good for our bodies. But our physical health and mental health are closely linked – so physical activity can be very beneficial for our mental health and wellbeing too (Mind, 2015, p.4). Wellbeing has been defined as “a positive physical, social and mental state; it is not just the absence of pain, discomfort and incapacity. It requires that basic needs are met, that individuals have a sense of purpose, that they feel able to achieve important personal goals and participate in society. It is enhanced by conditions that include supportive personal relationships, strong and inclusive communities, good health, financial and personal security, rewarding employment, and a healthy and attractive environment” (Department of Education, 2010, p.13). Professor Donaldson (2015, p.45) has suggested that “children and young people need to experience social, emotional and physical well-being to thrive and engage successfully with their education”. 

Health and well-being is becoming a major part of the new Welsh curriculum, being fully implemented by 2020. According to Donaldson (2015, p.30), the new Health and Wellbeing Area of Learning and Experience should teach children to become “healthy, confident individuals who are building their mental and emotional well-being by developing confidence, resilience and empathy", as well as being able to “apply knowledge about the impact of diet and exercise on physical and mental health in their daily lives”. This new area of learning and experience will also aim to help to address concerns about physical activity and diet, for example, as children and young people engage in different kinds of physical activity and gain knowledge and practical skills for healthy eating. As children and young people develop habits that will promote their own and others’ well-being this will make a contribution to reducing health inequalities and improving well-being more widely.

The International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education claims that physical education helps children to develop respect for  the  body  –  their  own  and  others’,  contributes  towards  the  integrated  development  of mind and body, develops an understanding of the role of physical activity in health, positively enhances self-confidence and self-esteem, and enhances social and cognitive development and academic achievement (Bailey et al, 2009). Other benefits include reduced anxiety and happier moods, reduced feelings of stress, clearer thinking, increased self-esteem and reduced risk of depression, as well as making friends and connecting with people (Mind, 2015, p.8). Good health and wellbeing brings many benefits for all of us. Healthier people tend to be happier, tend to play an active role and contribute to society and the economy through their families, local communities and workplaces. Conversely, poor health and wellbeing puts a huge strain on individuals, the NHS, the economy and society (Department of Education, 2010, p.6). It is also claimed that purposeful engagement in physical education and social sport has the potential to engender positive social  behaviours  (such as cooperation, personal responsibility and empathy) in young people and to address a number of contemporary social issues relating to problematic youth behaviour, such as depression, crime, truancy and alcohol or drug abuse (Bailey et al, 2009).

Physical education could be made more engaging in primary education by making learning more authentic, teaching activities that pupils could use outside of school. In addition, educational visits to stadiums or athletic tracks could be used to encourage pupils to be more active. Furthermore, sports days and competitions could be used as a way of engaging pupils. 

In conclusion, this essay has defined physical education as developing physical competence so that all children can move efficiently, effectively and safely and understand what they are doing. It has also identified how physical education in primary schools is crucial, and explored ways in which it is beneficial to pupils’ physical and emotional health and and wellbeing. It has also looked at ways in which to keep physical education engaging for pupils.

References

Bailey, R., Armour, K., Kirk, D., Jess, M., Pickup, I., Sandford, R., & Education, B. P. (2009). The educational benefits claimed for physical education and school sport: an academic review. Research papers in education, 24(1), 1-27. 

Department of Health (2010) Our Health and Wellbeing Today. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/215911/dh_122238.pdf. Accessed: 04/04/18.

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

Mind (2015) How to improve your wellbeing through physical activity and sport. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/media/2976123/how-to-improve-your-wellbeing-through-physical-activity-and-sport.pdf. Accessed: 14/04/18. 

Ofsted (2013) Beyond 2012 – outstanding physical education for all. Physical education in schools 2008–12. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beyond-2012-outstanding-physical-education-for-all. Accessed: 14/04/18. 

School and Physical Activity Task and Finish Group (2013) Physical Literacy – an all-Wales approach to increasing levels of physical activity for children and young people. Welsh Government. 

U.S Department of Health & Human Services (2017) Physical Activity Initiative. Available at: https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/be-active/physical-activity-initiative/index.html. Accessed: 14/04/18.

How can science and technology be made engaging and relevant in primary education?

