Movement education is the keystone of physical education and

sport. Discuss.
Physical education is the development of mental, social, spiritual and physical of a person.
In simple words, physical education is the wholesome development of a person. In 1820’s
some Americans school integrated physical education in their curriculum, so did other
schools around the world later on. Physical education contributes highly in the holistic
development of a child.

Physical education meets the physical needs of the child and the need for movement
experiences, challenges and play. It develops a desire for daily physical activity and
encourages constructive use of free time and participation in physical activities in adult life.
To fulfill these needs, physical education is built on the principles of variety and diversity
and as an integral part of the total curriculum, it provides vital opportunities for the
physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of the child.

The physical education curriculum is a nutshell which contributes largely towards the
holistic development of the students. It has been proved by evidence that children who are
physically active and fit are more likely to have a better academic achievement.

Movement education is concerned with the qualities that are an intrinsic part of movement
itself. In this aspect, movement provides an opportunity to participate in activities that are
inherently valuable, holistic, culturally significant, and an important source of personal
meaning and knowledge. Movement education has to do with knowing how to move,
engaging in physical activities

Why is it important for students to become proficient with the “basics” in physical
education? Students have needs to develop their thinking, feeling, and moving abilities.
Without each of these, the child will be limited, and likely be limited as an adult. It is
evident that every academic content area has basic fundamentals upon which most every
other concept is built. Reading and writing begin with the learning of alphabet.
Mathematics begins with the learning of numbers. What most of us fail to recognize is that
this is also true for the physical education content. So, where do we begin to recognize the
fundamentals of physical education? Why is it important for students to become proficient
with theses fundamentals? Therefore, we begin by identifying the four basic movement
concepts and their associated movement elements, which form the type of foundation in
physical education that the “ABCs” do in literacy and the “1,2,3s” do in the mathematics.
The movement framework serves as the “core” of physical activity. Movement-education is
a child-centered approach that helps students to understand how the body moves. It is
noncompetitive with the hope of raising a student’s confidence in different physical
activities. This individualized approach leads to very high activity time and helps to
increase students’ fitness levels. When we learn how to perform a movement pattern that
requires us to think deeply about what the body will do, how it will move, where it will
move and with whom or what they body will move with (e.g., a social dance step, a tennis
serve, a backward roll in gymnastics and so forth), in physical education we are exercising
the same areas of the brain that are involved in all of the cognitive functions used
throughout the school day.

The most basic concepts in movement education can be understood by the following
questions:
 What do we move?
 Where do we move?
 How do we move?
 What are the connections, with whom or what we move?

To move, we need something to move – our bodies. We need a place to move- space. We
need energy to move- effort. We often move in connection with other people, things or
ideas- in relationship. These four concept (body, space, effort, relationship) are the essence
of the movement education framework.

The movement concept basically begins with the body, which is the instrument of
movement. To move, we must have a means of moving. The body is the instrument of
movement that gives meaning to the other concepts. It focuses on the entire body or its
parts. It has four categories:
 Body parts
 Body shapes
 Actions of the body parts
 Action of the whole body
We can make lots of shapes with our bodies. Some are tall and stretched, and some are wide.
Who can find four types of body shapes we can make.

A major objective in teaching physical education to children is to promote body awareness

and to develop a level of competence in the basic skills of human movement: There is need
for all Children to develop an awareness of their own bodies and the position they occupy
in space. Lack of body awareness can hinder these children in many areas of learning.
Body awareness includes being aware of different :parts of the body, the movements which
can be performed by those parts, the relationship of those parts to one another in tasks
involved in co-ordination as well as the relationship of body parts to external objects.
SPACE
The space aspect focuses on where the body is moving, and the student develops skill in the
use of personal and general space, and competency in moving in various directions, on
different pathways, and through varied levels, planes, and extensions.

Space awareness helps us to understand movement in

 general space
 personal space,
This means in different directions, along different pathways and at different levels.
General space is the total space (empty space) that can be used by one person or a group
of people. For example the netball court consists of the general space a player can use when
performing a series of skills in netball.

Personal Space or limited space is the instantaneous space a person can use around
himself or herself. Direction includes moving forward, backward, sideways, diagonally, and
up and down. Pathways are the patterns a person or an object makes when moving on or
off the floor. For example a person may travel in a curve followed by a straight pathway
and end in a zigzag pathway.

