Chapter 55: THE PLACE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE CONTEMPORARY CURRICULUM.

This chapter focuses on the place of physical education in the contemporary curriculum. Physical education encompasses a whole range of physical activity areas such as dance, sports, outdoor and adventurous activities as well as individual exercise programmes. However, there has been considerable debate about the connections between these physical activities. The sports world has responded positively and governing bodies of sports, such as association football, rugby, basketball, tennis and cricket have attempted to provide schools with comprehensive support materials. In recent years, sport has become the focus for a new innovative curriculum. Perhaps the most exciting feature of sport education is the pedagogical stance that it takes. Responsibility for management of learning is transferred to young people as they become collaborators in their own learning and derive satisfaction from participation. Students are central to the process of planning and making decisions about what they do next. Conflict resolution mechanisms are necessary to resolve the inevitable interpersonal conflicts that arise during competitions.