8. Physical Education and Well-being
Physical Education and Well-being in school aims to help students learn to lead a physically active, vigorous, and healthy life. In this NCF, the term ‘Physical Education’ (or PE) has been used in the place of ‘Physical Education and Well-being’. Physical Education consists of movements, drills, exercises, yoga, games, sports, and other activities that promote mind-body wellness. Physical Education should provide a wide range of age-appropriate and level appropriate physical activities that develop knowledge of the body and of games and sports, together with a disposition towards perseverance, teamwork, and sportspersonship.
KRCR 2019 states the role of Physical Education thus:
Physical Education is important for both physical and mental health and development. It helps improve a child’s muscular and cardiovascular strength, flexibility, endurance, motor skills, and mind-body connection and wellness. It gives students the opportunity to set and strive for personal and achievable goals. Moreover, playing sports also helps students develop the qualities of teamwork, cooperation, problem-solving, discipline, perseverance, and responsibility. In general, physical activity is well established to be among the best releases for tension and anxiety and facilitates emotional stability and resilience. All these qualities and benefits are also relevant to success in the classroom; studies show that students who stay physically active are more successful with other schoolwork as well. Finally, people who are physically active as young people tend to stay more fit as adults as well, leading them to lead longer, healthier, and more productive lives.
Section 8.1 - Aims
Physical activity is integral to human life and, therefore, integral to the school curriculum. For the individual student, sports and physical activities teach important motor skills, practices of physical fitness, socio-emotional awareness and regulation, associated cognitive abilities, as well as the values of hard work, teamwork, and a gracious acceptance of one’s strengths and vulnerabilities.
Various forms of physical activities have unified people across the world over shared common interests and spirits, be it global sporting events or the spread of yoga. Sports, games, yoga, and other such rigorous physical activities have allowed humanity to enjoy shared experiences, emotions, and excitement.
India has long recognised the centrality of a healthy body as part of any educational experience. A very rich heritage of physical activities and games such as yoga, wrestling, malkhamb, and archery indicate this connection between body, health, and the holistic development of a human being.
A good Physical Education program is therefore considered important for everyone, regardless of the field of interest one wants to pursue in life.
Physical Education in schools must aim to achieve:
a. Appreciation for physical activity/sports. Sports and physical activities should be valued for the opportunities it provides for good health, enjoyment, self-reflection, and social interaction.
b. Capacities for skilful engagement in physical activity/sports. Physical Education should develop knowledge and capacity to execute different kinds of skills and movements of the human body and participate in and enjoy a variety of activities, games, and sports.
c. Resilience. Physical Education must develop resilience, tenacity, and an interest in the pursuit of excelling in physical capacities.
d. Empathy and Cooperation. Physical Education must nurture empathy, cooperation, fair play, and fraternity, which are relevant throughout one’s life to be a good human being and a contributing member of society and learn to meet winning and losing with grace.
Yoga The origin of all forms of yoga practised today is in the Yoga Sutras, a collection of aphorisms written over 2,000 years ago by Patanjali. The tradition has been passed on through generations and is in the form we see today. Yoga is not just a physical practice of Asanas (postures) but is much more than that. Patanjali enumerates 8 limbs of yoga (Ashtanga yoga). They are Yama (universal moral commandments), Niyama (self-purification by discipline), Asana (Posture), Pranayama (rhythmic control of breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal and emancipation of the mind from the domination of the senses and external objects), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (a state of super consciousness brought about by profound meditation).Yama, Niyama, and Asana are the 3 stages of outward quests (bahiranga sadhana). Yama and Niyama aim to control student’s passions and emotions to stay in harmony with fellow human beings. Through the practice of Asanas, student keeps the body and mind healthy, strong, and in harmony with nature. These are largely the same aims as that of Physical Education in our school curriculum. We want students to be healthy, strong individuals who are in harmony with their surroundings and are contributing members of the community. Thus, the teaching of yoga is an integral part of the Physical Education program. Yoga Asanas and practices like pranayama appear at multiple points in this document.Source: Light on Yoga by BKS, Iyengar
Section 8.2 - Approach
In this NCF, Physical Education is seen as an important Curricular Area and not just an extracurricular activity. It has its own set of Learning Standards, content, appropriate pedagogies, and assessments. This curricular imagination is informed by some core principles that have been outlined in this section.
a. Schools must have Physical Education classes for all Stages
Students in the Preparatory Stage enjoy free play and want to participate in most games. We should encourage free play, creative manipulation of rules, and local games at this Stage. In the Middle Stage, students should continue to play local games but should get oriented towards more widely practised games. They should also actively participate in competitive sports events. Students at the Secondary Stage should be encouraged to choose one sport/game/activity and develop proficiency to compete at a high level. All students across the Stages must have a compulsory Physical Education class as part of their timetable. In instances where certain students at a very young age become interested in participating in different interschool, local, State, national, and international competitions, schools must make reasonable accommodations so that they can pursue their interests. The Additional Enrichment Period on the timetable or a similar after-school program should be used for this.