Level refers to the location of the body or body parts to the floor or apparatus. Movement
can be high in relation to the floor when leaping or performing a cartwheel or low to the
floor when performing a log roll. Movement on all fours is movement at a medium level.

Levels also refer to the relation of one part of the body to another. High movements are
those performed above the shoulders; medium movements between the shoulders and
knees: and low movements, from the knees to the toes.

QUALITIES OR EFFORT IN MOVEMENT

The student develops the ability to use time (e.g., fast/ slow), weight (e.g., strong/ light),
flow (e.g., free/bound), and space (e.g., straight/flexible) to improve the quality or
the”flavor” of movement.

Speed, force and flow describe how the body moves from one position to another.

Speed, here refers to the rate of movement of the whole body over a distance or a part of
the body in space. The Movement of the whole body or its parts may vary from very quick
to very slow. To change speed is necessary in athletics, basketball and football.
Force refers to the effort or tension involved in a movement. The body can apply force (e.g.
kicking a ball) and absorb force (e.g. landing from a jump). Force can be described as strong
or weak, heavy or light. Overall, force can be controlled.
Flow means how a movement or a sequence of movements is related in a purposeful
action. Movements may be free flow or bound flow.
  Free flow describes movements that continue smoothly from one to another to a
controlled end, e.g. running, swimming, and the forward roll.
 Bound flow means when a series of movements is stopped from moment to
moment with the balance maintained, then continue to another static movement,
e.g. a netballer running then stopping to collect a pass, pivoting and passing the ball
then running again.

RELATIONSHIPS

The relationships aspect focuses on with whom or what the body is relating as it moves.
This aspect helps students develop awareness and skill in how body parts relate to one
another when moving and how the mover relates to individuals, groups, apparatus, objects,
and other factors such as a rhythm, music, boundaries, and rules

We can do two kinds of movement with objects;

Manipulative movements and non-manipulative movements.

 In the manipulative movements we can control the movement of the object, e.g.
throwing or kicking a ball, hitting with a bat.
 In the non-manipulative movements we regulate our movements to a non-moving
object e.g. a gymnastic routine on the balance beam, going over a hurdle, running
behind a ball, stepping on a spring board.

 Relationship to a person or persons, for example:

 When we are moving alone in space we are totally responsible for our movement.
 When we move with a partner we may copy each other’s movement, we can do a
movement together, do a movement that is opposite to our partner or each person
does his or her own movement but relates it to the other’s movement.
 When we move in a group we may, follow an instructor’s movement, move with
other people, copy or oppose the movement of another group and move in many
other ways.

These are what prepare students to apply skills effectively and efficiently within a larger
game.

The Movement framework also provide students with learning experiences that promote
locomotor skills such as running, sliding (side gallop), leaping, and jumping necessary for
games.  Non- locomotor movements such as the rotation and twisting necessary for
striking with a bat or racket, or the bending and force absorption necessary to quickly
change direction in an invasion game such as soccer or a net/wall game like tennis are also
important experiences.
 
Manipulative skills are fundamental to game play ability.  These skills are grouped into
three categories: sending an object away (striking, kicking, and throwing); gaining
possession of an object/receiving (catch, trapping, collecting); and traveling with an object
(carrying or propelling – dribbling).

The movement education framework also provides teachers to apply these concepts not
only in the psychomotor learning domain but in the cognitive and affective as well. The
affective domain helps students to develop respect for themselves and others; dynamic
involvement and self-responsibility; and caring and concern for others within an
environment that is emotionally and physically safe. They develop an awareness of the
challenge, feeling and joy of movement as a performer and as an observer.  Further,
teachers help students to learn to value the involvement of physical activity toward health
and well being.  In the cognitive domain of learning, a quality movement framework
approach requires the learner to understand: the language of movement; the body and how
it moves; and the concepts, principles, strategies, tactics, and patterns within games, sport
and physical activities.
 
Overall, while movement education provides the basis of movement for the student, the
factors in the movement study provide the foundation for the movement educator.

SOURCES OF REFERENCE
Applying Laban’s Movement Framework in Elementary Physical Education (pdf)

Objectives of Movement Education -

http://www.healthandphysicaleducationteacher.com/dimentions-of-physical-
education/objectives-of-movement-education.html

Notes from handouts