Physical Education 3

3.1 Introduction
The concept of physical education is generally understood
as organisation of some games, sports or physical education
activities in schools. There are schools where specific periods
are allocated for this subject in the time table. It has been
noticed that during such periods, most of the students are
either left on their own to play the games in a way they like
or they are taken to the field where they engage themselves
in different sports without the guidance or supervision of
teachers. In some schools, selected students play games like
football, cricket, volleyball, hockey, basketball, and so on.
Annual sports are organised, but again in such activities only
a few selected students participate. All
Box 3.1 these experiences taken together provide
a basic understanding of the physical
Definitions education as a concept. However, when
1. According to Webster’s Dictionary we go into details of the aims, objectives
and concepts of physical education, we
Physical education is a integral part
learn that they go beyond these traditional
of education which gives instructions
beliefs.
in the development and care of the
body ranging from simple calisthenic 3.2 Physical Education
exercises to a course of study providing As we know, education, particularly
training in hygiene, gymnastics and school education, aims at the holistic
the performance and management of development of children. It provides
athletics games. students with opportunities to grow and
2. Columbia Encyclopaedia develop as adults to be useful for the
Physical education and training, is society. It is important for us to know that
an organised instruction in motor one of the most important requirements
activities that contribute to the for growing into healthy adulthood is the
physical growth, health and body physical growth which supports cognitive
image of the individual. development. It is, therefore, necessary
that all children get adequate opportunity
3. Central Advisory Board of Physical
to participate in free play, informal and
Education and Recreation defines
formal games, sports and yoga activities.
Physical education as an education
It is in this context that health has been
through physical activities for the
made a significant component of the
development of total personality of
subject of Physical Education in the
the child to its fullness and perfection
school education system of the country.
in body, mind and spirit.
The subject “Health and Physical

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 Physical Education 31

Education” adopts a holistic definition of health within which

physical education and yoga contribute to the physical, social,
emotional and mental development of a child.
In view of the above, the meaning of physical education
becomes a little different from what is commonly understood.
Physical education comprises holistic education for the
development of personality of the child to its fullest and
perfection in body, mind and spirit through engaging in regular
physical activities. Physical education through the medium of
physical activities helps individuals to attain and maintain
physical fitness. It contributes to physical efficiency, mental
alertness and the development of qualities like perseverance,
team spirit, leadership and obedience to rules. It develops
personal and social skills among the learners and makes a
positive impact on their physical, social, emotional and mental
development. It also contributes to the total health of learners
and the community. Physical education thus, can be defined
as a subject that is not only focused on physical fitness but is
also concerned with development of a number of skills, abilities
and attitudes for leading a healthy lifestyle. It inculcates values
like cooperation, respect to others, loyalty, self-confidence,
winning with grace and losing with hope.
3.3 Objectives of Physical Education
As discussed above, by now it may be clear to you that the
aim of physical education is not only physical development
but also to equip learners with knowledge, skills, capacities,
values, and the enthusiasm to maintain and carry on a healthy
lifestyle. It promotes physical fitness, develops motor skills
and the understanding of rules, concepts and strategies of
playing games and sports. Students learn to either work as
part of a team, or as individuals in a wide variety of competitive
activities. The main objectives of physical education are to:
• develop motor abilities like strength, speed, endurance,
coordination, flexibility, agility and balance, as they are
important aspects for good performance in different
games and sports.
• develop techniques and tactics involved in organised
physical activities, games and sports.
• acquire knowledge about human body as its functioning
is influenced by physical activities.
• understand the process of growth and development
as participation in physical activities has positive
relationship with it.
• develop socio-psychological aspects like control of
emotions, balanced behaviour, development of leadership
and followership qualities and team spirit through
participation in games and sports.

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 32 Health and Physical Education — Class IX

• develop positive health related fitness habits which

can be practised lifelong so as to prevent degenerative
diseases.
Activity 3.1
1. Find out the following facts about your school and prepare a write-up.
• Periods allocated for physical education in your school?
• What do students do during physical education periods? How many students
of a class actually participate in activities during such periods?
• What type of knowledge is provided by the teachers about the concerned games
and sports related skills?
• What do the students do during these classes when they are left free?
2. Compare your write-up with the above objectives.
3. What will you do, if some of the objectives are not covered?