*b. Schools must ensure adequate resources for Physical Education *
In cases where schools have no playground, they must ensure access to nearby public grounds/ spaces for students. In instances where this is not possible either, schools must develop ways to conduct physical activities that do not require much space, such as yoga, static exercises/ movements, table tennis.
Similarly, until a PE Teacher is appointed, other Teachers must be educated to conduct physical activities under the guidance of any PE Teacher available in the school complex, school cluster, or nearby schools. In case of limited availability of equipment, the choice of games/sports/physical activity must be made accordingly. The non-availability of a playground, PE Teachers, or use-worthy equipment should not be considered as limiting factors in the education and engagement of students in physical activities. c. Schools must give equal importance and status to the subject of Physical Education
Health and Physical Education in schools have received lower importance as compared to other Curricular Areas. NEP 2020 recognises this and emphasises that it should be given equal importance and treatment in the curriculum. Physical Education is equally important for all students, and we must create enabling conditions for it in our curriculum, infrastructure, and school operations, including appropriate time in the school calendar and Teacher preparation.
d. Schools must ensure equal opportunity for all students in Physical Education
i. Students of all levels of interest, inclination, and ability must engage in Physical Education. Like all other Curricular Areas, some students may be more inclined towards Physical Education than others. This curriculum, therefore, suggests two modes for imparting Physical Education:
1) The compulsory PE class: All students must attend the regular PE classes on the timetable. Activities in this class can be different for various groups based on their capacity and level of appropriateness. All students in schools will be part of this class and receive equal attention and support for learning, which means equal access to PE Teacher’s time, equipment, and opportunities to play.
2) The optional Physical Education after-school program: Those students who wish to engage in physical activity and sports on a deeper level can be part of this program. Schools may organise special skill-building classes, provide Physical Education Teacher support, and access to equipment before or/and after school hours. Such an arrangement must be considered as part of the curriculum and not as preferential treatment, as this opportunity should be available for all students who show interest.
ii. Students of all genders should regularly play together across all age groups, keeping in mind safety considerations. Students become accustomed to playing together and grow in their maturity to play comfortably in mixed-gender groups over time. Therefore, this approach is best introduced as early as possible, right from the Foundational Stage. Schools can make choices about having mixed teams in contact sports like kabaddi based on the socio-cultural attitudes in their locality/region.
iii. Schools must ensure the participation of students with disabilities in Physical Education to the extent that is possible for them. This requires adapting play conditions through thoughtful accommodation or modification to enable them to participate. For example, accommodation can be made by increasing the time to finish a run and/or allowing for individual differences in the skill levels expected of students with disabilities. Similarly, modifications can be made to the game rules that would ensure that students play cooperatively with differently skilled students and/or plan a different game/sport altogether (e.g., wheelchair race).
*e. Schools must teach cooperation and teamwork through Physical Education *
Sports, particularly team sports, give opportunities for working together towards a specific goal. Participants must cooperate to improve the overall team’s performance and individual capacities that contribute to the team’s performance. This cooperation is facilitated through dialogue (especially while strategizing before a game or reviewing after a game) based on questions such as – ‘How did I behave when my competitor got injured?’, ‘How do we construct teams when we know different team members have got different abilities and each one is better than the others in one or two aspects?’, ‘Why are some abilities seen as more important?’, ‘How does one feel when they lose?’, ‘How must we react in such situations?’, ‘What were the few crucial moments of the game when the team was competing and lost the advantage?’
f. Schools must ensure healthy competition and use it to explore personal capacities and limits
The Physical Education curriculum aims to nurture empathy, cooperation, fair play, and fraternity. Healthy competition in the context of Physical Education needs to be viewed as a means to enable the holistic development of students. Students must be taught to compete without compromising the values of sportspersonship and positive regard for others. They must be encouraged to pursue excellence and perfection in practice and performance for their own sake rather than to defeat and overpower peers. The key is to challenge oneself to grow into the next level of competence. There are several implications for this position.
i. Students must be grouped in teams with due consideration given to special needs such that it does not develop feelings of inferiority or superiority, as both have serious negative consequences.
ii. Values such as empathy, cooperation, fair play, and fraternity must be promoted and celebrated each time there is a competitive event.
iii. Winning or losing a game should be seen as an opportunity to help students reflect critically on feelings of undue pride, or embarrassment/distress, the effectiveness of the strategy.
iv. The selection of students for interschool competitions must be fair and transparent.
