How can physical education be used to promote well-being in primary education?

How can physical education be used to promote well-being in primary education?

This blog post will cover how being active through physical education (PE) can promote well-being in primary education. Well-being is defined by Shah and Marks in 2004 as ‘developing as a person, being fulfilled, and contributing to the community.’ (Dodge et al. 2012) as well as being in ‘a positive physical, social and mental state’ (Department of Health, 2010)

One approach to improving our wellbeing, quality of life and mental health is by participating in a sport. In primary it is vital that younger age groups have access to physical education as it has been found to have lasting impact upon a child’s physical and mental wellbeing. (Department of Health, 2014) It is important as in 2015, it was recorded that one in three children left primary school obese or overweight. (Marsh, 2015) A shocking statistic which encourages schools to keep children active and participating in a sport so they can enhance physical health benefits such as reducing risk of diseases, health problems and increases health in weight, organs and bones. It can also contribute to improvement in energy and sleep. (Mind, 2015) In addition, the mental health benefits promoted by exercising are reduced anxiety, stress and happier moods, clearer thinking, calm and increased self-esteem. (Mind, 2015) Every Child Matters (2003) supports the importance of physical education in primary as it contributes to the outcomes of a healthy child and has positive effects on their well-being. (Statham and Chase, 2010)

Moreover, PE can contribute towards a child developing independently and socially as they work individually or in teams which encourages children to make new friends, have fun, challenge themselves and try something new. This positively affects their social and emotional states and allows them to strive and fulfil their potential within the school community. To validate this, a study conducted by Achenbach in 1991 and Harter in 1985 found that ‘increased levels of sports participation had positive relationships with aspects of emotional and behavioural well-being’ (Donaldson and Ronan, 2006) Sports also promote a child’s moral develop as they start to grasp how to acknowledge and cope with winning and losing and how to deal with competitions. It links to social development and effective learning of young people in preparation for real life situations. It is the shared responsibility of PE teachers to create a supportive environment to aid learning and promote well-being. (Scottish Government, 2014)

Lessons should be an enjoyable experience and interactive where children should be encouraging to take on different roles and responsibilities such as leadership whilst in a competitive and challenging situation to encourage self-confidence and emotional growth. The sense of achieving, responsibility and confidence are factors which Getting it right for every child (2008) aims every child to gain to shape them into ‘confident individuals, effective contributors, successful learners and responsible citizens.’ (Statham and Chase, 2010) All qualities PE can promote. Williams and Gill (1995) and Sonstroem (1997) claimed that the more involvement a child has in PE the enhancement of their moods and boost of their self-esteem increases. However, Hellison (1973) and Biddle (1999) noted that physical activity can have a reverse effect on some children and negative impact their well-being as some may not enjoy exercise or sport. This would create feelings of helplessness, discomfort, a development of a negative drive and avoidance of exercise altogether. (Department for Education, 2013)

Another way of promoting wellbeing in primary schools is the new initiative in Scotland called ‘The Daily Mile’ which has been implemented in addition to PE lessons to encourage children to run, jog or walk. The extra 15-minute exercise is valued as it is considered ‘essential for successful learning and happy lives in children and young people’ (Scottish Government, 2018) I recorded during placement that the children thoroughly enjoyed this programme as they had a change of scenery, extra socialising time with their peers and some felt refreshed for their next lesson. The target of completing the mile disguised exercising to those who did not enjoy PE and subtly promoted their wellbeing.  The positives towards the Daily Mile is it has spread to 3,100 and more schools (The Daily Mile Foundation, 2018) it is free to implement and maintainable, it has improved attainment and concentration and meets guidelines to promote healthy well-being. However, those who can not join in on exercising may feel excluded, the weather may not permit or running may not have the same appeal to some children as sports like tennis or rugby does. A firm statement by Toby Moses illustrates that ‘this scheme isn’t aimed at those who are already fit’ (Philips and Moses, 2016) it creates the viewpoint that some children will struggle more than others and teachers should not praise only those who complete the mile but everyone who has made a difference to their well-being.

To authenticate good promotion of well-being in primary schools they should have a good PE curriculum and trained teachers to effectively guide lessons and keep pupils energetic and interested. Even the subtlest alterations to PE lessons like including more dynamic activities such as aerobic dance or circuit training can have more of physical affect and be more time effective due to restrictive lesson times. Technology, if used correctly, could be an exciting inclusion to lessons for children living in the digital age as they could mimic actions made on screen or be monitored by their teacher. It could enhance their education and capture their interests as well as allowing them to be aware of their health and improvements in their fitness. (Williams, 2015)

Notably, children with special needs or a disability (SEND) should have their health and well-being promoted too. Schools who facilitate this need to ensure that their needs are met correctly and this inclusion requires ‘adapting equipment, facilities and games.’ An example of these alterations may include height adjustable nets, pitches that accommodate to wheelchairs or games which are specifically aimed at SEND pupils in PE. (Department for Education, 2014)

Thus, there are many ways in which PE can be used to promote wellbeing in primary education. The most important is ensuring all children are included, participating and interested in exercising as it has fundamental physical, social and mental effects to their overall wellbeing. The inclusion of PE in primary schools is significant as it encourages them to continue this practise in future extending their development further.

References:

Department for Education (2014) ‘Getting more pupils playing sport.’ Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/getting-more-pupils-playing-sport

Department for Education (2013) ‘Evidence on physical education and sport in schools’, Crown, p.53

Department of Health (2010). ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England’, London: The Stationery Office.

Department of Health (2014) ‘Wellbeing and health policy’, Wellbeing and why it matters to health. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/wellbeing-and-health-policy

Dodge, R., Daly, A., Huyton, J., and Sanders, L. (2012) ‘The challenge of defining wellbeing’, International Journal of Wellbeing, 2(3), p.222-235. doi:10.5502/ijw.v2i3.4.

Donaldson, S. J, Ronan, K, R. (2006) ‘The effects of sports participation on young adolescents’ emotional wellbeing’, 41(162), p. 369-89.

Marsh, S (2015) How can PE and sport improve student health and wellbeing? Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/feb/06/pe-and-sport-student-health-wellbeing (Accessed: 10/04/18)

Mind (2015) Physical activity, sport and mental health. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/physical-activity-sport-and-exercise/health-benefits/?o=28048#.WtOGBExFzIU (Accessed: 11/04/18)

Philips, S. and Moses, T. (2016) Should schoolchildren be made to run a mile every day? Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/17/schoolchildren-run-every-day-daily-mile (Accessed: 10/04/18)

Scottish Government (2014) Health and Wellbeing in Curriculum for Excellence. Available at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi (Accessed:10/04/18)

Statham, J. and Chase, E. (2010) ‘Childhood Wellbeing: A brief overview’, Briefing paper 1. 

The Daily Mile Foundation (2018) The Daily Mile. Available at: https://thedailymile.co.uk/ (Accessed: 10/04/18)

Williams (2015) Computer games vs PE: teachers use tech to get students moving. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/may/06/technology-arch-enemy-physical-activity