Title: Integration between PE and Geography – Czech perspective

Authors: PhDr, Mgr. Petr Vlček, Ph.D., Mgr. Marek Trávníček, doc. PaedDr. Eduard Hofmann, CSc.

Workplace, country and state: Masaryk University in Brno, Faculty of Education, Brno, the Czech Republic

 

After the latest national curriculum revision the Czech curriculum has two levels. According to the Framework Education Programmes created by government each elementary and secondary school was supposed to create its own programme on basis of the national curricula in order to match specific school circumstances, regional traditions and educational purposes. Reforming process of the curricula has been criticized by teachers for the low support of the Ministry of education, Youth and Sport, weak co-ordination, formalness, and low activity of the academic sphere which resulted in the low acceptance of the curricular reform among the teachers and decreasing study results of Czech pupils. From the research results it is also evident that the current conception of the Czech physical education is not accepted homogenously. According to the latest educational programmes a wide variety of physical activities concerning especially health targets should be used in the physical education classes. However, there is a low congruence between the projected and realised curricula which presents a significant problem for the quality evaluation of the subject. As a result of the recent unsatisfactory study performances of Czech pupils, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports decided to start developing new educational standards. These should be based on the Framework Education Programmes. Thus, the development of the standards as well as the testing of the study results recently became a very important issue in the Czech Republic.

One important term and topic recently widely discussed in terms of above mentioned problems is physical literacy. In the text we try to define physical literacy and try to identify common intersections between physical literacy and Geography.

Finally in our text we present a short theoretical introduction of didactical approaches being used in teaching Physical Education and Geography in an integrative way in the Czech Republic. We also present some chosen practical examples such as outdoor games related to PE and Geography issues.

As a conclusion of our text serves discussion about the projected and realised curricula based on the comparison of the Czech curricular papers and carried out practical examples.

 

 

 

 

Title: Integration between physical education and other school subjects – Slovenian perspectives

Author: Vesna Štemberger

Faculty, state, city: Faculty of Education, Slovenia, Ljubljana

 

Three hours of physical education (135 minutes all together) in first and second triennium of primary school and 2 hours (90 minutes all together) per week in second triennium are obligatory for all pupils in Slovenia. That is not enough to achieve positive influence that physical activity has and far less than 180 minutes per week which are recommended by experts (Evropska listina[1]). In Slovenia all efforts go to increasing hour of physical education towards daily hour of PE but as in almost all Europe, minutes for physical education is decreasing in last year’s.

As all other curriculums for primary school, curriculum for physical education was also renewed in 2011. New trends of didactic of physical education and updated terminology were taken into account. There were almost any changes in contents of physical education, because last important renewal of curriculum was made in 1998. So most of the changes refer to different didactic approaches.

Most significant reasons for renewing curriculum of physical education were:

• decreasing in motor abilities of Slovenian pupils,

• distinctive decreasing in physical literacy of pupils,

• increased number of chronic non-contagious diseases among children and youth,

• bad body posture, a lot of overweight pupils,

• decreasing in general endurance (stamina) and

• large differences between pupils at same age and gender.

Greater emphasis is also intended to modern ICT used by physical education when it is appropriate and also on cross-curriculum integration.

In article we’ll discuss about cross-curriculum integration with focus on physical education in primary school. We’ll also present some examples of good practice and results of some researches done in Slovenia in last few years.

Key words: physical education, cross-curriculum integration

 

[1] Resolucija Evropskega parlamenta z dne 13. Novembra 2007 o vlogi športa v izobraţevanju. Dostopno na svetovnem spletu dne 19.1.2009 na:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:282E:0131:0138:SL:PDF

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Health education and geography teaching in Slovenia

Author: Maja Umek

Workplace, country and state: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Republic of Slovenia 

 

In the last two decades, health, physical development and motor skills development of Slovenian children and adolescents have rather declined. Although recent research evidence shows that the negative trend of physical and motor skills development has ceased and become positive among girls, one cannot yet be satisfied with the current condition because results and indicators are still below those in the nineties. More than half of Slovenian schools are part of the Healthy School Program, a third of them participate in the Healthy Life Style project and almost all of them are part of the Traditional Slovenian Breakfast project. Besides these projects, there exist also many smaller local projects that emphasise and promote healthy life style.