Section 8.3 - Nature of Knowledge
a. ‘To do’ is ‘to know’: Physical activity squarely falls under the category of practical knowledge, where ‘to know’ is acquired only by doing the activity. One cannot claim to know swimming without doing it. Once an individual has performed the activity, they can reflect, observe, and explain how the activity is done. But it is not useful to reverse the sequence of this progression.
b. Regular progressive practice and layered learning leads to proficiency: Physical activities are learned over a period of time. One must perform an activity multiple times before gaining basic proficiency in it and to do it well. For example, to do Tadasana properly, the toes should be spread out evenly, the weight should be balanced equally between the right feet, left feet, forefoot, and heel, the tailbone should be tucked in, and the shoulders should be pushed back. It might take weeks of training to get these aspects right before moving on to others. It will involve a large element of muscle memory, so after a few weeks, these aspects are almost automatic. The instructor can then move on to other aspects of Tadasana.
c.* Teaches awareness of body and space*: Learning awareness of how the body can move in space in different contexts of sport and physical activity is an integral part of Physical Education. This ‘embodied awareness’ is about recognising what is happening in one’s body, expanding the field of awareness around oneself, and having an alertness towards others in the context of sports and physical activity. Along with this kind of embodied awareness, learning to strategize before and during a game and a wide range of skills in the use of equipment are also integral to playing well. For example, in cricket, the bowler bowls to the field, and the batsmen find gaps in the field to hit their shots. In team sports like football and hockey, the players train in spatial patterns so that they know where their teammates are without looking.
d. Learning is remembered for a very long time: Another aspect of physical activity is that once learned, the knowledge stays with an individual for a long time and is like second nature. It is difficult to forget completely how to swim or hit a topspin shot with a table tennis racket once you have mastered it. One might be out of touch with these activities for years but can restart with some practice. In this sense, the knowledge of physical practice is embodied and stays with us.
e. Enables understanding of physical and emotional limits and skills in working together: This aspect of the nature of physical activity can be categorised into three components.
i. Knowledge of physical self and capacities: A person who is regularly engaged in physical activities will have a better understanding of the body’s capabilities and limitations. For example, someone who lifts weights regularly will know how much weight they can lift in a real-world scenario (a sack of rice) against someone who does not. People who engage in physical activities regularly are likely to be more sensitive to changes in their body in the short-term (need for rest or sleep, knowing when they are overeating) and in the long-term (improving their appetite, changing their sleep cycle).
ii. Knowledge of mental and emotional capacities: Through regular participation (and reflection) in sports, a person also learns about how they feel and react under different circumstances. For example, one learns about how assertive they are, how they perform under pressure, how strongly they feel about an unfair situation, and how they react to it and so on.
iii. Knowledge of social surroundings and how to work with them: Team sports require all the individuals in the team to understand each other, communicate at different levels (before, during, and after play), build common strategies, and play different roles required within the team, teaching skills of being social and working together.
Section 8.4 - Current Challenges
a. Status of Physical Education in schools and community: Physical Education in schools is mostly considered as a subject to engage students during leisure time, recess, or when a subject Teacher takes leave. It is feared that playing too much (sports, games, or other physical activities) will badly impact students’ education. Schools lack an understanding of teaching and learning Physical Education. Whatever body of knowledge exists so far is more about the rules of games, playground dimensions, physiology of the body, and nutritional requirements only.
b. Lack of infrastructure and resources: Physical Education requires open spaces, indoor facilities, specific exercises, and sufficient sports equipment to provide a better quality of learning. The lack of adequate infrastructure and resources is a huge challenge in most schools.
c. Lack of availability of PE Teachers in schools: In a vast education system like India, the availability of Teachers has always been a challenge, particularly in subjects such as Art, Physical Education, and Vocational Education. Currently, we have very few good education institutions providing education programs and training for Physical Education Teachers and Teacher educators.
d. Inadequate scholarly literature in Physical Education: ‘What do we know?’ and ‘How do we know?’ are perennial questions in the field of Physical Education. The lack of sufficient region-wise studies, research, and academic literature on Physical Education in India is not helpful for young scholars and researchers to pursue this area further. This is an area that would require sustained efforts and far more academic interest and work.
e. Absence of school-wide Physical Education curriculum and focus on theoretical aspects: In the absence of a well-defined curriculum till Grade 10 with specific Learning Outcomes and even lesser clarity on assessment possibilities, Physical Education has faced a serious pedagogical challenge. In schools, students are taken outside the classroom to perform activities or engage in playtime without structured and progressive guidance or Learning Standards. To worsen the issue, there is too much focus on theoretical aspects of sports, sometimes students are taught about the dimensions of a football/cricket ground/ tennis courts rather than playing the sport.
f. Inadequate nutrition for physical activities and sports: For many students across India, the Mid-day Meal is the only substantial meal available for the day. This means their nutritional needs are grossly unfulfilled, and this often compromises their ability to participate in many planned and rigorous physical activities.
Section 8.5 - Learning Standards
Learning Standards for Physical Education across Stages flow across four core areas: motor and movement skills to participate in different physical activities, appropriate personal and social behaviours, mental engagement in physical activities, and setting and achieving goals/targets. They progress in complexity and diversity along these four core areas across Stages. For example, movements and skills start with learning basic skills such as kicking, hitting, catching, and throwing, which progress to the next level by combining them with movements, e.g., throwing while running. This further progresses to the next level by combining more than one movement with skills, e.g., running, jumping, and catching simultaneously or anticipating, diving, and catching the ball on the move.
