Physical education, often abbreviated as P.E. or Phys Ed., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education and aims to encourage psychomotor learning by using play and physical activity. Physical education provides cognitive content and instruction designed to develop motor skills, knowledge, and behaviors for physical activity and physical fitness. It is an academic subject characterized by a planned, sequential K–12 curriculum that is based on national standards for physical education. Physical education programs vary all over the world, but when taught correctly, P.E. class can produce positive effects on students health, behavior, and academic performance. Health education, which is the teaching of information on the prevention, control, and treatment of diseases, is often taught with physical education.
During physical education, students practice the knowledge and skills they learn through physical activity, which is defined as any bodily movement that results in energy expenditure. Students also engage in exercise, which is any physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive, for the purpose of improving or maintaining one or more components of fitness. Physical education develops the physically literate individual through deliberate practice of well-designed learning tasks that allow for skill acquisition in an instructional climate focused on mastery. Physical education addresses the three domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.
The main goals in teaching modern physical education are to:
- Develop motor skills and physical fitness
- Teach students about the importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyles
- Promote teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play
- Provide opportunities for students to explore different physical activities and find activities they enjoy.