“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob children of tomorrow” (Dewey, 1944, p.167), Dewey highlights the importance of updating our knowledge to suit the high demands of technology, as technology is changing and evolving, so is society and the pedagogical methods which were once successful, may now be completely outdated. “Educators can no longer bury their heads in the sand when it comes to using technology in the classroom” (Younie and Leask, 2015) as they must be aware of all technological evolvement, to ensure that they have the tools to appropriately facilitate their students. Stokes (2012) proposed that “technology has no impact on its own, it all depends how we use it” and “you need to have an effective use of technology if it is going to make an impact on pupil’s achievement” (Cuban, 2001). Donaldson agrees with these statements and has revised the Welsh curriculum and suggested that the subjects Science and ICT are ineffective when taught individually but when they are combined to produce ‘Science and Technology’ the subjects become “dynamic” and children are able to “develop a solid understanding of the world around them to allow them to become confident, capable, creative citizens” (Donaldson, 2015).

According to Donaldson’s report ‘Successful Futures’ (2015), “Science involves acquiring knowledge through observation and experimentation” and “technology applies scientific knowledge in practical ways”. By applying the two simultaneously, it enables students to solve real-life problems that they may not be able to solve by applying them individually, the Welsh Government (2012) suggested that Science and Technology makes and sustains our modern society and it help us to understand and solve the big questions that we face, making their learning more authentic and meaningful. The Plowden Report (1967, p.555) stated that “throughout our discussion of the curriculum we stress that children’s learning does not fit into subject categories” (Plowden, 1967, p.555) and therefore the cross curricula pedagogical method is necessary. A cross-curricula pedagogical approach is beneficial for everyone involved as it can be achieved anywhere and through all aspects of the curriculum (Department for Education and Skills, 2016). “Cross curricular learning helps to develop metacognitive learners, as metacognitive learners can adapt their learning to new situations” (Shannon, 2008) and it “makes learning more relevant”, this approach puts “key concepts into context”, rather than learning unnecessary non-transferable skills (Dean, 2001; Barnes and Shirley, 2007).

Science and Technology are not the only subjects that work well together, Engineering and Mathematics have also been introduced to create ‘STEM’. The STEM subjects according to (Jones, 2012) “are the bedrock for innovation in business and industry and the Welsh Government will continue to push forward links between these and education- helping young people get the real grasp of the real world of work”. STEM “education has been discussed as a critical issue inside and outside of schools, and a large share of funds have been invested to encourage students and to increase educators’ interests and efforts in STEM fields” (Han, Capraro and Capraro, 2015)”. In Wales four million pounds was to be invested in 2017 to improve teachers’ skills in Science and Technology and improve pupil’s quality of experience of the subjects whilst they are still in school (Welsh Government, 2017). It is estimated that “by 2030 the U.K. will have over 7 million jobs needing STEM skills and…science can help broaden young people’s life choices and opportunities in terms of keeping their future options open” (OECD, 2011), therefore Donaldson introduced the Digital Competence Framework (DCF), which “focuses on developing digital skills which can be applied to a wide range of subjects and scenarios” (Learning Wales, 2017). Donaldson intends for the STEM subjects to prepare young people for the world of work and he is hopeful that more young people will begin to enjoy science and technology and therefore want to pursue a career in that area. Through the new curriculum reform Donaldson aims for ‘Science and Technology’ to aid in the development of all four purposes of the curriculum, the first purpose of the curriculum is for the children to become “ambitious, capable learners” and this can be achieved through working individually on their observation, research and critical thinking skills. The second of the four purposes are to contribute in enterprising and creativity which will be accomplished through the process of design and by creating digital products, by evaluating the impacts of developments regarding science and technology, the child can become “ethical, informed citizens” (Donaldson, 2015). Lastly, for the children to become all round “healthy, confident individuals”, they learn to “use digital technologies safely with respect for others” (Donaldson, 2015).