Similarly, personal and social behaviour ranges from simply observing and following rules at the Preparatory Stage to regulating one’s own and teammates behaviour.
Mental engagement spans around observing and finding patterns at the Preparatory Stage and runs into game strategies by the end of the Secondary Stage. Setting targets and recording progress begins with simple things like being able to just record your progress against a target set by the Teacher and goes on to assessing progress in terms of efforts, processes, and outcomes. By the end of the Secondary Stage, all this ultimately leads to every student being able to:
a. Demonstrate skills and knowledge to participate in diverse physical activities and at least play/perform one sport/physical activity well.
b. Develop resilience, tenacity, and interest in the pursuit of excellence.
c. Nurture empathy, fair play, and cooperation.
A ‘Nested’ Design of Learning Standards: As mentioned in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.1, giving due consideration to the time schools might require in the implementation of Physical Education as a full-fledged subject across the Stages (for example appointment of Teachers, acquisition of resources), this document contains ‘Nested Learning Standards’ for Physical Education, wherein Learning Standards have two sets which have been detailed. The first set, called Learning Standard —1 (LS —1) details the full range of Curricular Goals and Competencies across Physical Education. These should be accomplished by all schools as soon as they add the required resources for Physical Education. Nested within this is a subset called* Learning Standard —2(LS —2). These should be accomplished by all schools from the very initiation of the implementation of this NCF.*
8.5.1 Preparatory Stage
By the end of the Foundational Stage, most students would be able to demonstrate basic movements, motor skills, awareness of rules, and participation in activities and games. The emphasis in the Preparatory Stage would be to build on this to develop skills such as rolling, throwing, catching, dribbling, kicking, and striking. The focus should remain on basic skills, the joy of playing, and the ability to display appropriate behaviours and attitudes during activities. Students should recognise the value of rules, fair play, safety, and respect for others. At this Stage, local games must be preferred and encouraged.
8.5.1.1 Learning Standards – 1
| CG-1: Demonstrates the use of basic skills (running, jumping, catching, throwing, hitting, and kicking) to participate in different physical activities/games/sports |
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| CG-2: Develops an awareness of their personal and social behaviour towards themselves and others |
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| CG-3: Demonstrates mental engagement in physical activity/game situations |
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| CG-4: Develops an understanding of the need to develop themselves and self-assess their progress |
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8.5.1.2 Learning Standards – 2
| CG-1: Learns the use of basic skills (running, jumping, catching, throwing, hitting, and kicking a ball) to participate in different physical activities/games/sports |
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| CG-2: Exhibits awareness of personal and social behaviour towards themselves and others |
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| CG-3: Demonstrates mental engagement in physical activity/game situations |
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8.5.2 Middle Stage
In this Stage, students are in their adolescence, and differences in physical appearance, weight, height, and gender-related experiences become pronounced. Preoccupation with appearance and self-image provides Teachers with opportunities to talk about health and the need for physical activity. Physical Education classes provide an ideal setting for adolescents to learn and practise skills of social and personal responsibility while following rules, regulations, and safety procedures. It provides ground for students to perform, gain and give respect, and build selfconfidence. Cooperation is an important social skill for this age group and students must be taught to cooperate with their peers and accept responsibility for their behaviour. For this age group, winning becomes important, so Teachers would need to emphasise that participation and playing well with the group as perhaps more important. Students also learn to refine, combine, and apply a variety of movement and motor skills in different physical activity settings. Games that promote all students playing together should be encouraged. It is recommended that students continue to play local games at this Stage, and, at the same time, get introduced to popular competitive games/sports.
8.5.2.1 Learning Standards – 1
| CG-1: Demonstrates intermediate body movements and motor skills to participate in different physical activities/games/sports and develop their understanding |
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| CG-2: Exhibits sensitivity in their personal and social behaviour towards themselves and others |
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| CG-3: Demonstrates and practises physical movements, motor skills, social sensitivity, and mental engagement in physical activity/game situations |
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| CG-4: Plans and achieves personal physical fitness goals with little help from teachers |
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| CG-5: Learns the connection between physical activity with health, enjoyment, challenge, expression, and social interaction |
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8.5.2.2 Learning Standards – 2
| CG-1: Demonstrates intermediate body movements and motor skills to participate in different physical activities/games/sports and develop their understanding |
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| CG-2: Exhibits sensitivity in their personal and social behaviour towards themselves and others |
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| CG-3: Demonstrates self-awareness and mental engagement in physical activity/game situations |
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8.5.3 Secondary Stage (Grades 9 &10)
Students experience numerous physical and physiological changes during these years. Boys typically experience a period of rapid growth around Grade 9 or until about 14 or 15 years of age. On the other hand, in Grade 9, girls experience a slower rates of growth. Overall, by Grades 10 or higher, most students start experiencing a relatively slower rate of growth. This slowdown in growth rate, along with increases in the length and breadth of muscles, produces a higher level of motor ability and fitness. By this Stage, students are able to select activities they would like to pursue and they should be able to identify one sport/game in which they would like to excel and build proficiency to participate at a high level.
