Physical Activity Education: The New Name for Our Field(JOPERD, 2017)

Tyler G. Johnson, Lindsey Turner & Michael Metzler (2017) Physical Activity Education: The New Name for Our Field, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 88:1, 5-7, DOI: 10.1080/07303084.2016.1249769

Physical Activity Education: The New Name for Our Field

What should be the title of our subject? Is "Physical education" not enough to explain what it consists of and should be taught?

Interestingly, this paper has "Comments from the JOPERD Editorial Board" on the first page, which clearly announces that it is not talking about the discussion of the disciplinary name. Instead of the long-lasting and severe debates, it only deals with a claim a title as of a school subject. Even though it a bit neglects the importance of this argument, the comments also help estimate the importance of the 'nomenclature' problem.

As the way I suggested last time for Korean national curriculum revision, physical education as a subject in Korea includes too many different and vague contents in it. It seems like PE teachers can teach whatever they want. This paper shows that I am not the only one. This article implies we need to verify what PE should hold as the ultimate mission as a school subject. And it proposes to change the title to "Physical Activity Education".

I want to make sure of my stance before summarizing it. I prefer "Physical education". Only increasing physical activity time is not satisfactory at all for me. The mission of our field is not to push students to move but to support them to live well as a whole person. The structured PE classes give our children better chances to live a quality life and as well-rounded citizens, rather than just enforced to move and be overwhelmed by unwanted activities. 

 

 2012년 JOPERD의 특집호에서 "Rebrand"를 다루며 우리 분야의 변화 필요성이 제기됨.

이 글을 rebrand 중에서도 왜 체육이란 이름이 신체활동 교육으로 바껴야 하는지에 대해 말함.

- 학교 체육은 단지 구조화된 '수업' 형태가 아닌 학교의 다양한 맥락에서의 신체활동을 통한 학습임.
physical education be conceptualized not only as a class or structured curriculum taught in pre-K–12 schools, but also as a series of learning occurrences or experiences that can happen in a variety of contexts (e.g., PE class, intramural athletic programs, activity clubs).
(수업 전문성을 무시하는 것이 아니라, 반대로 수업 내외에서 전문성을 모두 발휘해야함을 주장)

- 90년대 이후 시작된 학교 내 신체활동 증진(the physical activity movement; Young, 2014)로 우리 분야는 엄청난 관심을 받게 됨. 체육교육의 목적이 바뀌며 CSPAP(Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program) 등장. 이를 통해 학교에서 체육교사의 역할 증가. 점차 줄어가는 체육 수업에서 충분한 신체활동을 확보하기는 어려움.
Teaching a structured curriculum during shrinking physical education class periods is no longer enough. It is now well known that regular activity, both inside and outside of structured class periods, is critical for optimal student growth, learning and development.

- 모두에게 인정받는 것이 아니며 '교육'적 측면을 강조하는 사람들이 있음. 신체활동의 지식적 측면이나 움직임, 스포츠 기술의 향상이라는 교육적 측면이라 강조함. (이 글에서 physical activity의 반대로 제시한 physical education은 우리나라가 보통 강조하는 정의적 영역의 강조가 아니라 신체 능력의 향상 또는 지식 측면임.) 

- PA와 PE는 서로 배척하는 가치관이 아님. (Blankenship, 2013; Johnson & Turner, 2016) 서로 다른 방면으로 신체활동 증진을 도움. 결국 PA는 학교에서 학생들에게 제공하고 가르치는 내용으로서 "placeholder term"이 됨. Gregg Twietmeyer (2012) observed, physical activity can serve as the “placeholder term” for the types of content we offer and teach to students in schools.

- 신체활동 교육은 우리 분야의 내용인 "신체활동", 미션인 "평생 동안", 미션을 달성하기 위핸 주요 과정으로서 "지도와 학습"을 묶을 수 있음. 이러한 이름은 내용과 미션, 달성 방법을 더욱 명확하게 하며 확장시킬 수 있음.  이를 통해 우리 분야가 학교에서의 미래와 PETE에서의 해야할 일을 확장시킬 수 있을 것임.  Renaming our field “physical activity education” would tie together the content of our field (“physical activity”), its mission (“for a lifetime”), and the major processes used to accomplish that mission (teaching and learning, i.e., “education”).