Curricula design should not begin from the content but from the learner (Nunan, 1988; Savery and Duffy, 1996), this suggests that for the lessons to be engaging and relevant, the children’s’ interests must be followed, the activities must also teach children authentic and transferable skills that they can apply to real-life circumstances. Educational trips and class experiments are excellent ways of involving the children and making Science fun and engaging as they can use their senses to gain a deeper understanding, DeWitt and Storksdiek, (2008) agreed, proposing that “trips can have a positive impact on learning of facts and concepts”. This form of pedagogy applies a kinaesthetic learning style and this “employs a combination of sensory functions; such learners have to feel or live the experience to learn; they prefer simulations of real practices and experiences, lessons that emphasize on performing an activity” (Shah et al., 2017), Wooten et al (2010) adds to this stating “tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand. Virtual reality trips are also very educational as “patients are exposed to virtual environments that resemble…real-life situations” (Morina et al., 2015) however, this can be less authentic due to not as many senses being involved. During a university seminar, we conducted some simple yet interesting experiments which would allow the children to gain basic scientific skills such as “generate and test ideas, gather evidence, make observations, carry out practical investigations, and communicate with others” (Donaldson, 2015, p.50). By physically conducting these experiments rather than watching them on YouTube, the children are being involved in a deeper and more meaningful way, allowing them to ask questions and estimate what is going to happen before it happens right in front of them. Experimentation also enables the children to change and adapt the substances and objects in any way they see fit, allowing them to lead their own learning.

During our university seminar, we also took a trip to Techniquest which is a Science and Technology centre, designed to “embed science in Welsh culture through interactive engagement”. I have attached a video below, explaining how their exhibits engages the children and provides them with the opportunities to captivate an interest in Science and Technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP7Ze3OKROI

To conclude, Donaldson has designed a new curriculum that includes Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), to promote the relevance of the areas in a cross-curricula approach. This method aims to enlighten teachers and children of the benefits and importance of Science and Technology in this highly technological society and train the teachers to facilitate the children with regards to making Science engaging but most importantly relevant. STEM projects are being funded by the government to ensure that enough is being done to achieve these aims as it was estimated that “by 2030 the U.K. will have over 7 million jobs needing STEM skills and…science can help broaden young people’s life choices and opportunities in terms of keeping their future options open” (OECD, 2011). Donaldson is hopeful that children will be prepared for the world of work through learning about real-life problems, Pearce (2016) suggests that children should be taught about ‘real-world issues’ in schools and their “learning experiences should mirror the complexities and ambiguities of real life”, finding ways to solve them through experimentation and observation, as these methods are more fun and engaging and by following a more child-led approach.   

In this picture, we are discussing how to build a bridge from only spaghetti and marshmallows.

  

References

Barnes, J., Shirley, I. (2007). Strangely familiar: cross curricular and creative thinking in teacher education, Improving schools, vol. 10. No. 2. p./ 289-306.

Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and underused. London: Harvard University Press.

Dean, J. (2001). Organising Learning in the Primary Classroom (3rd edn). London: Routledge.

Department for Education (2016) Schools and organisations recognised for instilling character. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-and-organisations-recognised-for-instilling-character (Accessed: 19/03/2018).

Dewey, J (1944) Democracy and education. New York: The MacMillan Company.

DeWitt, J. and Storksdieck, M., (2008). A short review of school field trips: Key findings from the past and implications for the future. Visitor Studies, 11(2), pp.181-197.

Donaldson, G., (2015). Successful futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. Welsh Government.

Donaldson, G., (2015). Successful futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. Welsh Government, p.50.

Han, S., Capraro, R. and Capraro, M.M., (2015). How science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) affects high, middle, and low achievers differently: The impact of student factors on achievement. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 13(5), pp.1089-1113.

Jones, C. (2012). Welsh Government: Guidance for Schools and Colleges. Available at: http://gov.wales/docs/dcells/publications/121008stemguidanceen.pdf (Accessed: 15/04/2018).

Learning Wales (2017) Digital Competence Framework. Available at: http://learning.gov.wales/resources/browse-all/digital-competence-framework/?lang=en (Accessed: 14/04/2018).

Morina, N., Ijntema, H., Meyerbröker, K. and Emmelkamp, P.M., (2015). Can virtual reality exposure therapy gains be generalized to real-life? A meta-analysis of studies applying behavioral assessments. Behaviour research and therapy, 74, pp.18-24.

Nunan, D., (1988). The learner-centred curriculum: A study in second language teaching. Cambridge University Press.