8.5.3.1 Learning Standards – 1
| CG-1: Demonstrates high level of competence in movement concepts, strategies, and principles |
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| CG-2: Exhibits sensitivity and manipulates personal and social behavior |
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| CG-3: Demonstrates social sensitivity and mental engagement in games |
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| CG-4: Plans and monitors personal fitness goals |
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| CG-5: Learns the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, and social interaction |
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| CG-6: Assesses their own growth and development |
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| CG-7: Learns about sports tournaments at different levels |
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8.5.3.2 Learning Standards – 2
| CG-1: Demonstrates competence in movement concepts, strategies, and principles |
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| CG-2: Regulates personal and social behavior in physical activities |
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| CG-3: Shows social sensitivity and mental engagement in games |
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| CG-4: Connects physical activity with health, enjoyment, and social interaction |
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| CG-5: Learns about sports tournaments at different levels |
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Section 8.6 - Content
The approach, principles, and methods of selecting content have commonalities across subjects – those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.2 of this document. This section focusses only on stage-specific variations that a Teacher needs to keep in mind in the teaching and practice of the Physical Education curriculum in schools. Hence, it will be useful to read this section along with above-mentioned section.
8.6.1 Stage-specific Considerations
8.6.1.1 Preparatory Stage
At this Stage, the students will spend most of their time in free play and only a little time in structured sessions. Free play allows students to use their imagination and develop creativity. It is widely known and accepted that free play develops many important skills for students in the Preparatory Stage. Not only do they learn physical capacities such as gross and fine motor skills, auditory perception, and visual perception, but also individual capacities such as language development, problem solving, independence, and social capacities such as communication, collaboration, negotiation, and empathy to name a few.
For free play to be effective and challenging for the students, the school can provide materials which allow students to creatively utilise objects and materials around them that are easily available in the neighbourhood. Objects such as different sized of softballs and bats, tyres, small spades (blunted), any kind of toy, clay, colours (crayons, sketch pens), boards, chart paper, and musical objects. Having a sand pit and access to a small water source can also be considered. The objective is to provide students with enough objects and spaces to play different kinds of games either independently or in groups.
The Teacher allows free play, but with some agreed-upon ground rules (boundary of the play area, hygiene, harming others, safety-related rules). Free play is not guided but is monitored. Teachers and facilitators need to be present and keenly observe all the students throughout the duration.
Planned sessions for the Preparatory Stage can use a range of local games. At this Stage, planned sessions need to be fluid and not based on strict rules. The Teacher can introduce simple games which do not require a lot of explanation and are intuitive. Planned sessions can also be used for specific purposes, such as building motor skills, but it needs to be ‘gamified’. The facilitator can either create or find games which are linked to specific skills that need to be taught. For example, jumping and hopping can be done through animal movement games like frog jumps, and running and dodging can be done through a game of tag or dodgeball. Gilli danda can be used for hand eye coordination.
8.6.1.2 Middle Stage
In the Middle Stage, students continue to play local games, but have more structured sessions. By this Stage, students have higher proficiency with simpler games and can be introduced to popular sports gradually.
In the structured sessions, the Teachers need to gradually bring in an understanding of more rules that will need to be remembered while playing. Specific skills needed to play popular regional sports can also be introduced. Both objectives can be met through simpler versions of the sport to begin with, and with each Grade, more skills and rules of the sport can be introduced. For example, for ‘invasive games’ (games where one team has to cross over to the other team’s territory) such as hockey, football, basketball, and ultimate frisbee, simpler games involving just kicking/hitting/throwing on targets can be introduced (only playing penalties for football and hockey). For ‘field-based games’ such as cricket, only bowling to a wicket/wall, only batting, or only catching/fielding-based games can be used. For ‘net-based games’, such as badminton, volleyball, and table tennis, simplification can be achieved by games in which players need to learn to hit the ball/shuttlecock with the right technique (keeping the shuttlecock/volleyball/ TT ball from falling by hitting it again and again into the air).
Slowly, the complexity can be increased by playing mini versions of the sport with most of the rules in place, while also building individual capacities such as observation, reflection, emotional regulation, expanding spatial awareness and peripheral vision, and making quick judgements based on gameplay. Simultaneously, social capacities such as effective communication, collective decision making, working together towards a common goal, and other such capacities also need to be taught.
The students at this Stage will learn more about their bodies and learn individual practices, such as yoga and strength exercises, in greater detail. They will learn to create their own warm up and cool down routines.
