• Importance of Physical Education is diminished

The fact that PE is not a requirement after grade 10 completely alters the perspective on physical activity by diminishing the importance of Physical Education and being physically active in life.  If students were given more opportunity to discover and excel in a wider and more appealing spectrum of activity, the effect would be more pronounced on society. Once the standard is set, the expectation of a physically active lifestyle is adopted for a lifetime.

• Lack of Variety in traditional approaches to PE

Results from the Survey Questionnaire prove that a large majority would like to see more variety in Physical Education. One student stated on the Survey: “Doing interesting physical activities in the community would have been fun and opened up my interest into different games/activities. It could have also motivated other students to take PE 11 or PE 12 as an elective.” Other students who took this survey stated that they agree that schools should incorporate new and exciting activities for adolescents to engage in.

• Lack of emphasis on student interests

Traditional approaches to Physical Education do not typically take a student-centered approach and explore what activities and games the students would be most interested in participating in. Because of this neglect and lack of opinion, many students lose interest in Physical Education. 

• Lack of social emphasis and social cohesion in traditional PE
• Lack of community involvement and participation in community activities
• Lack of out-trips or opportunities for students to engage in PA outside of the PE gymnasium
• Ineffective assessment that does not acknowledge and accommodate all learning preferences.

• Need for new, innovative and engaging methods of assessing Physical Education
• The current Physical Education system does not take advantage of teaching styles and approaches that enhance student learning and provide students with the best possible environment to succeed

• Traditional Physical Education does not acknowledge the diversity of learners in the classroom and find ways to accommodate this diversity in order to create an equal environment that promotes maximum engagement of all students

Research has proven that implementing certain techniques and approaches to education can greatly benefit adolescents’ learning and success. The following is a list of some of the theories and principles that promote and ensures optimal adolescent learning and success (Jackson & Davis, 2000):

• Student-centered approach to learning

This involves the inclusion and incorporation of effective school, family and community relationships. This includes parent involvement and the home environment, open communication in all relationships (ie. Between teachers and students; between parents and teachers; and individuals in the community etc.), volunteering (ie. Students in the community or at schools; as well as, parents and community members volunteering to help with school functions), community collaboration.

• Adolescents should receive more individual attention
• After School Programs
• Making the material meaningful to Adolescents

This can be done through providing opportunities for adolescents to use and learn the material in a way that makes sense to them and in a way that they are able to relate to the material on a deeper level. This also allows them to make connections through personal experiences.

• Adolescents should feel trusted by the educators and should be given opportunities to make decisions about their learning
• Adolescents should feel valued and respected. This will in turn enhance their competence and confidence
• Experiential learning and meaningful involvement
• Educated in a variety of ways and with a variety of resources in the learning environment
• “Adolescent’s need to feel cared about and connected, to be creative and joyful, to have sense of purpose and to believe that they can exceed the expectation of others” (Jackson & Davis, 2000)
• Developmentally appropriate learning
• Provided opportunities to share and discuss their ideas and collaborate with other students to work together on tasks
• Adolescents need guidance and feedback in order to monitor their personal progress and understanding of the material
• Adolescents need to learn in a safe, supportive and positive environment where value is given for personal ideas and opinions and all negative emotions are diminished

The disregard for grade 11 and 12 Physical Education can be extremely detrimental to adolescent development and could potentially lead them towards a less productive and unhealthy lifestyle in the future. With reference to the BC Grade 11 and 12 Physical Education Integrated Resource Package Table 1.0: Characteristics of Development Chart (Ministry of Education, 1997), it is made clear that adolescents read their full physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development potential by ages 16 to 18; whereas most adolescents age 12-15, are still in their developmental stages in regards to physical activity and are more likely to show “relatively poor coordination and awkwardness” (Ministry of Education: British Columbia, 1997). This proves all the more reason that Physical Education is crucial for students in grade 11 and 12, to allow them to optimize their development and reach their full potential.  

Table 1.0: Characteristics of Development

The Active Lifestyles Education Program is a comprehensive and developmental school physical activity program. It is a curriculum and instruction approach that branches away from the traditional approaches to Physical Education. It is a unique opportunity for students in Grade 11 and 12, and provides them with exceptional and exhilarating physical activity experiences in a more broad and comprehensive manner.

Health Related Physical Fitness and Wellness – Developing Active Lifestyles

• Students will be able to understand and appreciate the strong benefits of being fit and healthy. They will understand that being physically active has positive effects on many areas of their lives such as: physiologically, socially, their relationships with others, emotional and mental well being etc.
• Students will be able to understand the importance of leading an active and healthy lifestyle and will be encouraged to develop and enhance the health related components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition. These health related components will be established on an individual basis.
• Students will establish patterns of regular participation in meaningful activity. This program will provide students with the necessary opportunities to engage in activities outside of the school setting that will foster the development of active and healthy lifestyles.
• By engaging in physical activity outside of the school atmosphere, students will develop an awareness of the vast opportunities for engaging in activities over their lifespan; which ultimately encourages this broad level of participation.

Motor Development and Refinement

• The students will develop movement competence and proficiency. Students will develop competence by building a foundation of knowledge and acquisition of motor skills and abilities. This will facilitate the students’ engagement of motor skill movement. Due to the comprehensive manner of this program, students will be able to develop proficiency in a number of movement patterns in the given activities. This comprehensive program will enhance students’ capacity for success and advanced levels of performance. The development of two concepts combined, competency and proficiency, will essentially increase the likelihood of students participating in these activities moreoften and for their lifetime.
• By the end of the program, students should have ‘developed enough knowledge and ability to independently use their knowledge to acquire new skills, while continuing to refine existing ones’ (NASPE, 2004).

