Physical education in the daily activities of children at public schools helps to keep a child healthy, and it is vital that it is mandatory in all California public schools. Additionally, most parents would say that the most important thing that a parent wants is that they have a healthy baby. Most parents would say I don’t care if the baby is a boy or a girl, I just pray that my baby is healthy. It is only normal, then, once the baby is born and starts developing for the children to maintain a healthy life.
The proven fact is children develop skills from the very beginning at birth; by learning to reach for objects and crawling across the floor. They begin to crawl, walk, and then run. They learn how to balance so the children don’t fall forward or backward. This can only be with repeat practice. So when children go into Kindergarten, they have these basic abilities, but now they need to learn different ways to use them by a certified physical educator.
The educator teaches the children to answer questions they might have, why do we need to stretch to my toes, and why do we always run out of breath after a sprint across the playground. This learning never ends when taught, and develops into valuable knowledge as an adult.
A physical education program design and taught by a certified teacher will set a standard for the rest of their life.
Discrimination is a very common problem in the workplace, but especially in the realm of physical education. Discrimination has been found in all types of people including those who are obese, have disabilities and are in low socioeconomic standing (Goodwin & Watkinson, 2000; Greenleaf & Weiller, 2005; McNeill, Kreuter, & Subramanian, 2006). The most common discriminatory belief among physical educators is questioning competency based on differences. Research has demonstrated that physical educators frequently demonstrate antifat attitudes and strong personal weight control beliefs (Greenleaf & Weiller, 2005). These prejudiced beliefs result in poor quality physical education programs for overweight or obese individuals and an increase in the negative stigma associated with being overweight or obese. Many overweight individuals report being treated poorly by others and research shows that initial negative treatment by a physical educator results in lower performance expectations and less frequent and lower feedback (Greenleaf & Weiller, 2005). This kind of treatment exacerbates the negative stigma of being overweight and in turn decreases the client’s motivation, and prevents them from reaching their goals. Instead of helping someone become healthier, professionals with these attitudes actually contribute to degrading the individual’s health.
Discrimination against overweight individuals is very similar to discrimination against individuals with disabilities in physical education. Goodwin and Watkinson conducted a study about inclusive physical education and based their study on the perspective of students with physical disabilities. The students described having both good and bad days in their physical education programs (Greenleaf & Weiller, 2005). On good days the students experienced a sense of belonging, shared the benefits of non-disabled peers, and demonstrated their skillful participation (Greenleaf & Weiller, 2005).
On bad days, however, the students reported feeling socially isolated, questioning competency, and restricted participation (Greenleaf & Weiller, 2005). This study demonstrates how physical educators discriminate against individuals with disabilities by treating them like they are less than their classmates and can’t perform to the “normal” standard. As a physical educator, it is critical to understand that every person can perform the same task with different adaptations. This in turn will lead to quality physical education programs for all individuals. It has also been found that people in low socioeconomic standing experience discrimination in physical health. Research has shown that varying SEP (socioeconomic position) has a great influence on the amount and type of physical activity people engage in (McNeill, Kreuter, & Subramanian, 2006; Gallo & Matthews, 2003).
Individuals in a low SEP setting will engage in job-related physical activity and have less access to health care resources like gyms or public parks (McNeill, Kreuter, & Subramanian, 2006; Sallis & Glanz, 2009). Physical educators need to recognize and understand that SEP greatly influences one’s ability to participate in physical education programs, but that there are other resources available for low SEP individuals that allow them to reap the benefits of physical education. There is a wide variety of discrimination that occurs in physical education, but it is the responsibility of the physical educator to remain unbiased to diversity. It is also critical to understand the role social ecology plays in our interactions with clients, and how our social ecology differs from those that we work with.