Emphasis also needs to be given to students taking more responsibility for building a culture of inclusive sports at school. They need to play an active role in ensuring all students feel safe, motivated, and encouraged to play. This can be a challenge to achieve for students in this Stage, but it needs to be worked on by the Teacher through ‘circle time,’ where students get the space to express and reflect on their actions.
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Circle Time: A Way to Ensure Values and Disposition in Physical Education All the students sit in a circle and set some ground rules with the help of the Teacher. Some essential ideas are: 1. Everyone in the circle is equal; no one is more important than the others (It reflects in the seating as well. It is a circle, and everyone is sitting at the same level.) 2. Everybody should respect each other and their feelings. 3. No one should interrupt while another person is talking and give their complete attention. 4. Everyone in the circle should get the opportunity to talk, and others should encourage it. With the ground rules set – the Teacher can guide the session by asking everyone to share simple thoughts after any session. An easy method is to ask everyone to share a ‘star’ and a ‘wish’. A star is something that the student really enjoyed in the session. It could be something they/a team did, or any occurrence that positively affected the student. A wish is something that the student wish had happened in the session. It could be something you wish something that they/their team had done better. It could also be an activity they wish to be included or more time to play. Every student can share a star and a wish, and ‘tag’ (pass the chance on to) another student (other than their close friends) to to share. The process continues till all the students have shared. This star and wish can be modified over a period to different abilities we want the students to pick up. This can be modified over a period to get students to observe themselves, their actions and feelings, and those of others. Sharing in this manner regularly with the Teacher with the basic etiquette observed can create a safe learning space for students. Some pertinent and powerful questions can be brought into this space to discuss – Are we biased towards our friends when we play? Do we pass the ball equally to everyone? Are we including everyone equally in a game or are some people not having as much fun? and so on.*
8.6.1.3 Secondary Stage
At this Stage, students can be given a choice to engage with certain sports more seriously (and build specific skills for them) than others, and for students to play multiple sports at the same time. The sport can be played with all the international rules and with all its complexity. Students who choose a sport more seriously can train more rigorously through sports-specific drills. Playtime for students needs to be balanced with drills based on student interest. Those who are not keen on building superior skills should be allowed ‘free play’ of different sports and not be forced to pick one sport.
There should also be sufficient focus on building strength and flexibility through Yoga and strength conditioning. Students must be taught about common injuries and how to avoid them through practice.
The emphasis on circle time and building a culture of sport must increase at this Stage. Students should be encouraged to discuss their emotional States while playing more openly with each other. Circle time at this Stage can be used to talk about many things that are commonly seen in sports and are unhealthy. For example, a discussion on how different people feel when a captain or a coachshouts at their players, how decisions are taken in a team of students, or do team members have a say in who gets to bat or bowl first, and so on, would be valuable educational conversations.
Students in the Secondary Stage must be taught to set the right example for younger students and in helping the Teacher with organising school sports events. For example, senior students can help organise athletic events on campus. They could also be referees or umpires for games conducted for younger students. Secondary students can be given leadership roles, which will help build their skills too. For example, a student can be asked to facilitate circle time, with the instructor only participating as an observer.
Weather Conditions Physical Education classes could be particularly challenging in tough or extreme weather conditions. India has very diverse weather conditions. Extreme cold, hot, and rain are witnessed in several regions. The following suggestions can help in such cases Timetabling: Areas which witness tough (not extreme) hot and cold weather conditions can consider working on rearranging their timetable. For example, in hot climates, the Preparatory and the Middle Stage students play in the morning and the Secondary Stage students play in the afternoon. In cold weather, the reverse can be done. Indoor Activities: In extreme weather, when playing outside is not possible at all, Indoor Physical Education classes must be organised. Physical activities such as yoga, static movements, dance, theatre, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Medium Intensity Intermittent Training (MIIT) workouts can be considered. To enable more space per student, schools should make provision for access to a big hall in the school or in the vicinity which can enable these activities.
Few examples of games popular in India are given below.
1. Fugdi
Region: Chhattisgarh, India
How to Play: As the game begins, all the students sing a song (gobar de bachharoo gobar de cahron khunta la leepan de…) in unison. Four, six, or more students gather, sitting on their legs, keeping balance, and alternately moving their feet back and forth. The student who gets tired and stops moving is eliminated. The student who plays for the longest time is the winner.
Social Media Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7ol99k5EO0
2. Tunnel Ball
Region: Across the world
How to Play: Two teams are formed, with a minimum of 8 players in each team. Both teams stand in a different queue, 10-15 metres apart, facing the same direction. Each player in a queue should be at least 1 metre apart, and this can vary depending on the difficulty level of the game. The players form a tunnel by spreading their feet apart; the first player passes the ball from under the tunnel, and the last player standing in the queue catches it. After that, the player with the ball comes running, stands in front of the line, and passes the ball. The game continues until one team finishes first.
Social Media Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP05ssHZGP8
Section 8.7 - Pedagogy and Assessment
The approach, principles, and methods of pedagogy and assessment have commonalities across subjects – those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.3 and §3.4 of this document. This section focusses only on what is most critical to Physical Education in schools. Hence, it will be useful to read this section along with above-mentioned section.