Among the curricula education for health is one of the cross-curricular educational fields that should be realised in every Slovenian primary school within every subject. Unfortunately, majority of cross-curricular fields are not optimally implemented in individual subjects and are consequently less realised. As a case in point, this is true for Geography along the entire ladder of primary school. Slovenia lacks a realistic synthesis of curricula with geographic themes that focus on the implementation of learning goals and learning contents which can promote healthy life style among pupils. This article explores how learning goals for health education can be realised through existing curricula with geographic themes, and gives suggestions of new learning goals, themes and didactic recommendations which could widen and deepen health education within Geography using authentic geographic themes.

 

Keywords:  geography, health education, curricula

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Integration between Geography and Physical education in Slovenian schools

Authors: PhD. Maja Umek, PhD. Vesna Štemberger

Faculty, state, city: Faculty of Education, Slovenia, Ljubljana

 

Due to new findings about learning, teaching and demands of requirements connected to functional knowledge there are a lot of notable changes of Slovenian educational system in last decade.  That is why in renewed curricula for primary school special attention is given to cross-curricular and transdisciplinary connections between different school subjects. Regrettably there is no cohesion between different curricula in using the same cross-curricula connections, e.g. in curricula for physical education cross-curricula connections with mathematics are given while on the other hand we can’t find the same cross-curricula connections with physical education in curricula for mathematics. Integrative curriculum does not prescribe cross-curriculum or transdisciplinary connections in advance but it allows and encourages them. Connection between subjects is a goal and expected result of realisation of curricula and is not its basis. This is the reason why a lot of different approaches to cross-curricula realisation are possible.

There are more cross-curricula connections used in first triennium because textbooks are oriented toward cross-curricula connections. The other important reason for more cross-curriculations in first triennium is fact that all subjects are taught by the same teacher who is familiar with all curriculums. It is less common to integrate subjects in second and third triennium of primary school. They are realized not during ordinary lessons but through so called activity days (e.g. school in nature).

We figured out that teachers do not have enough proper knowledge about cross-curricular integration so the new Bologna study programmes were the best opportunity for creating new study subject which goals are to get enough competences for implementation of cross-curricular integration on all levels of primary school. In article we’ll present and evaluate  examples of cross-curricular integration between geography and physical education.

 

key words: Integration, physical education, geography, Slovenia

 

 

 

 

Title: Possible integration between PE and Geography in a Danish perspective.

Authors: Esben Stilund Volshøj, Erik Juul, Rune Vinter Bødker Pedersen.

Faculty, state, city: VIA University College, Teachers Education at Aarhus, Denmark, Aarhus

 

 

The purpose of the school system in Denmark is, according to the Ministry of Education, to support the pupils general education characterized by intellectual freedom, equality and democracy, to prepare them for higher education and implementation in the society.

As a result of low national test scores on Pisa evaluations, society’s increasing demands for practical related specialists, and growing evidence on both cognitive, motoric and health benefits of physical activity, a new national school reform has been launched in Denmark by august 2014.

Partly because of a more sedentary lifestyle followed by the integration of IT during the last 20 years, a mayor change is also seen in the focus on physical activity in both a health and cognitive perspective. A minimum of 45 min. physical activity has to be implemented each day regardless of class level, either integrated in the different subjects or in a new class called ‘Supportive teaching’ (Co-Curricular time).

This is beyond the regular lessons in Physical Education where classes must have 2 x 45 minutes a week. Classes 4 – 5 – 6 (10 – 11 – 12 years old) must have 3 x 45 minutes.