OECD. (2012). PISA - Against the Odds: Disadvantaged Students Who Succeed in School. http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisa-againsttheoddsdisadvantagedstudentswhosucceedinschool.htm (Accessed: 15/04/2018).

Pearce, S. (2016) 'e-Teaching-Management Strategies for the Classroom', Authentic Learning: What, Why and How?, Available at: http://www.acel.org.au/acel/ACEL_docs/Publications/e-Teaching/2016/e-Teaching_2016_10.pdf (Accessed: 15/04/2018).

Plowden, Lady Bridget. (1967). Children and Their Primary schools: A report of the Central Advisory Council for Education, Volume 1. London: HMSO, pp.555.

Savery, J.R. and Duffy, T.M., (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. Educational technology, 35(5), pp.31-38.

Shah, K., Ahmed, J., Shenoy, N. and Srikant, N., (2017). How different are students and their learning styles?. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 1(3), pp.212-215.

Shannon, S.V., (2008). Using metacognitive strategies and learning styles to create self-directed learners. Institute for Learning Styles Journal, 1(1), pp.14-28.

Stokes, K. (2012). Decoding Learning: The proof, promise and potential of digital education. Education Journal, 149, 8-12.

Techniquest (2017) Schools' Programme. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP7Ze3OKROI (Accessed: 13/04/2018).

Techniquest (2018) The Story of Techniquest. Available at: https://www.techniquest.org/about-us/the-story-of-techniquest/ (Accessed: 15/04/2018).

Welsh Government (2017). Drive to improve Science and Technology in schools begins. Available at: http://gov.wales/newsroom/educationandskills/2017/drive-to-improve-science-and-technology-in-schools-begins/?lang=en (Accessed: 15/04/2018).

Wooten, D., Mack, K. and Azzam, A., (2010). Tracking Inquiry in a Problem-based Learning Curriculum. In Journal of General Internal Medicine (Vol. 25, p.451). New York: Springer.

Younie, S., Leask, M., & Burden, K. (2015). Teaching and Learning with ICT in Primary School (2nd ed.). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.

How can science and technology be made engaging and relevant in primary education?

This blog post will aim to answer the question “how can science and technology can be made engaging and relevant in primary education?”. During the process of answering this question, this blog will provide definitions of science and technology, with reference to Donaldson’s Successful Futures report, as well as exploring the importance of making learning engaging and relevant in primary education. It will also provide examples of engaging and relevant activities with specific focus on science and technology in primary education.

Our society is filled with science and technology, and in one form or another, it is continually changing and improving the way that we live our lives. It makes and sustains our modern society and will help us to understand and solve the big questions that our world faces. In addition to this, Philip Greenish, the chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering reported that "we need about 1.25m science, engineering and technology professionals and technicians by 2020, including a high proportion of engineers, to support the UK's economic recovery” (Naughton, 2014). Therefore it is clear that everyone needs at least a basic level of understanding of it, however, in recent times fewer young people seem to be interested in science and technical subjects (Osborne & Dillon, 2008, p. 5) and often, very limited attention is paid to science and technology in primary education (Martin, Mullis, Foy, & Stanco, 2012). A key problem that hinders the implementation of more appealing science instruction in primary schools is the issue of the often overloaded curriculum (Gresnigt et al, 2014). Another major problem is that primary teachers often avoid teaching science due to factors such as “limited subject knowledge, limited pedagogical content knowledge, inadequate understanding of problem-solving skills and low self-efficacy” (Appleton, 2007). 

Until recently, the ideas of science and technology have been incorporated into primary education as separate subjects, with little or no links made between them during the process of teaching and learning. However, as part of the new Welsh curriculum, they are now seen as “closely linked, each depending upon the other” (Donaldson, 2015, p. 50). This is due to the fact that “science involves acquiring knowledge through observation and experimentation, and technology applies scientific knowledge in practical ways” (Donaldson, 2015, p. 50). Science and Technology is one of Donaldson’s new Areas of Learning and Experience, and it “capitalises on children and young people’s curiosity about our natural, physical world and universe though investigating, understanding, and explaining. They learn to generate and test ideas, gather evidence, make observations, carry out practical investigations, and communicate with others. Children and young people will also have opportunities to learn how technology is used to design products that improve the quality of human life and to apply their scientific and other knowledge to practical purposes and challenges” (Donaldson, 2015, p. 50)

Learning in the Science and technology Area of Learning and Experience will enable many young people to prepare for careers in science, digital industries and technologies (Donaldson, 2015, p.50). However, it has been argued that these lessons are not engaging or relevant to the lives of primary school children. 