8.7.1 Pedagogy for Physical Education
Several research studies confirm how students learn Physical Education. The following key ideas are useful to know how to teach the subject.
a. Physical Education follows the same teaching-learning principles that promote a students’ learning in other subjects. Giving space to students’ context, respecting students as individuals, providing them opportunities, connecting to their lives, giving them level-ap- propriate tasks, deciding content based on Learning Outcomes, understanding the learning levels of students, and providing periodic assessment and feedback are effective teaching-learning practices in Physical Education too.
b. Physical Education requires Teachers to demonstrate so that students can observe, practise those skills/moves, and learn. This is because physical activities fall under the category of practical knowledge, where ‘to know’ is acquired only by doing the activity.
c. Providing time for interactions before and after the activity improves the development of cognitive concepts, values, and dispositions. Such interactions must be moderated by Teachers, and students should be encouraged to voice their opinions freely.
d. Students learn best when they have a diverse set of activities to choose from and equal opportunities. The practice of motor skills in diverse ways is fundamental to fitness and mastery of movement in Physical Education. This means designing a range of activities and sports for all students, including those with disabilities.
e. Encouraging sportspersonship, avoiding personal comparisons, and focussing on skill acquisition will make Physical Education effective. Teachers should implement methods to define skill attainment in terms of proficiency rather than comparison to others. A motivating environment and a focus on personal improvement rather than personal comparison of students provide students with a positive and satisfying learning experience.
f. Planning and instructions: Concrete planning of the Physical Education class is the key to one’s instructions. Some aspects of planning to consider while planning the sessions are:
i. Planning to avoid injuries through warm up and cool down activities and ensuring safety in the use of equipment and space.
ii. Planning to be effective through Teacher demonstrations and modelling.
iii. Planning for the right levels of challenge for different groups of students.
iv. Planning should be focussed on the learning outcomes that need to be achieved.
g. Participation and inclusion: Participation of students in all activities is the responsibility of the Teacher. Some students tend to be overenthusiastic about playing, and the Teacher must ensure that all students get their turn to participate. Games and activities must be chosen so that students of all genders and abilities can participate.
h. Motivation: Not all students will be enthusiastic about taking part in sports, particularly if they fear that they will not be good. Students may be kept motivated by Teachers themselves demonstrating excitement and enthusiasm in the Physical Education sessions. Teachers must encourage active involvement, support students to acquire skills, acknowledge and appreciate growth and improvement rather than mere outcomes, instruct clearly, give everyone a chance to participate, be sensitive to students’ feelings of pressure or anxiety, and treat every student fairly. All this would go a long way towards motivating students to give their full participation in the classes.
i. Safety: A safe environment in Physical Education has two components — the physical and the psychological. The physical refers to the need to ensure students do not get injured, and that facilities and equipment are safe, teacher preparedness to handle emergencies with access to a doctor and proper supervision of all physical activities. The psychological component refers to the need to ensure that students feel emotionally and socially safe and receive respectful treatment, encouragement, support, and fair redress of grievances during a Physical Education class.
Safeguarding Against Sexual Harassment and Bullying The sports and games field is a place of learning about capacities related to the body, its limits, working together with others as a team, and sportspersonship. However, it is also a place where certain kinds of aggression and uncharitable behaviour also show up. Given that students will be organised to engage in sports, games, and related physical activity in a mixed-gender and mixed-abilities format, they must be explicitly educated about patience, sensitivity, and care for physical boundaries. This would include formally teaching them about forms of sexually demeaning and harassing behaviour, ways of identifying them, and empowering them with protocols and means to report such behaviours to their Teachers and the Principal.
Learning a new game My students in Grade 6 are very enthusiastic when it comes to sports, and most of them are eager to play a new game. I decided to introduce them to a new game, Handball, and instead of directly going to the field, we began with a small discussion around it. As we discussed the history, rules, and regulations of the game, the students showed keen interest by listening and sharing information about similar activities they engage in within their communities. The students also shared the local games they play, and the rules they follow while playing them. In the field, we began with practicing skills like dribbling, passing, movement, throwing, and catching, along with some basic warm ups. Initially, the students practised it individually, and then in groups. During the practice session, the students struggled working in pairs, and groups as they complained about their partner not doing the drill properly. Most of the students struggled to catch the ball. I explained and demonstrated how the arms should be released while catching the ball. I also asked them to throw the ball in a direction that would be easier for their teammates to catch. It was a productive practice session, as it helped enhance their techniques. To play a game of Handball, four teams were formed, and a 10-minute match was conducted between the two teams. Initially, the students struggled with coordination among the team members. They were encouraged to coordinate their movements and pass the ball effectively. Additionally, they were challenged to change direction while passing the ball, further enhancing their coordination skills and adaptability on the field. Through consistent practise and guidance during the sports period, the students showed remarkable improvement and were able to overcome their challenges. The students who initially struggled to hold or throw the ball showed significant progress. The students also actively engaged in discussions and strategies after the match, fostering effective collaboration and communication.italic text
8.7.2 Assessment in Physical Education
The following principles must inform assessment in Physical Education and Well-being across Stages:
a. Students must be assessed primarily through demonstrated performance. Performance can be best assessed through observation of students during field activities, drills, and games against clear criteria for marking.