Personal and Social Skills

• Students will demonstrate responsible personal and social behavior
• Students will achieve self-initiated behaviors that promote personal and group success in activity settings (NASPE, 2004).
• Which include “safe practices, adherence to rules and procedures, etiquette, cooperation and teamwork, ethical behavior in sport, and positive social interaction” (NASPE, 2004).
• Students will be able to initiate responsible behaviors and function independently

Self-actualization & Self-concept

• Students will be provided with successful experiences that enhance the development of a positive self-concept; which enhances their self-confidence, assertiveness, independence, self-control and essentially, their self-actualization.

Diversity and Community

• Students will develop respect for individual similarities and differences.
• Students will develop appreciation and value the community aspect as they will be apart of a community environment inside the school and outside
• Students will be given various opportunities to engage with one another and value diversity and find ways to cooperate with one another in order for the classroom environment to be fair and equal for everyone.

Creative Assessment

• Students will have the opportunity to explore various creative methods of presenting their material; which promotes the development of independence and self-actualization.

This program structure provides them with a wide variety of exciting and new activity choices. Students will be given a certain number of "credits" to choose their remaining activities. They will be able to engage in the majority of the activities, but due to expenses, number of staff and resources, they may not to experience every activity. It is important to note that this structure will differ from school to school given the resources in the local communities surrounding that school.

This program takes a completely different approach to assessment in Physical Education. Rather than being centered on assessment based strictly on skill, this program emphasizes a balance between assessment for, as, and of learning by using formative assessment throughout the program.

• Assessment FOR learning – defn. Where assessment helps teachers gain insight into what students understand in order to plan and guide instruction, and provide helpful feedback to students.

This program will promote assessment for learning through an activity and reflection log, self-assessment, and receiving constant feedback.

• Assessment AS Learning – defn. where students develop an awareness of how they learn and use that awareness to adjust and advance their learning, taking an increased responsibility for their learning.

This program will promote assessment as learning by allowing the students to set goals at the beginning of the year, engage in reflection logs, and the resource packages that they will collect throughout the program (this includes the information about the activities they engaged in and how they can participate in those activities outside of school time/after high school etc.)

• Assessment OF Learning – defn. where assessment informs students, teachers and parents, as well as the broader educational community, of achievement at a certain point in time in order to celebrate success, plan interventions and support continued progress.

This program emphasizes assessment of learning in the form of a gallery walk at the end of the year. Students develop a portfolio displayed in a style of their choice. These portfolios will present be comprised of the assignments, materials, experiences and achievements throughout the program. Students will also set goals at the beginning of the program to assess and monitor their progress throughout the program. They will also engage in fitness testing at the beginning of the program, where they will then analyze their current health and fitness level, create personal health and fitness goals for themselves and assess their progress throughout the program as well.

• Number of teachers available at the school
• Type of structure at the school (ie. Block planning, continuous planning, integrated etc.)
• Physical Education is not required in grade 11 and 12, therefore this program would have to be planned around required timetable courses
• Ensure a balance between Recreation and Skill development/progression
• Enrollment rates
• Cost of community activities and instruction
• Cost of transportation
• Availability of community services (ie. Instructors, group sessions etc.)
• Willingness of parent and community to get involved
• Diversity of schools and communities (program will need be individualized for each school)

Typically a School will have structures guidelines and rules set in place for general classroom and gymnasium rules, as well as procedures for dealing with issues in Physical Education. The following is a general guideline for rules and procedures for Physical Education:

General Classroom Rules

• Students should be given a routine for lining up for attendance – whether it be sitting on a bench or lining up at numbers on the gym floor
• Students are to show up to class on time
• Students are to show up in the appropriate PE strip
• Students are to bring a note if they are unable to attend or unable to participate in the PE class that day (Parent or Doctors note)
• Students are to help set up/take down equipment from the days class
• Students are to follow the teachers order, cooperate with one another and follow the rules/policies
• Respect – in this PE class we are to respect ourselves, other students, the teacher and the equipment
• Safety First – Students are to engage in safe behavior in and out of the classroom. Students should also follow the gymnasium rules as well as the classroom rules.
• Listening – Students are to listen to the teacher or classmate when they are talking.

General Gymnasium Rules

• Gymnasium is only open at certain hours and when a teacher is present. Gym will be open at in the mornings and after school. If there is not a teacher present – students are unable to participate in activities.
• Equipment check out list – if students are using equipment from the gymnasium, they need to fill out a check out sheet.
• All equipment should be put away in the correct place after use
• No food/drink in the gym
• Running/Tennis shoes only on the gym floor

Dealing with Absence/Sick Issues

Students will need to provide the teacher with a reason for being absent from class, preferably beforehand. This promotes mutual respect environment in the classroom. If they are sick and unable to attend multiple classes, a parent’s or doctor’s note will be necessary.

Dealing with no PE Strip Issues

Typically a school will have policies in place for situations such as a student showing up with no PE strip. Typically there will be a lost and found with clothes that they would be able to wear for that class; students with no strip could also take on other assistant roles throughout the class and get written up instead. Hopefully they will not forget to bring their strip again. If they continuously forget their strip to PE class I would have a chat with them to try and figure out what the issue is. If it continues – the parents will be contacted.

Dealing with a Previous Injury

Students will be required to bring a doctor’s note if they have a serious injury. If it is not a serious injury but the student still feels they are unable to participate, if able, they will fulfill other roles such as keeping score, refereeing, teacher’s assistant etc.