Personal and social responsibility:
Personal and social responsibility aims to teach life skills through the medium
of physical education. Developing personal and social responsibility is a
central part of the education process and this model recognizes the unique
contribution that physical education can make in this area.
In physical education class, young people experience the challenges
encountered in victory and defeat, success and failure, interpersonal conflict
and intra-personal challenges. However, learners’ personal and social
development is not necessarily an automatic outcome of these experiences.
In Personal and social responsibility, the specific goals of respect, effort, self-
direction, helping others, leadership and applying learning beyond the
physical education class are made explicit. These goals are pursued in an
incremental fashion, starting with respect and effort and they may be the focus
of the physical activity being experienced in physical education.
The essential elements of Personal and social responsibility are as follows:
Inclusion of all learners—learners are engaged at a level appropriate
to their interests, skills, and ability.
Listening to learner voice—learners have voices that should be heard
leading to a greater sense of ownership of class activities and
interactions.
Letting learners practise making choices—learners are provided with
opportunities to make choices.
Allowing for reflection on choices made—learners reflect on the
consequence of decisions taken, both positive and negative.
Learner-centred approach—learners feel valued and cared for
regardless of the physical activity being taught.
When using this model, the physical education teacher has as their primary
focus the gradual empowerment of learners to take appropriate levels of
personal and social responsibility, including respecting the rights and feelings
of others.
The objectives of senior cycle physical education addressed in Personal and
social responsibility are to support learners in
demonstrating responsible social and personal behaviour in physical
activity, and demonstrating respect for self and others
developing confidence, competence and creativity in a range of physical
activities
undertaking different roles in physical activity
acting as informed participants in physical activity.
Teaching games for understanding (TGfU)
is a problem-based approach to the teaching of games. The main aim of
this curriculum model is to develop learners’ tactical awareness and decision-
making skills in a variety of games.
In TGfU, games are classified into four main categories:
invasion games, such as gaelic football, soccer and hockey
Gaelic Football is played with a round ball, slightly smaller and heavier than a soccer
ball and played against Rugby style H shaped goal posts. Points are scored by either
putting the ball over the opponent's bar, as with rugby, for one point, or within the goal
posts as with soccer, which is worth three points.
net/wall games, such as badminton and squash
striking/fielding games, such as rounders and cricket
target games, such as golf and bowling.
In TgfU, students learn that the principles of play involved in a game are
directly comparable to other games within that same category. For example,
the general principles of attack and defence appropriate to gaelic football also
apply in soccer and basketball.
The essential elements of Teaching games for understanding are as follows:
Game play—learners participate in a game modified to focus on a
particular game problem.
Game appreciation—learners appreciate the game form as shaped by
rules, game play modifications, and number of players.
Tactical awareness—learners develop the awareness of tactics needed
to solve game problems.
Making appropriate decisions—learners decide what to do, when to do
it, why to do it and how to do it.
Skill practice—learners practise to improve on-the-ball skills and off-the-
ball movements.
Performance—students learn to perform using tactical awareness and
assess their improvement.
Games-making is an important element of teaching and learning in TGfU.
Learners have an opportunity to work with their peers in the design and
refinement of a new game based on their knowledge and understanding of the
tactics and principles of play that are effective in the game/games category
being played in class.
The objectives of senior cycle physical education addressed in TGfU are to
support learners in
developing confidence, competence and creativity in a range of physical
activities
participating in physical activity both inside and beyond the school
undertaking different roles in physical activity.
The following table sets out the content and the learning outcomes for
Teaching games for understanding. Learners in consultation with their
teachers can select the learning outcomes that they wish to focus on in this
model, with due regard to the resources available in the school.
Sport education
aims to contribute to the development of learners as competent, literate and
enthusiastic players and participants in a range of physical activities. This is
achieved by providing learners with an authentic experience of sport and
organised physical activity where they learn to perform playing and non-
playing roles such as participant/player, referee, coach, choreographer, and
statistician. By focusing teaching and learning on a more complete experience
of the activity, each learner is more likely to develop a broad set of skills and
to become familiar with the strategies necessary to participate in sport and
organised physical activity successfully now and in adulthood.
In Sport education, sport is understood as being
…all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised
participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-
being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all
levels. (Council of Europe, 2001)
The essential elements of Sport education are as follows:
Seasons—learners experience the activity in a season in which they practise
the skills, techniques and/or compositional elements of the selected activity
and participate in formal competition or performance.
Affiliation—learners are affiliated to teams/troupes/squads/groups working
toward a common goal.
Formal competition—each season includes opportunities for participation in
formal competition or performance.
Keeping records—learners engage in record-keeping about different aspects
of their participation and performance.
Culminating event—at the end of each season, an event is organised to mark
the end of the season and recognise excellence and effort.
Festivity—Sport education aims to include the festivity, colour and excitement
associated with the chosen activity (team colours, chants, flags, costumes and
pictures).
The objectives of senior cycle physical education addressed in Sport
education are to support learners in
developing confidence, competence and creativity in a range of physical
activities
undertaking different roles in physical activity
participating in physical activity both inside and beyond the school
demonstrating responsible social and personal behaviour in physical
activity, including respect for self and others
acting as informed participants in physical activity.