b. Values and dispositions must also be assessed through demonstrated performance.
c. Written tests can be used for assessment of specific Competencies, e.g., knowing your body, growth, and development, the rules and regulations of games/sports, knowledge of tournaments.
d. Other tools include records maintained by Teachers, reflective journals maintained by students, self-assessment, and a viva voce to understand the students’ thinking and understanding.
A few Teacher Voices illustrate different kinds of assessments below..
Safety I teach Grade 9 students. It is important for my students to understand precautions related to risk and safety while playing games/sports. I find that their understanding related to this aspect is more about not physically hurting others and themselves, and obeying rules and regulations while playing. They often neglect to warm up appropriately before the game in their hurry to start playing. Therefore, I decided to assess how many of them are actually aware of this aspect. Instead of asking them to simply state safety precautions, I decided to create a multiple-choice question. Which of the following rules is the most important for managing risk and safety in any game/sport: a. Number of participants and their roles b. Clothing and footwear c. Warming up appropriately d. Fair competition
Dodge Ball I teach Grade 5 students, and I know they love playing dodge ball! I decided to use this game to assess my students’ progress towards attaining the Competencies of the Preparatory Stage. I decided to observe them while they played and assess them against a marking scheme that I developed. I was conscious that I had to observe all eight players for the 30 minutes that the game would be played. I devised a system wherein I would focus on one player for about 4 minutes for the duration of the game in two sets – that is, 2 minutes at a time. Of course, this was a rough approximation, but it helped me to distribute my attention across all the students. I used the following grading scheme to assess the students Rubric for Dodge Ball\
| Criteria | Grade A | Grade B | Grade C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throwing a ball with force | Throws the ball with the required force with few exceptions | Assesses force required to throw the ball most of the time | Is not able to assess the force required to throw the ball |
| Throwing a ball to the desired spot | Makes the ball reach the target with few exceptions | Makes the ball reach the target most of the time | Is not able to make the ball reach the target |
| Catching the ball | Catches the ball when it comes towards them with few exceptions | Assesses the force of the ball as it comes towards them and catches it most of the time | Gets hit by the ball soon after the game starts |
| Shows team spirit | Leads coordinated attacks on the opposing team | Shouts out instructions/advice to team members when appropriate | Sole focus is on protecting self |
| Shows qualities of a sportsperson | Discusses important points of the game with the other team and shares tips | Is polite with members of the opposing team | Does not interact with members of the opposing team |
| Care for safety of others | Guides other team members on safety rules | Maintains appropriate distance from others | Is not able to assess appropriate distance from others |
| Warming up | Warms up adequately before the game and keeps moving during the game | Warming up is inadequate and movement during the game is not constant | - |
Viva-Voce I teach Grade 7 students. I conduct a viva voce for students, choosing questions from a game of their choice, since I feel it is a good supplement to a written test and the observation of a game/sport. It gives me an opportunity to assess the Competencies and Learning Outcomes that I have not been able to address through other means and gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in an area of their choice. I assess student responses using a marking scheme I have prepared. Since there are so many students to be covered, I spend 10 minutes with each student. I usually try to keep it in the format of a discussion, so that students feel comfortable. Please respond to the questions I will ask you related to a game/sport of your choice. Please take your time to respond. Why did you choose this game for discussion? What do you like about it or why do you think it is important? a. How do you prepare for the game? What do you do or think about before you start playing the game? b. Why do you think rules and regulations are important? What would happen if there were no rules and regulations? How do you think the person playing against/the opposing team should behave? Why do you think so? Marking scheme
| Criteria | Descriptors & Points |
|---|---|
| Understanding of chosen game/sport |
Understands only the rules of the game/sport – 1 point Understands rules and techniques/skills of the game/sport – 2 points Understands effective game-playing strategies (individual or group) – 3 points |
| Understanding of preparation for game/sport |
Preparation is limited to clothing and equipment – 1 point Preparation includes warm-up – 2 points Preparation includes warm-up and discussion with teammates/coach and meeting opponent(s) – 3 points |
| Understanding of rules and regulations |
Understanding is based only on own experience of game/sport – 1 point Has an adequate understanding of the game/sport – 2 points Has an adequate understanding and is able to communicate why they are important – 3 points |
| Understanding of sportsmanship |
States expectation of behavior in general – 1 point States expectation of behavior with reference to rules and regulations of the game/sport – 2 points Goes beyond the ‘written’ rules to the ‘unwritten rules’ such as integrity, care and concern, sensitivity – 3 points |