3.4 Scope of Physical Education

Physical education has evolved as a multi-disciplinary subject
over time and its scope is not confined to physical fitness and
knowing the rules of games and sports. It includes many topics
which belong to other subjects like science, biology, genetics,
psychology and sociology. It is possible that all the contents
that constitute the scope of physical education may not find a
place in the syllabus meant for school education. However, it
contains all the content areas as stated below.
3.4.1 Games and Sports as a Cultural Heritage
The games and sport activities that you play today have a
strong linkage to our culture. Sport activities which dominate
any region is embedded in the cultural milieu. Some of the
sports that reflect the culture of a region of our country are
Kho-Kho, Kabbadi, Archery, Lezim, Wrestling and so on. Our
Box 3.2 ancestors survived on hunting with the use of throwing
stones as well as bow and arrows, running, jumping etc.
Physical education were used for survival and recreation. Later when man
consists of: became more civilised, it took the shape of competitive
• games and sports as a sports like athletics, wrestling, archery and so on. So, we
cultural heritage can see a strong bonding of our culture in the present
• mechanical aspects in evolution of games and sports.
physical education 3.4.2 Mechanical Aspects in Physical Education
• biological contents
Physical education takes into consideration the
• health education and
mechanical aspects of various physical activities
wellness contents
being performed. You are aware that the concepts
• psycho-social content
regarding laws of motion, lever, force and its generation,
• talent identification and
maintenance of equilibrium, centre of gravity and its
training contents.
impact on movements, law of acceleration, speed and

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 Physical Education 33

its development form important content areas of physical

education. You will also study these aspects in your science
textbook.
3.4.3 Biological Contents in Physical Education
The contents drawn from the biological sciences take into
consideration the areas of heredity and environment, growth
and development, organs and systems, understanding of joints
classification, and possible movements around these joints.
In addition, muscles and their properties, effect of exercise
on various systems of the body (like circulatory, respiratory,
muscular, digestive and skeletal systems) are also linked to
physical activities.
3.4.4 Health Education and Wellness Contents in Physical
Education
Physical education includes contents related to the area
of health education through understanding the concept of
hygiene, knowledge about various communicable and non-
communicable diseases, problems relating to health and their
prevention, proper nutrition and balanced diet. Community
health, school health service programme, assessment of health
status, prevention, safety and first aid for common injuries are
also included in the scope of physical education.
3.4.5 Psycho-social Content of Physical Education
Psycho-social aspect of physical education extends to the
study of areas regarding individual differences, personality
development, learning of various skills, motivation and its
techniques, anxiety management, ethical and social values,
group dynamics, cooperation, cohesiveness and learning. It
also focuses on emotional development, relationships with
peer/parents and others, self concept and self esteem.
3.4.6 Talent Identification and Training Content in
Physical Education
Physical education includes contents with regard to talent
identification, development of components in relation to
specific sport, understanding of various types of activities
like aerobic, anaerobic, rhythmic and calisthenics. Training
programmes, learning and perfection of various movements,
sport skills, techniques and tactical patterns, warming up,
load adaptation, recovery and cooling down are also a part of
physical education.
3.5 Teaching-Learning Approach
We have, so far, discussed the importance of physical education
as a subject area in the school curriculum. It is an integral
part of Health and Physical Education which is prescribed as

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 34 Health and Physical Education — Class IX