In California public schools the availability of time is excellent because children are at school for long days. This allows for a physical education schedule to be adapted in the curriculum according to (LaRouche 2008) stating: “The school setting clearly represents an important setting for health promotion interventions (Pate et al., 2006) because, in many jurisdictions, it is mandatory for individuals to go to school until 16 years of age.” Since children will be in school all day it is important that they receive physical education in California public schools.
To put it differently, how much more important as she goes on to say: “Further, previous research has shown that when opportunities to be active during school time are restricted, children typically do not compensate by increasing their PA level (Dale, 2000). Interestingly, increasing physical activity opportunities can also favor academic achievement (Trudeau, 2008). Schools can promote a healthy and active lifestyle through different ways,” So, in order to ensure that our children in California remain healthy(not prone to chronic illness) as children into adulthood they need physical education starting in Kindergarten through sixth grade.
Studies have shown that inactive children tend to be overweight compared to active children, and Kreuser, F. notes, "The high amount of PA seems to be an important factor to prevent overweight in children given that PA shows the highest correlation to weight status".
The scare for some parents is that their child is not athletic, and is prone to injury. The claim has been based on injuries due to chronic illness in children due to obesity, diabetes, and lack of fitness skills. This is primarily substantiated because of the lack of certified physical education teachers, and the physical education being unsupervised, for example calling physical education a thirty-minute play on the playground. This is not a way to teach children physical education in grades kindergarten through sixth in California public schools. In California public schools we need a certified program with certifiable results, by tracking success and hold the schools accountable for physical fitness achievements. This refutes the argument by showing the need for a complete standard shift in the area of fitness, diet, and wellness.
Rating the achievements based on fitness, diet, and wellness are key in grades kindergarten through sixth and will stay with children into adulthood. Growing up as adults doing physical activities injury-free, along with a healthy mind and body.
The study by, Associations of Physical Fitness and Academic Performance Among Schoolchildren, was a collection of five fitness tests. Between all of the 5 test, there was a positive connection between physical education and academic performance but that, “The relative strengths of the associations among fitness variables show that cardiovascular fitness had the highest inter-quintile difference and Cohen 's effect size, followed by the strength tests and flexibility.” says Van.
Moreover, Larouche continues to show, “Several studies have shown that quality specialist-taught physical education can enhance P{hysical} A{activity} levels and P{physical} F{itness}, especially when sufficient curricular time is dedicated to this discipline.” (Pate, 2006) There is a need for a set time for a standardized curriculum to give the best results.
Furthermore, that evidence clearly demonstrates that improving early years’ health contributes considerably to better health outcomes in later life, with reduced levels of diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension, all of which have a significant impact on the NHS as well as wider society, children and their families.
Many parents want to know they have done everything they can to help their children grow up, and reach for their dreams. That dream for them, as parents, is probably that they live a long healthy life well into their nineties. Hopefully, this is a dream for the parents, too. But the time is, now, that we can make a difference for the adults of the future. In grades kindergarten through sixth in California public schools is the beginning, then, as California Board of Education notes, “standards-based PE program also provides an excellent opportunity to ensure that students develop positive social skills, cooperate with others, and accept responsibility for their own actions.” Therefore, increasing educational and community-based programs outside of public schools is beneficial for children to cooperate and accept responsibility. In conclusion, California, beginning in grade kindergarten and continuing through grade six, must include instruction about physical education. California Board of Education states, ”emphasis upon the physical activities for the pupils that may be conducive to health and vigor of body and mind.” This objective will contribute to the student's well-being, and healthy children will use physical education skills to adopt a physically active, healthy lifestyle. Thereby, the future generation will have fond memories of physical education class.
In American physical fitness often is not made as big of a priority as grades. Oftentimes parents and teachers tell their children to focus on their academics, but very seldom do they mention anything about physical fitness. In the article, Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School, it states “The mission of middle school physical education or physical education at any level is to assists learners to become the physically educated person”. Although this may be the mission, this is not necessarily what happens.
