2011 Conference Summary & Call to Action

27th ACHPER International Conference

Moving, Learning, & Achieving

Adelaide, Australia
18-20 April 2011

Background

The Conference provided a timely reminder of the relevance of the Health & Physical Education (HPE) Learning Area in Australian education. It came at a time of deliberations about the nature and place of HPE in a proposed new Australian Curriculum.

The Conference provided emerging evidence from global researchers about the strong connection between human movement, enhanced learning and cognitive development.

It was a major objective of this Conference to focus on this compelling evidence, its implications, and successful implementation strategies through the theme Moving, Learning, & Achieving.

The Conference sought to broaden the understanding about the importance of Physical Education, Health Education, and Recreation in the education process of people of all ages. It also re-affirmed the belief held by teachers at all levels and sectors of education and the wider community that human movement plays a fundamental role in the process of healthy human cognitive, social, physical, emotional, spiritual, and physiological growth and development in individuals across the lifespan.

As Program Director Graham Dodd stated, ‘this fresh approach strengthens the case for HPE to be acknowledged as playing a pivotal role in the healthy holistic education of Australian students for new times.’

The Evidence

This evidence about movement, learning and achievement under-pinned the benefits of human motion for the functioning of the brain and comes from a range of academic fields. The benefits of movement have been observed anecdotally for many decades by HPE teachers. In recent times, further evidence has come from research in schools where ample movement opportunities have been provided for the students through daily HPE programs and an active curriculum. Learning, memory, concentration, and mood significantly influence a student’s academic performance and the evidence is increasing that movement enhances all of these functions.

Call to Action

The Call to Action that follows encourages school leaders and professionals to commit to developing quality practices in HPE.

Government and kindred bodies

As a consequence of the research presented, conference participants call on government, non-government and kindred organisations at the national, state and territory levels to:

· Expand Quality Physical Education programs in the school curriculum to enhance learning through movement.

· Guarantee long-term professional learning support in HPE through national and state policies and strategies, combined with sufficient resources for school capacity building.

· Acknowledge that planning, monitoring and evaluating the engagement of children and young people are all necessary processes when implementing a comprehensive HPE school program.

· Work closely with ACHPER to provide continuous professional learning for educators about the value of human movement to learning and achievement at all levels of schooling.

· Celebrate and share milestones and successes in schools.

Within Schools

We urge those within the school community (school leaders, students, parents, teaching and non-teaching staff, school boards) to recognise the evidence available and to:

· Commit to the importance of ‘active, movement based learning” in the curriculum generally.

· Commit to quality health and physical education as part of a national entitlement for all students.

· Communicate with the whole school community and partner organisations about the value of HPE in your school.

· Apply sufficient commitment, resources to extend professional learning in HPE.

· Ensure that children and young people are actively involved in decision-making at all stages of programming.

· Celebrate and share milestones and successes.

We would love your thoughts and experiences....

Please review the DRAFT summary below of the International Conference key points.

You are invited to respond with your thoughts and experiences via the Contact Form below.

Your responses will be posted here (personal details will be omitted).

Summary of Issues.pdf