 

The integration of tablets and smartphones for teaching has been a topic and focus of the school in general; with the benefits and dilemmas it has lead in contrast to a more physical active class. As the new reform puts physical activity in the spotlight for better learning and well-being outdoor education seems among others to be a mutual field of work for both PE and Geography.

 

In the text we try to describe the possibilities and dilemmas by implementing tablets and smartphones in the school in general, and try to identify common intersections between PE and Geography. Hereby follows some chosen practical examples of outdoor activities with the use of tablets or smartphones, along with a theoretical introduction to didactical approaches being used in PE and Geography in an integrative perspective.

 

At the final the text discusses the possible integration between PE and geography based on the practical examples and didactic approaches in an international perspective.

 

Keywords: Physical activity, Danish public school, PE and Geography, Tablets and Smartphones, Outdoor activities

 

 

 

Title: Integration of geography and physical education at PDF MU A FSPS MU 

Authors: Eduard Hofmann, Hana Svobodová, Pavel Korvas

Workplace, country and state: Masaryk University in Brno, Faculty of Education, Brno, CESA, VUT, Brno, the Czech Republic

 

The paper deals primarily with the organization and cooperation during the organization and realization of field teaching at the Faculty of Education and at the Faculty of Sports Studies at Masaryk University. This paper also briefly presents various forms of the field teaching and their mutual interconnection which are guaranteed by the Departement of Geography at the Faculty of Education and by the University Sports Centre.

Field teaching  is considered as one of the forms of teaching that has a significant integrative character in terms of both physical activities and geography. The first follow-up survey, which was divided into two parts, tries to prove that the physical activity of students can be increased in a natural and non-violent way outside the hours that are intended for physical education. Field work offers space to to apply different types of tourism, map orientation and GPS orientation in an unfamiliar environment, movement games and competitions with the theme of geography. On the other hand, the knowledge of geography and the skills gained in geography support different kinds of outdoor activities.

 

 

 

 

Title: Sustainable mobility as an example of possible integration between Physical education and Geography

Authors: Tatjana Resnik Planinc and Matej Ogrin

Faculty, state, city: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Slovenia, Ljubljana

 

Mobility is part of our everyday life. Nowadays, individual mobility is mainly tied to the car which represents the most wasteful way of moving. Since it is very comfortable and gives us certain freedom, it is very difficult to face the fact that the dominant mode of modern mobility is very unsustainable. Due to the fact that young people are a very important target group for changing travel modes, as mobility attitudes are deeply influenced by experiences from an early age, it is necessary to find new ways to educate children and young people about the importance and requirements of sustainable mobility by encouraging changes in travel behaviour. In schools, pupils and students can learn about a number of reasons why sustainable mobility is necessary (e.g. the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the increase of traffic safety, the equalization of social disparities, smaller spatial constraints and the decrease of air and noise pollution).

Since every pupil/student and teacher come to school daily, this is an opportunity to put the knowledge and principles into practice. Often, a number of problems occur proving that the practice is usually more complex than the theory. However, in cooperation with local communities and, of course, parents, schools can solve at least some problems (e.g. arrange group travel, prevent traffic congestion before the start of classes and manage the traffic around the school). During the school year, pupils/students may record “sustainable” arrivals (e.g. walking, cycling and using public transport) to and from school, public transport or bicycles can be used for school trips, and so on. Thus, children will spend more time outdoor, while their physical activity will also improve their physical condition and lead to better health.  

In Slovenia, the curricula of geography and physical education include objectives related to sustainable development and sustainable mobility. Therefore, teachers can talk about the importance and role of sustainable mobility in our daily lives and continue with the activities (taking into account pupils’/students’ different perceptual abilities) that facilitate the path to the goals related to the development of positive attitudes towards sustainable mobility. Pupils/students should also develop attitudes and values, learn effective problem solving strategies, critical reception of information and develop communication skills. Consequently, they should realize that people with their everyday decisions and behaviour influence the natural and social environment.

 

Key words: curriculum, education, geography, physical education, sustainable mobility.