A way in which science and technology could be seen as engaging and relevant in primary education is when the learning can be shown to have real-life applications (IET Education, 2018). An example of this can be seen when during a science and technology seminar at university, I was involved in experimenting using objects and substances which are used in real life, and would be seen as engaging and exciting for primary school pupils as they could imitate the same experiments at home. We used objects such as washing up liquid mixed with different food colourings to create different drawings and paintings, as well as creating explosions using Coca-cola and Mentos, and making volcanos erupt using baking powder and vinegar. These experiments may seem simple, and may have already been researched, but they do teach children the process of experimentation, for use in the future, as well as providing them with authentic, engaging learning throughout their primary school lives. During these experiments, pupils will pose a question and come up with a hypothesis, and then choose their research methods to conduct the experiment, gather results and form a conclusion based on their findings. 

Another way in which science and technology could be seen as engaging and relevant is through educational visits to science centres, such as Techniquest. The mission of Techniquest, is to “embed science in Welsh culture through interactive engagement. They provide a range of services to schools and teachers to complement formal education provision in Wales and all programmes are linked to the Curriculum for Wales” (Techniquest, 2018). Educational visits are beneficial to pupils as “the most natural learning is realised through personal experience” (Zoldosova and Prokop, 2006, p. 304). It has been argued that “visiting science centres has increased pupils’ intrinsic motivation as the traditional educational environment is usually not as interesting as the natural environment. That is why it is quite clear to say, that science field centres provide greater resources to increase pupils’ interest in comparison with the traditional school classroom (Zoldosova and Prokop, 2006, p. 311).

In conclusion, it can be seen that interests in science and technology among young people are not very high, but there is a high demand for people to become science, engineering and technology professionals and technicians. Therefore it is vital that engagement in science is improved, starting from the bottom of the scale at primary school level. Primary school teachers have an important role in making science and technology engaging and relevant for pupils as it will enable many young people to prepare for careers in science, digital industries and technologies. I have suggested two ways in which this could be achieved. Firstly, through experiments which are relevant to pupils, involving products and substances which can be found in everyday life. And secondly, through educational visits to science centres such as Techniquest. 

References 

Appleton, K. (2007). Elementary science teaching. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 493–535). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Donaldson, G. (2015) Successful Futures. 

Gresnigt, R., Taconis, R., van Keulen, H., Gravemeijer, K., & Baartman, L. (2014). Promoting science and technology in primary education: a review of integrated curricula. Studies in Science Education, 50(1), 47-84.

IET Education (2018) Resources. Available at: https://faraday-secondary.theiet.org/resource-pages/. Accessed: 11/04/18.

Martin, M. O., Mullis, I. V. S., Foy, P., & Stanco, G. M. (2012). TIMSS 2011 international results in science. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College.

Naughton, J. (2014) ‘Our young people need to study science and technology for a brighter future’. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/23/science-maths-engineering-technology-vital-subjects. Accessed: 12/04/18.  

Osborne, J., & Dillon, J. (2008). Science education in Europe: Critical reflections. London: The Nuffield Foundation

Techniquest (2018) Available at: https://www.techniquest.org/education/schools/. Accessed: 12/04/18. 

How can schools promote health and well-being through the curriculum in primary education?

