Playing a political game and playing for position: Policy and curriculum development in health and physical education

Abstract

This paper addresses prospective policy relationships between health and physical education (HPE) and contemporary education policies. It specifically explores the opportunities and challenges that contemporary education discourses present for policy and curriculum development in HPE. Contemporary education discourses of lifelong learning, learning communities, personalized learning, inclusivity and excellence are critically analysed in relation to policy and curriculum development in HPE. It is contended that these discourses present a potentially strong focus for advocacy and that their adoption may be an astute political move for HPE. Recent curriculum development in senior physical education in Western Australia is used to illustrate the scope for the discourses to be embedded in curricula and for HPE to thereby be seen to firmly connect with key education agendas.

Jouer un jeu politique et jouer pour une conception: politique et développement du programme en éducation physique et à la santé Cet article traite des perspectives politiques entre Éducations Physique et à la Santé (HPE) et les politiques éducatives actuelles. Il explore particulièrement les possibilités et les défis que les discours contemporains sur l'éducation représentent pour la politique et le développement du programme en HPE. Les discours actuels sur l'éducation sur l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie, les communautés d'apprentissage, l'apprentissage personnalisé, l'équité et l'excellence sont analysés de façon critique en relation avec la politique et le développement du programme en HPE. Nous affirmons que ces discours représentent une incitation potentiellement importante pour un soutien et que leur adoption serait une décision politique avisée pour l'HPE. Un récent ajout dans le programme pour l'Éducation Physique au Lycée en Australie de l'Ouest illustre l'objectif d'inclure ces discours dans les cursus et de considérer l'EPS comme clairement connectée avec les orientationsclés de l'éducation.

n Jugando a la política y jugando por un posicionamiento: política y desarrollo del curriculo en la educación física y la salud Este artículo aborda las relaciones en política prospectiva entre la educación física, la salud y las políticas educativas contemporáneas. Específicamente, explora las oportunidades y los retos que los discursos educativos contemporáneos representan para la política de desarrollo curricular en la educación física y la salud. Se analizan de forma crítica los discursos propios de la educación contemporánea en relación con la política y el desarrollo curricular en la educación física y la salud como el aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida, el aprendizaje comunitario, el aprendizaje personalizado, la inclusividad y la excelencia. Se afirma que estos discursos representan un potente foco de atención para su defensa y que su adopción puede significar una astuta acción política en favor de la educación física y la salud. El desarrollo del currículum de educación física dirigido a los mayores que ha sido recientemente realizado en la parte oeste de Australia, es utilizado para ilustrar el alcance de los discursos y de su inserción en el currículo para que la educación física y la salud se vean firmemente conectadas a las claves de las agendas educativas.

Zusammenfassung Spielen eines politischen Spiels und das Spiel um Positionierung: Politik und Lehrplanentwicklung in Gesundheits- und Bewegungserziehung Der Aufsatz spricht eine mögliche politische Verknüpfung von Gesundheits- und Bewegungserziehung (HPE) mit der gegenwärtigen Erziehungspolitik an. Im Besonderen untersucht er die Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen, welche die gegenwärtige Erziehungsdiskussion für die Politik und die Lehrplanentwicklung für HPE bietet. Die gegenwärtige Diskussion um lebenslanges Lernen, Learning Communities, Personalized Learning, Inklusivität und Exzellenz werden bezugnehmend auf Politik und Lehrplanentwicklung für HPE kritisch analysiert. Es wird behauptet, dass diese Diskussionen eine potentiell starke Tendenz der Befürwortung aufweisen, und dass ihre Übernahme ein cleverer politischer Zug pro HPE sein kann. Anhand der neuesten Lehrplanentwicklung in der Senior Physical Education in Westaustralien werden die Möglichkeiten illustriert, wie diese Diskussionen in Lehrpläne und HPE hineinwirken können, und wie diese somit in starker Anbindung an die wichtigsten Erziehungsprogramme gesehen werden können.

Keywords

health and personal education curriculum inclusivity lifelong learning personalized learning policy

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