The obesity rate in America has been a major problem for some time. Zan, Newton, Maria Carson, and Russell says, “The prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents in the United States has increased dramatically over the past decade” (153). Not only would this be beneficial to children who struggle with being overweight but also help these children form healthy habits at a young age. In the article “Physical Activity and Childhood Obesity: Strategies and Solutions for Schools and Parents” Gregory Green et al says,
During active class time, physical educators can look to the teachable moment in which they can talk to an entire class concerning individual differences. Just as the teaching of good sportsmanship should be an essential component of all elementary physical education programs, the recognition of obese and overweight children should be taught so that children become sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others. Where better for this to occur than in the gymnasium where cooperative play becomes the essence of physical activity?
It is important for kids to be held accountable, and for this to happen physical fitness has to be vital in adolescents because “childhood obesity poses a serious threat to the health of our nation” (Green, Riley, Hargrove). We want our younger youth to earn good grades to better themselves and potentially get a good job in the future. We make sure that they achieve these things by giving them guidance and holding them accountable. With this being said, making exercise a daily activity or even weekly activity needs to be implemented in the child's routine. In some cases, they will be able to see the physical results. Though regardless of the physical results they will feel accomplished and responsible for making these positive decisions, hopefully impacting their future lives as well.
In the article “Rethinking Middle School Physical Education: Combining Lifetime Leisure Activities and Sport Education to Encourage Physical Activity” it states that a popular instructional methodology used to teach team-oriented sports activities in middle school and promote lifelong physical activity is known as the multi-activity approach. This approach is being implemented by many physical education teachers. This is a positive method due to the fact that the kids may enjoy these popular activities, but it is not the most effective. Criticisms have been made of this multi-activity approach including limited student involvement, superficial exposure to skill and strategy development, and lack of time to develop skill proficiency (Mohr, Derek J, Townsend, and Pritchard, 20).
In the article Physical Activity And Childhood Obesity, it states “The typical education curriculum in middle school is comprised primarily of team-oriented sports activities such as basketball, soccer, and flag football.” Kids in middle school enjoyed these sports but the major problem is that very few kids were able to engage in the activity. For example, if there are twenty-four students in the class and the kids are playing a basketball game then only ten of the students can participate at one time. This is very important because every student is not being active. This should be taken as seriously as half of the students not showing up for class. If half the class is active then those not participating would be the same as them not being there.
Middle school students do not receive all of the physical education they should. One reason that this happens is because of the rule, No Child Left Behind. Due to this rule, schools cut time from PE class and made that time for more class (Dusen, Kelder, Kohl, Ranjit, Perry, 733). This sends the message to students at a young age that physical fitness is not important. The section of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 regulated the approach movement to state execution measures as a method for considering schools responsible for understudy learning (Terry 85).
Physical activity is also proven to better academic performance. A recent study evaluated the connections between fitness and academic performance to justify curriculum allocations to physical activity programs. This test sampled over 254,000 students in grades 3-11, having them take an academic standardized test and fitness standardized test. All fitness variables except body mass index showed significant, positive associations with academic performance (733).
Due to Americans' massive obesity rate, physical fitness should be taken more seriously and addressed as early as middle school. Not doing anything about this problem allows individuals to lack motivation and not do anything to be aware or even fix this problem. Doing everything that we can to make sure that physical fitness is a top priority can benefit the United States from an academic standpoint as well. America will be better all-around if we lower the childhood obesity rate and better our grades as a result to that. Cutting physical education time in schools really sends the wrong message to the students growing up, and most importantly it limits them from getting the amount of physical activity that they need. Cutting physical education time was not the right thing to do. Physical education is proven to better academic performance. Not only will it do this, but it will also make children healthier all around. Having children sit around for multiple hours teaches them bad habits and over time will make them lazy. If we want people to make healthier choices, then we have to start to teaching children at a young age so practice good habits. In order for things to change, taking necessary steps by making sure that physical education/fitness is a priority.