The rates of obesity also known as excessive weight gain (Ogden and Flegal, 2010) in children are ever increasing due to many factors, a report published in 2015 by Public Health Wales showed that over 25% of four to five-year-old children in Wales are overweight or obese (NHS, 2015). The factors that are causing obesity are; lack of exercise at home and in school, bullying, genetic factors, lack of knowledge regarding nutrition and the ever-evolving world of technology and virtual reality plays a huge role in decreasing children’s motivation to play outside and stay active (Ross, Flynn and Pate, 2016; Xu and Xue, 2016). Sahoo et al (2015) states that although eating fatty foods can be the cause of obesity, “excessive sugar intake, increased portion size and steady decline in physical activity” are all contributing factors which can affect a child’s “physical health, social and emotional well-being and self-esteem” as well as impacting on the academic performance and their quality of life (Pulgaron, 2013; Sahoo et al., 2015; Rankin et al., 2016). Having said this, obesity clearly does not only have a physical detrimental impact on children, these issues can follow them through to adulthood (Freedman et al., 2007) if strategies are not implemented early enough and therefore it is imperative that schools are promoting the importance of ‘Health and Well-being’ in the early stages of the curriculum. Schools can promote good health through many aspects of the curriculum and these aspects will be highlighted throughout.

Michalos (2017) defines good ‘well-being’ or “eudaimonia” as, “living well and doing well”, “by enjoying goods of the mind…goods of the body…and external goods” and physical activity (PA) positively reinforces this. "Physical activity…is important for children’s growth and development and for their current and future health” (Chow, McKenzie and Louie, 2015, P. 39) and consists of “any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure” (Donnelly et al., 2016). Physical Education (PE) in schools is compulsory as part of the curriculum however, when I attended primary school I believe that there were negative attitudes towards PE and a subject which many teachers deemed insignificant and a waste of their academic time. It has become more accepted in todays primary education as Donaldson has introduced a new, reformed curriculum, this new curriculum includes many changes, but one key change is how the subjects are being interlinked and will no longer be taught in silo, therefore PE will now be known as ‘Health and Well-being’, aiming to tackle not only obesity but also relationships, sex education (Donaldson, 2015) and nutrition. Exercising for one hour per week in schools is simply not enough to become an overall “healthy, confident individual” (Donaldson, 2015, p.30), the implementation of the new curriculum will effectively, be achieving a more cross-curricula pedagogical approach (Donaldson, 2015).

“Schools are responsible for a large amount of contact time and have the potential to assist children in meeting their daily PA needs” (Department of Health and Human Services, 2010) and due to some children not having many opportunities to exercise outside of school, it is essential that children are given the opportunity to stay physically active whilst they are in school. Hills, Dengel and Lubans (2015) proposed that the attitudes towards physical activity (PA) are influenced by those around us; family, school and the community and therefore PA should not be limited to PE in schools, but children should be encouraged to take part before and after school, as well as during school breaks in extra curricula activities. To increase participation and motivation, captivating the children’s interests and giving them greater choice, will enable them to “benefit more from engaging in PA they enjoy” (Hills, Dengel and Lubans, 2015) and this occurs with higher quality experiences (NRC, 2009; Behrendt and Franklin, 2014). Having positive thoughts, feelings and emotions towards an activity allows for the children to become engrossed in it and ultimately enables them to gain a deeper understanding and improve their intrinsic motivation to better themselves (Parker and Lepper, 1993; Yang and Damasio, 2007; Mega, Ronconi and DeBenu, 2014). Skinner and Belmont (1993) suggests that the teachers behaviour towards an activity, whether that be positive or negative, is extremely important as it “provides (a) complimentary perspective” on the motivation of their students’, therefore the teachers’ passions should also be followed through as this will provide a positive ambience to work and learn in.

Nutrition is another very important aspect of a child’s health and it effects their physical and mental state of mind, for example if a child does not receive the appropriate nutrients throughout the day, their energy levels and brain activity can be affected, causing them to become lethargic, it can also have long term negative impacts on their growth and development (Prentice et al., 2006). Good nutrition can be taught in schools through cooking, gardening and tasting (Evans et al., 2012) and identifying foods, which can be an enjoyable and satisfying way to provide children with their five-a-day. Whilst the children are gardening fruit and vegetables and cooking their own meals, they are learning what foods are good for them to consume, how to prepare different foods and most importantly how to eat a balanced diet and in turn they will gain knowledge, a sense of independence and essentially develop social skills when interacting with other children and adults (Heim, Stang and Ireland, 2009; Bowen and Devine, 2011; Van der Horst, Ferrage, and Rytz, 2014). Taking responsibility for their eating habits and nutritional intake will allow for them to educate others, both adults and other children in hope that it may decrease the rates of obesity in the future, this in effect, will achieve one of Donaldson’s four purposes, which is preparing them “to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society” (Donaldson, 2015).

