More than Physical

Physical Education (PE), as the term implies, is ‘education through the physical’. It aims to develop students’ physical competence and knowledge of movement and safety, and their ability to use these to perform in a wide range of activities associated with the adoption of an active and healthy lifestyle.

‘Through the ordeals and experiences I have encountered over the last few years, I have come to the realization and appreciation that sports are merely the tip of the iceberg for what the programme has to offer,’ observed Jackal Lo Chun-ki, a Year 5 student of the CUHK’s PESH Programme who joined us because of his affinity for sports.

The five-year programme is offered by the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education of the Faculty of Education. It has a compact structure which requires students to complete courses in three closely linked areas:

• The Physical Education area, which provides a multi-disciplinary approach involving biological sciences, behavioural sciences, and sports skills proficiency, providing students with a sound basis to develop health-related and high quality physical education in school settings;
• The Exercise Science area which explores the complex nature of human movement and examines the manner in which the human body reacts to acute and chronic exercise;
• The Health area which examines the efficacy of physical activities, as well as theories and strategies for health promotion.

These are complemented by a fourth area in Professional Skills which offers courses in team sports, individual sports, racquet sports, combat sports and so on.

Physical Education not only develops the physical side, but also students’ confidence and generic skills, especially those of collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking and aesthetic appreciation. These, together with the nurturing of positive values and attitudes, provide a good foundation for students’ lifelong and life-wide learning. PESH courses such as pedagogy, sociology and psychology related to sports and exercise, broaden students’ perspectives of physical education which is a whole lot more than just learning different sports skills. Students are also placed in primary and secondary schools for teaching practice and in sports-related organizations for internship.

Jackal was impressed with the multi-disciplinary approach involving a plethora of science-based courses, which form the foundations of the programme. This has allowed him to develop a precocious level of physical competence and proficiency regarding exercise science. He said, ‘These theoretical anchorages are complemented by various professional skill courses offered by the programme, bridging the gap between theory and practice.’

The programme’s overarching emphasis on education was an important factor which piqued Jackal’s interests in becoming a PE teacher. ‘The foundational courses and valuable teaching practice opportunities gave him much-needed clarity on what constitutes a quality educator to its lesser counterpart. Sports skills of a high calibre do not fully correlate to teaching effectiveness, instead, an educator who teaches with a scientific approach will guarantee an educational experience that is inclusive and rewarding,’ he said.

Jackal was thankful to partake in an exchange programme offered by the department, studying alongside students in Beijing Sports University. ‘The year of exchange marked a salient part of my life as a university student, not only was I able to meet individuals from distinct cultural and ethnic backgrounds, the experience also gave me important insights on my future career pathways,’ said Jackal, who was given the rare opportunity to coach and interact with middle-school children in Beijing. Furthermore, engagements with senior students from the University’s Faculty of Education further invigorated his desire to become an influential educator.

He added, ‘Despite the abundance of scholastic knowledge I have absorbed during the exchange, they will inevitably be overshadowed by the multitude of invaluable experiences I have come across, equipping me with a newfound sense of international awareness.’ Apart from exchange programmes, the Department also provide internships for PESH students.

Many of the PESH graduates have become licensed PE teachers and some of them entered the health and fitness industry, sports coaching, sports management, or disciplinary forces. A few of them have become research assistants in tertiary institutions or proceeded to higher degrees. Jackal also expressed his vision as a future PE teacher, ‘I aspire to provide a curriculum built upon the foundations of approachability and inclusion, using sports as a unique educational vernacular to reach out to our youth, en route to the fostering of an active and healthy lifestyle. The common outlook on teachers being merely a transmitter of knowledge is a rather trivial assessment of our responsibilities.’

We believe that the programme has not only given Jackal but also all PESH students valuable takeaways on the salient role of an educator.

Published: Summer 2017
Last Updated: Summer 2021