Roadmap to Health and Well-Being

PDHPE plan for 3P

with Mr. Reynolds
 Roadmap to Health and Well-Being

PDHPE – More than playing sport

Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education is a subject area that addresses
more than playing sport with peers.

According the Rationale section of the NSW PDHPE Syllabus document it, ‘develops the
knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes important for students to take positive
action to protect and enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing in
varied and changing contexts.’ (NSW Education Standards Authority, 2018)

To summarise, studies in PDHPE develop in students, many traits that will continue to
benefit them throughout their schooling and beyond into their personal lives.
 Roadmap to Health and Well-Being

Game Sense – Targeted Teaching Practice

Game Sense (GS), or Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) are approaches to
teaching where games are the nucleus of learning experiences, especially in PDHPE.
Rather than the traditional approach of teaching skills and techniques in isolation, Game
Sense allows for the skill and technique to be taught using gamified scenarios. Building up
gradually to the chosen sport being more thoroughly understood by all participants,
thereby increasing the strategic and tactical thought processes of students. (Johnson & Walker, 2016)

Research suggests, that Game Sense provides a useful way of combining motor skill
development with tactical and strategic awareness, due to an emphasis on the
requirements of being successful in a given sport. (Pill, 2011)
 Roadmap to Health and Well-Being
Why Game Sense – Student Centred Learning

Game Sense (GS) when deployed well, allows students to develop the motor skills
necessary for participation in the chosen sport during an activity. Therefore, removing
the opportunity for students to critique each-others prowess or lack thereof. Through
gradually building the motor skills necessary, each student can be helped to achieve the
basics in contexts where the strategic information is just as important as the physicality
required. This aligns with the NSW PDHPE Syllabus which states, ‘Students practice,
develop and refine the physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills that are important
for engaging in movement and leading a healthy, safe and physically active life.’(NSW Education
Standards Authority, 2018)

Through a focus on learners being at the centre of teaching practice, enhancement to the
learning and engagement of students can be provided. (Pill, 2011)
 Roadmap to Health and Well-Being
Wellbeing – Benefits beyond physicality

According to the Victorian state health department Wellbeing is, ‘a complex combination
of a person's physical, mental, emotional and social health factors.’(Better Health Channel, 2014)
Using the Game Sense approach can reduce the performance anxiety that afflicts many
students in the school sport setting, through game modification and the emphasis on
tactical and strategic elements of the game. Through this ethos, many students who
would not normally feel engaged in PDHPE thrive due to the cognitive requirements
balancing out the physical participation. Self esteem and confidence flourish under these
conditions.

The benefits of playing sport go beyond the physical, helping the development of social
skills, resilience, leadership aspects, and other domains of good mental health. (Beyond Blue, 2019)
 Roadmap to Health and Well-Being
Using Game Sense – Let the fun begin!!

Just as our roadmap has a number of waypoints leading to the destination, our PDHPE
program will encompass a number of foundational lessons using Game Sense, to build up
to playing various sports during the year.
Without the use of this approach, having each student arrive at the destination of
engagement and cognitive benefit during PDHPE lessons would not be as comprehensive.
For some students who already compete in certain sports outside of school, the
elementary lessons may appear somewhat simple. However, a more developed
understanding of the strategic and tactical side of the specific sport can almost certainly
be assured, along with the benefits of being even more active.

Please contact me at your convenience if you have any questions or concerns regarding
this planned program.
Roadmap to Health and Well-Being
References
Better Health Channel. (2014). Wellbeing. Retrieved from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

/health/healthyliving/wellbeing

Beyond Blue. (2019). Wellbeing; The mental health benefits of playing a team sport. Retrieved

from: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/personal-best/pillar/wellbeing/the-mental-health-

benefits-of-playing-a-team-sport

Johnson, I., & Walker, E. (2016). Teaching Games for Understanding: Building a Physically

Literate Individual: Editor: Ferman Konukman. Journal of Physical Education,

Recreation & Dance, 87(6), 47-49.

Light, R., & Harvey, S. (2017). Positive Pedagogy for sport coaching. Sport, Education and

Society, 22(2), 271-287.

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2018). Personal Development, Health and Physical

Education K–10 Syllabus. Retrieved from: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au

/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/pdhpe/pdhpe-k-10-2018

Pill, S. (2011). Teacher engagement with teaching games for understanding - game sense in

physical education. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 11(2), 115-123.