Lastly, technology can be an excellent way of promoting health and well-being. Although it can be a factor causing obesity, if used correctly it can also provide good knowledge and enjoyable experiences. During work-based placement, I observed a year one class partaking in a ‘five-a-day’ exercising activity, this activity consisted of a five-minute exercise video on YouTube containing fun movements imitating different sporting events; javelin, swimming, diving, running, shotput and more. The children really engaged in this activity as it was probably different from their usual PE lessons and as it was only a short video, they were able to place their full attention on the activity without becoming distracted or bored. This activity not only allowed the children to partake in exercise, but it is possible that it could have captivated an interest by drawing out a passion for one of the sporting events and although the children were simply imitating the sport, it may have been the only opportunity for them to attempt so many different sports and that in turn may have led to them joining extra curricula activities outside of school.

In conclusion, health and well-being is not solely one person’s responsibility, it is the responsibility of all those who are involved in the child’s life, that being their parents, school and community’s concern. According to Donaldson, physical education being taught in silo was simply not enough to promote healthy living and therefore revised the curriculum and made necessary changes, one of these changes being, renaming physical education to ‘Health and Well-being’. Health and well-being is not sought through physical activity (PA) alone but with a combination of good nutrition, adequate knowledge and appropriately used technology, with all of these factors involved, children of today will be given the opportunity to become “healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued member of society” (Donaldson, 2015) and  prepare them to “meet the needs of today and challenges of tomorrow” (Donaldson, 2015).   

References

Behrendt, M., and T. Franklin. (2014). “A Review of Research on School Field Trips and Their Value in Education.” International Journal of Environmental and Science Education 9 (3): 235–245.

Bowen, R. L., & Devine, C. M. (2011). “Watching a person who knows how to cook, you’ll learn a lot”. Linked lives, cultural transmission, and the food choices of Puerto Rican girls. Appetite, 56(2), 290–298. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2010.12.015, S0195-6663(10)00841-X [pii].

Chow, B.C., McKenzie, T.L. and Louie, L., (2015). Children’s physical activity and associated variables during preschool physical education. Advances in Physical Education, 5(1), p.39.

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Cross-curriculum teaching

Cross-curricular teaching is a concept that has been discussed for over 100 years. From earlier, Dewey (1902) believed that the robust links between subjects would take account of discrete learning and relating them through children’s experiences. Over the last few decades, cross-curricular teaching has been widely debated as the best method to use in schools (Rowley, 2009). Beginning with the idea that learning is an interpretative network which spreads across domains (Kerry, 2015; Clyde, 1995). It means the more you connect knowledge, the better you learn. Nowadays, a lot of educators are doing researches, trying to create the best teaching-learning method for education in the future. Kerry argues we need to accept that in an information world, knowledge itself will be beyond the capacity of the human brain and that the important skills will be in evaluating and applying knowledge (2015, p.15). Also, “schools need to embrace cross-curricular learning and move away from reform that positions subjects in ways that hark back to some imagined past, rather than forwards to more globalised times” (Power, 2002, p.103).

What is Cross – Curricular teaching?

According to Hayes (2010, p.382) “cross-curricular teaching as the combination of one or more subject areas which integrate a central theme, issue, process, topic or experience with the aim of enhancing more than just subject knowledge”. In other words, Cross - Curricular teaching is using one theme and making it work across several subjects. For example, you can pick one book about Cat, then you make that book work in phonics (C-A-T), art (drawing a cat), large motor (imitating a cat), and science (learning about lion, tiger and leopard)

Another example, we can choose a theme as a letter of the week. This week we have letter “I” and we will do “insects”. Following the theme, activities for children can be counting how many body parts, how many legs, how many antennas. For vocabulary, they learn the body parts, what they were called. Also, children can do art by drawing or making the bugs. Basically, we can cover all the subjects with just one thing.

