​P.A
Physical Activity In Primary Schools
HERE TO HELP YOU GET KIDS
INVOLVED​​​
​IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT
There are many different types of assessment activity’s that have been used and are being used in New Zealand schools, they have changed over the years but some remain. At a primary school level the teacher has a major influence as to what kinds of evaluation and assessment activities their class does for physical activity, as they chose majority of the activities, although there are some set out for them by the school. Some teachers use types of assessment and evaluation that have been around for many years, which can then be out dated and no longer effective (Welk, 2008).
Some ways to assess the students in your classroom is through self-evaluation and peer assessment. Getting the students to evaluate and assess themselves can be extremely effective, as you see what they think their weaknesses and strengths are in physical activity. Some students may be very self-conscious therefore they may grade themselves very poorly for physical activity, this gives you as their teacher a chance to understand them more as an individual and their perception of themselves.
Peer evaluation can be a good way to get students working together through physical activity, and improve their team work skills. Having a post box in the classroom so that students can post their ideas around the physical activity’s you do in the classroom can be very effective, you can then understand what they like or don’t like in relation to the activities you choose (Ministry of Health, 2011).
There are many pros and cons when it comes to assessing students for physical activity. A lot of students don’t do any other physical activity other than when they are at school, so it can be used as a way to get those students seeing it as a positive thing. By bringing in assessment of students for physical activity, it can take away from the main point of why we get students to take part. By assessing the students we can end up ranking them from fittest to least fit, this can make students feel very self-conscious and result in them not wanting to take part. Therefore when assessing students in physical activity we need to make it a positive experience, rather than what students can or can’t do. The aim and need is to get every student taking part, so that they are all experiencing physical activity in their lives. A pros of physical activity and evaluation is that you can find out what is effective and what the students are or aren’t enjoying within the physical activity you are doing (CDC, 2002).
HISTORICAL EXAMPLE
An example of physical activity assessment is the well-known ‘beep test’, this determines how fit a student is. They have to run back and forth from one line to another, when each beep occurs. The amount of runs they can do gets recorded and they are put into a category of boys and girls, and their fitness level for their age. Assessment like this doesn’t do much for the student, it gives the teacher, the parents, the school and idea of how fit each child is, but is that really what we need to be focusing on in physical education. It should be more focused on how can we get these students involved in physical activity, and get their fitness level up (CDC, 2002).
MODERN ASSESSMENT EXAMPLE
With a large group of students running around, it can be difficult to remember what everyone has done during a P.A lesson and how you can help them further their physical education.
This is where the rubrics comes in handy. If you see some students have any difficulties or misconceptions about the lesson or what is expected of them, you are able to make a note of it under the appropriate heading for specific students or the group as a whole.
The information gathered from these rubrics assessments will then become a vital part of planning or adapting your next lesson. You will be able to see which areas the students are able to make the most inprovement and focus on that.
Or perhaps you notice a lack in some of the fundamental skills needed to continue the unit. You will be able to add in a 'fundamentals' lesson before continuing so that the students are gaining a positive learning experience that will enable them to develop and progress with their physical abilities.
Another way that physical activity is evaluated and assessed in schools is through project energize, they are trying to get students to participate in a minimum of 20mins physical activity a day, they are trying to influence students to take part in physical activity rather than assess them on it. They give schools and teachers resources for implementing physical activity in their classrooms, which is extremely effective (Ministry of Health, 2011).
Over all, physical activity has many pros and cons for assessment and evaluation. It is something that can be used to gain knowledge and an understanding for the teachers, parents and school but it does not help that student to get fitter or take part in any way, if anything it can demean them and make them more self-conscious.
The most important part of physical activity in schools is to get students involved and enjoying it, as some students might not get these opportunities out of school. Involving students in a positive way can be extremely beneficial, not just for physical well-being but for many other areas too.