Physical activity has reached an all-time low in the youth, and it is said that some type of intervention is needed to help cope with the negative effects (Wуjcicki). Surveys have shown that only 17% of high school students meet the required amount of exercise while only 30% attended regular physical education classes (CDC). In younger age groups, 77% of 11-year-olds, 81% of 13-year-olds, and 85% of 15-year-olds fail to reach what is needed for a healthy lifestyle (Rachele). Along with increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, not engaging in regular physical activity may have consequences such as an energy imbalance, which increases the risk for developing obesity, as well as a low bone density (CDC). Many chronic diseases are possible to develop in cases of prolonged inactivity, and they have a strong chance of leading into one’s adulthood (Rachele). Because of this health scare, there have been global guidelines set in place to ensure children receive an adequate amount of exercise.
There has been much agreement that it is necessary for children and adolescents to engage in a certain amount of physical activity or exercise. Throughout the health community, it has been decided that the youth should engage in at least 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily (Wуjcicki). This amount will allow the youth to receive the health benefits that are associated with exercise. The aerobic activities do not have to be in a continuous session; children may be active throughout the day and still meet the set physical requirement (Wуjcicki). Adolescents are recommended to perform a variety of exercises or activities that allow them to strengthen both their bones and their muscles (CDC). There have been studies illustrating the effectiveness of meeting the global guidelines, and their conclusions support the necessity of physical activity.
One study, conducted by a team of researchers, collected data in hopes to analyze the relationship between regulated physical exercise and a child’s perception of their self-worth. This study used the results from 2,278 children that were nine and ten years old (Reddon). Over a period of four years, the children had eight follow ups in order to track their progress. The study team had an intent to compare the results to see if it differentiated between genders; there was no clear link (Reddon). Following the four year period, the conclusion to this experiment showed that children who maintained a regular physical activity had greater global self-worth. Aerobic activities contributed to children receiving more self-worth while positively shaping the children’s positive, healthy lifestyles (Reddon). Along with children having a feeling of more self-worth, children may receive many other health and life benefits from participating in daily physical exercise.
Children who maintain an active lifestyle display a higher level of self-esteem over the children who fail to meet the global physical activity guidelines (Reddon). The promotion for physical activity in the youth is mainly driven by the fact that it is related to disease prevention, and it contributes to them maintaining a positive lifestyle throughout their adulthood (Rachele). Diseases that are reduced by exercising include: heart disease, cancer, type II diabetes high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and obesity. Children who engage in physical activity also have better respiratory fitness than those who do not as well as controlled weight management (CDC). They are less likely to develop certain mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression with physical activity. Communities as a whole benefit from physical activity programs by bringing both students and schools together for the benefit of everyone such as physical education programs (CDC).
Many states lack funding for particular aspects of a child’s curriculum, and one of the classes being cut through budget fixes is physical education classes (IHSAA). The problem with childhood obesity has a strong connection with how much physical activity a child receives during the school day. Quality physical education programs are critical to a child’s development because these classes bring a multitude of benefits into adolescents’ lives (CDC). These classes supply students with lifetime knowledge and skills that help them become more successful into their adulthood. All ages are able to be involved in activities, and it is enjoyable for children of all ages (CDC). Along with a regular physical education course, the physical education teachers are a big influence to the children for bettering their overall physical health. They are the prime promoters for the youth because they are the ones they go to everyday to learn essential life skills. A problem that is faced with today’s leading physical education teacher is that they admit that they lack the essential knowledge, skills, understanding, and competence that is needed for a child to receive a quality physical education (CDC). Other than the typical physical education courses that a child receives, the scholastic atmosphere plays an important role in involving the youth to participate in a positive, healthy lifestyle.