In addition, there are many advantages and disadvantages to teaching in a cross-curricular way. There is no doubt that children are the most important one to consider when it comes to teaching. Therefore, it is essential to look at how the cross-curricular teaching affects them

Advantages

Firstly, there is normally no time restraints as learning in cross-curricular can range from a day, term or even a whole academic year

Secondly, cross-curricular learning is a powerful way to generate creative thinking (Barnes, 2012). And because everything in the world can be seen and understood from different perspectives (Barnes, 2015), it is important that children are able to think in different ways and apply the knowledge they gain into different areas in their lives

Thirdly, cross-curricular makes learning more relevant, building and reinforcing key concepts, providing contexts for using and applying subject-specific skills and concepts, coherence in learning between subjects (Chard, 2000; Dean, 2001; Barnes, 2007). It makes learning process become easier because it ties everything in for the children and easier for them to learn through repetition. By doing cross-curricular, only teacher know that he/she is teaching them something else, but children don’t know it, they are just learning it

Fourthly, Price (2010) said children become more aware of the thinking skills they are using and will be able to apply the knowledge more easily thus improving confidence.

Fifthly, Cross Curricular methods have been argued to provide high degrees of motivation in children (Barnes, 2011). Young people are rarely out of the news but rarely in it positively, endless stories of young people’s lack of attention and motivation to attend school, yet the future of the planet depends on their learning (James, 2009)

Sixthly, “Learning happens when brain and body combine to make experience part of the conscious memory to be recalled to solve future problems” (Barnes, 2011, p.129). Through repeated neural connections we create permanent changes in the brain but context-free memory exercises are not the best way to generate mind change (Gardner, 2004). Therefore, through Cross-curricular teaching, students can revisit conversations, make links between present and past class activity and link to real life situations which all build memory in the brain

Disadvantages

Firstly, we still have not had any official national guidance for this type of teaching. It leads to a challenge for schools and teachers when applying the cross-curricular teaching in school. “There is too much prescribed content in the current curriculum. The trend – usually motivated by the desire to strengthen particular aspects of learning – has been to add more and more content with too little regard for the practicalities and expertise needed to teach it effectively” (DfE, 2009)

Secondly, many teachers have had limited experience of cross-curricular teaching, either as pupils or subsequently during their school-based training (Barnes and Shirley, 2007). As a result, teachers will meet the difficulty with planning a cross-curriculum activity which should be included balancing knowledge and skills with a clear progression but also challenging and meaningful.

Fourthly, Subject progression is difficult to achieve, even when only two subjects are involved, it is almost impossible with three or more (Barnes, 2012). Therefore, tracking progression as well as doing assessment will be very difficult as planning

Fifthly, “in the absence of high standards, a progressive programme can rapidly become an excuse for laziness, laissez-faire procedures (leaving things to take their own course), and even anarchy” (Gardner, 1993, p.195)

Conclusion

In the modern education, we are not teaching for the test, we are not teaching job skills. We are helping children to explore themselves and the whole world by promoting them learn on their own (Noam Chomsky, 2012). Children are naturally born in the world using all the different senses, so why would education not.

References

Barnes, J. (2011) Cross-curricular learning 3-14 (2^nd edn). London: SAGE

Barnes, J. and Shirley, I. (2007) Strangely familiar: cross-curricular and creative thinking in teacher education, improving school

Gardner, H. (1999) Intelligence Reframe: Multiple Intelligence for the 21^st Century. New York: Basic Books.

Kerry, T. (2015) Cross-curricular teaching in the primary school: Planning and facilitating imagination lessons. 2^nd edn. London: Routledge

Clyde, M. (1995) ‘concluding the debate’, in Fleer, M. (ed.) DAP Centrism: Challenging Developmentally Appropriate Practice. Watson, Australia: Australia Early Childhood Association

Dean, J. (2001) Organising Learning in the Primary Classroom. 3^rd edn. London: Routledge

James, O. (2009) Britain on the couch: How keeping up with the Joneses has depressed us since 1950. London: Vermilion

Barnes, J. (2012) Cross-Curricular Learning 3-14. 2^nd edn. London: SAGE

Dewey, J. (1992) ‘The Child and the Curriculum. Chicago: University Chicago Press

Hayes, D. (2010) The seductive charms of a cross-curricular approach. Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Year Education, 38(4): 381-7

Rowley, C. and Cooper, H. ed (2009) Cross Curricular approaches to Teaching and Learning. London: SAGE

DfE (2014) The National Curriculum in England: Framework document. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum#content Accessed: 12/12/2017