a compulsory subject at the Primary (Classes/Grades I-V),

Upper Primary (Classes/Grades VI-VIII) and Secondary stages
(Classes/Grades IX-X) and as an optional subject at Higher
Secondary stage (Classes/Grades XI-XII). But as you may be
experiencing in actual practices, this subject has not been
treated at par with other core subjects. It is not transacted
satisfactorily in majority of schools. And wherever it is
transacted, either some knowledge about games and sports is
imparted or only a selected group of students are engaged in
games and sports as extra-curricular activities.
Arguments like lack of the needed infrastructure and
equipments, absence of trained teachers and paucity of time
in schools are given as reasons for indifferent transaction of
physical education. In fact most significant reason is the lack
of appreciation of the relevance of this area for the holistic
development of children by school authorities, teachers and
parents.
3.5.1 Methodology of Teaching-learning
It is generally believed that the methodology of teaching
learning is the concern of teachers only. Learners have little
or nothing to do with it. But this is not true. The teaching-
learning methods are concerns of learners as well. Knowing
and understanding that how different subjects are taught
are important for the learners of all subjects, but it has more
relevance for the learners of physical education. When we
talk about you as learners of physical education,
Box 3.3
we mean that you have actually participated in the
subject area, rather than merely studied it. It needs a
(i) Why do you feel that it is
suitable learning environment and a positive will for
important for students
participation. As you now know, physical education
to know how physical
does not mean organisation of a few sports and games
education activities are
activities, involving only a selected number of students,
organised in school?
and that too occasionally. The following points are
(ii) Should the focus of
significant for the appreciation of this subject and
physical education
the need for adopting appropriate teaching – learning
be only on selected
methodology:
students or for all? You
• Physical education is necessary to ensure
can also discuss with
participation of all children in free play, informal and
your classmates.
formal games and sports activities. All students must
(iii) Seema is a differently
be involved in health and physical education activities.
abled girl and is on
Those who choose to excel in games and sports need
a wheelchair in the
to be provided adequate opportunity.
playground. What will
• Involvement of all learners means that even those
you do to involve her
students need to be involved, who are at the risk of
in the game you are
marginalisation, for instance, who are differently abled.
playing?
Such involvement will empower them to overcome the

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 Physical Education 35

sense of helplessness, inferiority and stigma. Differences Activity 3.2

between students must be viewed as resource for
supporting learning rather than as a problem. Inclusion You must have
in education is one of the components of inclusion in observed some
society. students not
participating in
3.5.2 Physical Education Cards (PEC) Methodology
physical education
Various methodologies are being employed and efforts are on activities including
to develop innovative teaching-learning methodologies, one sports in your
such methodology known as PEC-India Methodology has been school. Discuss
developed. It is the outcome of a joint initiative of the British with them and your
Council and the Ministry of Human Resource Development, peers how to ensure
Government of India. Other international organisations, United their participation in
Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) physical activities,
and U.K. Sports were also involved. To begin with, this was individual and
developed for the primary stage and it was scientifically tried sports.
out in schools. The tryout has proved its effectiveness. Based
on this experience, the Physical Education Cards (PEC) and
Teachers’ Manual have been developed for the upper primary
and secondary stages as well. Moreover, this methodology has
also taken care of the needs of differently abled children. They
should also be involved in physical education. The notable
features of this methodology are as follow:
(i) It ensures that every student
participates in physical
education activities equally.
Each card provides essential
information needed for
engaging all students of a
class in the selected game
or activity, even though the
class has larger number of
students;
(ii) Teachers as well as
students have material in
the form of cards that can
be conveniently handled
and used for a longer time Fig.1 : Special child playing with bat
and in a better way.
(iii) The cards will not only
facilitate the organisation of activities but also make
it more convenient for the teacher as well as students
to comprehend the concerned vocabulary as well
as pedagogical tools to organise games, sports and
activities and provide equal opportunity to every
student to participate in these; and

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 36 Health and Physical Education — Class IX

Activity 3.3 (iv) Each card mentions how the impact of activities
conducted according to the proccess explained in
Prepare one it will attain the objectives of Health and Physical
Physical Education and how the achievements of students may
Education Card be evaluated.
for any sport of
choice in group.

Let’s get fit

Lead up games for Kabaddi Track and field events

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 Physical Education 37

Assessment

Answer the following questions

1. Define physical education and discuss its main
objectives.
2. What is the scope of physical education?
3. Describe a process that can ensure equal participation
of all students of a class in a game of your choice.
4. Prepare a report on the actual implementation of
health and physical education in your school.
5. How the community and its sources can be used for
promoting health and fitness of children?
6. A teacher is regulary training 11 students for playing
cricket. Do you think, the teacher is working towards
the attainment of physical education objectives? Give
adequate reasons for your thinking.
Fill in the blanks
(i) Physical education has evolved as a multi……………
subject.
(ii) All children should get ………..to participate in games.
(iii) Through physical education activities ………..of a child
is developed.
(iv) Physical education subject is at…….with other
subjects.
Tick (P) mark either Yes or No
(i) Agility, balance and coordination are fundamental
movement skills that are developed through
participation in games and sports. (Yes/No)
(ii) PEC means Physical Education Codes (Yes/No)
(iii) Physical Education has been made a compulsory
subject from Class I-X. (Yes/No)
(iv) Yoga is an integral part of Health and Physical
Education Subject. (Yes/No)
(v) PEC ensures that every child finds equal opportunity
to play game and sports. (Yes/No)

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