This lesson gives you an overview of the philosophy, goals, purposes, and current trends in phy

sical education. You'll learn how all of this ends up benefiting students in many ways.

The Philosophy Behind Physical Education

What's the point of all of those physical education (PE) classes we've all taken? Sure we got to
have some fun playing sports but was that all there was to it? Of course not. The philosophy b
ehind physical education entails principles that teach students the mechanics of physical activity,
why it's important, and how they can and should remain physically active on their own.

It goes much deeper than that, of course. Underlying this outward manifestation of physical edu
cation is the understanding that if students learn all of this and apply it, it will benefit them tre
mendously in terms of physical and mental well-being. This will, in turn, benefit the entire natio
n since healthier people do not take up as many healthcare resources.

Clearly, good physical education affects the health and economics of individuals and an entire n
ation. So why don't we take a closer look at the goals, purposes, and current trends of physical
education.

Goals & Purposes

Physical education programs have many different goals. One of them is to develop proper moto
r skills. This starts off by teaching kids how to throw or skip. Simple movements are then combi
ned later in life into more specialized movements, like dance or catching a ball or hitting a ball
with a bat. Then, these advanced movements are incorporated into group activities where the n
umber of players increases and the rules become more complex and strategy is important.

Developing motor skills is the obvious goal of physical education. Yet there are other important
goals as well. One of them is learning the value of a physical exercise. It's one thing to throw
a ball but if a student doesn't understand the value of it, they may stop. Thus, students need t
o be taught or shown what their physical activity can bring them, such as self-expression throug
h dance, accolades from playing tennis, and social interaction from team sports.
Another goal of physical education is the development of proper social skills. Skills that are taug
ht through PE include teamwork, ethical behavior, cooperation, etiquette, and how to remain po
sitive even when something is not going your way. Social skills also include the identification an
d understanding of rules and their value.

PE also aims to develop an appreciation of diversity. By having students interact with other stud
ents of different cultures, nationalities, genders, ethnicities and religions, PE seeks to establish po
sitive relationships and help disintegrate prejudice of all kinds.

There are many other goals of physical education, of course, and the purposes of all of these g
oals are many. Proper physical education programs:

Help students feel more confident

Generate stronger bones

Helps students maintain a healthy weight

Improve a student's grades and interest in learning

Reduce the risk of many diseases and disorders, like heart disease and diabetes

Enable students to start and maintain an active lifestyle

Develop and increase the likelihood a child will become a socially adept and responsible adult i
n all walks of life, not just physical activity

Current Trends

The current trends in physical education are in-line with promoting these goals so the aforemen
tioned purposes can be attained, mastered, and maintained. PE programs of yesteryear didn't str
ess enough activity, didn't offer proper guidance on how to have a healthy lifestyle, and even
made those of us who aren't Michael Jordan feel inferior and embarrassed to even try a physic
al activity.

Today, the newer PE programs encourage a multitude of different sports and activities beyond t
he traditional ones like dodgeball, volleyball, and basketball. Now, students are encouraged to pl
ay tennis, ride a bicycle, walk, and even skate. It's about finding what they enjoy so they can m
aintain it and reap its benefits for longer. This doesn't mean PE programs do or should cut trad
itional activities out. That would be unwise since many of them are physically beneficial and tea
ch important social skills.

Current trends in PE also involve a newer emphasis. Instead of encouraging competition, which
can cause many students to turn away from sports, newer programs encourage fitness instead.
For instance, a student can be judged on how much faster they can run a mile now than they
did six months ago, instead of how much slower they are compared to the star athlete.

Lesson Summary

The philosophy underlying physical education (PE) utilizes principles that encourage exploration a
nd mastery of physical, mental, and social skills. The goals of physical fitness include the develo
pment of motor and social skills, the appreciation for rules and the appreciation of those of a d
ifferent background.

These goals have numerous purposes, such as the ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle through
out one's life, to grow stronger bones, and to decrease the risk of numerous deadly diseases.

Current trends in physical education are in line with this as the newest programs include a wide
variety of sports and physical activities that help students find something they enjoy and devel
op the internal motivation to stick to it.