A child spends most of their day in school, and that is why the school’s environment is so critical for children being involved in daily exercise. The environment is essentially where adolescents live and develop. Therefore, the curriculum the school provides has lasting effects that lead into their adulthood, and it is why the PE teachers are a major key for their development into healthy habits (Rachele). It is recommended that schools provide recess for students which is a way to increase their daily physical activity. It is shown that recess can improve a child’s attention, memory, and concentration in the classroom setting. It is seen to help with social and emotional development as well (CDC). Classrooms that provide their students with any kind of exercise between lessons has a positive influence on their daily work by helping them pay more attention, acting more accordingly with their classroom behavior, and improving their test scores (CDC). The involvement of the school’s staff can provide the students with more opportunities for them to receive exercise throughout the day, and it gives the students positive role models in their lives because it is said that adult and youth physical activity goes hand-in-hand (CDC).
Students who are involved in athletics are proven to have more academic benefits than those who do not. Being involved in scholastic athletics are shown to give students better attendance, they are less likely to dropout, and have less disciplinary problem in the classroom setting (IHSAA). This causes students to be more likely to maintain a higher GPA from their high attendance as well as higher test scores (CDC). “Activities are not a diversion; they are an extension of a good education program” (IHSAA).
Future success is directly correlated with students who have participated in athletics. Students who are disciplined in regular physical sports have a greater chance at having a very successful, lifelong future (IHSAA). They develop skills to help them succeed in college such as the diligence of bettering their knowledge of a subject because they have been taught to do so by past coaches. The student-athletes become hard workers later in life since they have had to work to succeed throughout their whole childhood, and this leads them to be productive citizens in their society (IHSAA).
Along with academics and future life success, the youth that engages in scholastic athletics brings lifelong practical skills. These students are better able to work in teams because of their previous experiences (IHSAA). Many find that fair play is positively associated with student athletes from being held accountable for sportsmanship which is a universal rule among student athletes. This helps them to be more able to handle competitive situations better than the average person would. Students may also gain self-confidence in their life, and it may translate into their adulthood (IHSAA).
Physical activity provides a plethora of benefits to a child that receives an adequate amount of exercise. The physical activity among children is at a low while obesity is at a high. There has been a rise in the promotion for children to receive enough exercise, so there has been many guidelines set in place to ensure the benefits of physical activity. Certain health diseases are greatly reduced, academics improve, and the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle is more likely to occur. Children have a greater chance of having future success, and they develop more practical skills to use in the daily world. Schools can play a major role for students getting enough exercise which is why physical education classes are so critical. All in all, for all the aspects that go into a child’s daily, active lifestyle, they can help form how they live the rest of their life.
1. Giving Children a Healthy Start. Education Journal. 121, 32, Feb. 2010. EBSCO Host. 22 June 2015
2. Kreuser, F., et al. " 'Obese equals lazy? ' Analysis of the association between weight status and physical activity in children." Journal of Obesity (2013). Academic OneFile. Web. 21 June 2015.
4. Larouche, R. Are today’s children fit and active? Education & Health. 29, 2, 32-35, Apr. 2011. EBSCO Host. 22 June 2015
5. Syed Kamaruzaman Ali, Zahra Ranjbar, and Mustafa Abdul Qader. "Planning and preparation of physical education teachers towards teaching period for the implementation of form 4 physical education curriculum for the physical fitness strand." Ovidius University Annals, Series Physical Education and Sport/Science, Movement and Health 14.2 (2014): 319+. Academic OneFile. Web. 19 June 2015.
6. VAN, DP; et al. Associations of Physical Fitness and Academic Performance Among Schoolchildren. Journal of School Health. 81, 12, 733-740, Dec. 2011. EBSCO Host. 22 June 2015
7. Lee, Mike, California Board of Education, 4 July 2015, http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/pe/physeducfaqs.asp, 5 July 2015
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Three domains
Physical education addresses the three domains of learning: cognitive or mental skills related to the knowledge of movement; affective, which addresses growth in feelings or attitudes; and psychomotor, which relates to the manual or physical skills related to movement literacy (SHAPE America, 2014, p. 4).
Physical Education Colleges
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