Using HOPE to Promote Self Fitness

written by Martin Donahue, Slippery Rock University

Today, few people are unaware of the risks of sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles, and the healthcare costs associated with the resulting diseases. Last spring, two articles in JOPERD introduced the physical education profession to a new curriculum model entitled HOPE - Health Optimizing Physical Education. The focus of HOPE was physical fitness and a key component was to promote physical activity outside of physical education classes that included not just students but also families and communities. It was pointed out that the lack of physical activity among all people, not just children, had significant individual and community consequences.

The first article described HOPE and the authors' explanation for why it was needed (Metzler, McKenzie, Van der Mars, Barrett-Williams, & Ellis, 2013a). The second article described the physical education teacher's role and the new skills necessary to successfully implement HOPE and achieve its desired goals (Metzler, McKenzie, van der Mars, Barrett-Williams, & Ellis, 2013b).

What I read about the HOPE curriculum model convinced me that physical educators have an obligation to teach the knowledge and skills children need to move not only within school but also to help them discover opportunities to move outside of school. Ultimately we should be striving to make physical activity part of their lifestyle. In effect a habit. Interestingly, twenty years ago Mosston and Ashworth provided compelling reasons for what is being advocated in the new HOPE curriculum or at least making physical fitness the focus of physical education. However, the teaching styles that may be most helpful in creating independent movers are among the least utilized (Mosston & Ashworth, 1994).

Proponents of HOPE argue that physical educators need to expand their teaching skills repertoire. Providing only skill or content instruction and giving students practice opportunities will not accomplish the goals of HOPE. This reminded me of the spectrum of teaching styles that Mosston and Ashworth described in Teaching Physical Education (2008). While these ideas are not new, implementing the desired changes is for many physical educators going to take some rethinking of physical education teaching.

Our lessons and units will have to be much more student centered. Our classes may not always happen inside a gymnasium. Fitness centers may be more relevant learning locations. Students may be doing a wider variety of activities. Assessments will likely be more individually based. And in order to implement these styles, we as teacher will have to give more responsibility to students, provide more activity choices, and assess students in more individual, authentic methods. In short, we'll need to think outside our present comfort zone.

I believe any physical education lesson, at any level, should lead students to be independent movers and make decisions independently. For the most part, our students know what they like and dislike. We need to ask ourselves, "What can we do to help our students build the foundations of an active lifestyle?

One answer is for us to use more of the instructional models from Mosston's "Spectrum" It seems to me that "learner designed" or "learner initiated" learning activities are especially well suited. Secondary students especially, should be able to utilize these techniques to develop personal fitness plans or goals. Here's a description of the learner-designed style:

The defining characteristic of the Learner-Designed instructional style is the independence of each learner to investigate a broad problem, situation or issue and produce a workable, detailed plan/program that resolves the specific content focus that each learner identified (Mosston & Ashworth 2008).

This teaching style can help learners identify activities they enjoy and are more motivated to continue. We can encourage learners to develop a personalized plan for fitness improvement. If students are more interested in skill themes or sport, students can work on fitness components related to their chosen activity with the goal of continuing this activity, improving their skill, and improving their health related physical fitness. In contrast, the defining characteristic the learner initiated style,

...is the learner's initiation, not the teacher's initiation, of the learning experience. An individual learner initiates a request to engage in this style and to design a full learning experience making all decisions, including the specific topic to investigate, planning and implementation decisions, and evaluation criteria. The student's role is to keep the teacher informed about the decisions made in the learning experience (Mosston & Ashworth 2008).

To implement a HOPE curriculum our role is not just to present new skills or activities but also to facilitate student involvement in activities we may not be teaching. There will likely be a variety of physical activities outside of physical education that will interest our students. We should anticipate our students coming to PE classes knowing what they like and what they want to participate in. Physical educators will be responsible not just for teaching skills but also for facilitating student participation in activities taught by others. Under the HOPE model the role of the physical educator is to guide learners to making healthy lifestyle choices by focusing on fitness, goal setting, and activity selections.

Secondary aged students are, or will soon be, making all their own decisions about engaging in activities or maintaining fitness. It may be that what is important is not the skills we teach them but the knowledge and behaviors that will lead continued activity. In order to get our students moving it's important to remember what motivates people to exercise and why people either don't exercise or stop exercising.

There are three main reasons. Often people stop exercising because they set unrealistic goals. We need to help our students understand what realistic goals are and that progress can be slow. We must teach them how to track their progress and celebrate their improvement. A second problem is when people choose or are forced into activities they don't really enjoy. If we can help our students find an activity they love they'll be much more likely to stick with it. There's simply no point taking time to teach students activities in which they have no interest if we truly want to promote lifetime physical activity. Once students find something they like, we can help to make the activity more fitness related or stress the importance of fitness for the activity.

Finally, many people find it difficult to make time for fitness. Making time to do something you don't enjoy is very difficult and finding time even harder. Making time for a hobby or something fun is much easier. If our students can see fitness as fun they'll engage in frequently. All of these recommendations can be reinforced when physical educators use learner designed or learner-initiated teaching styles. As physical educators we must use our passion and love for physical activity to spark that same passion in our students and help them find and then regularly participate in activities they love. Ultimately this will help to create healthy and fit adults.

When I go to the gym to exercise I notice the diverse range of individual workout preferences. Some run on treadmills or glide on elliptical machines. Others use strength training machines or free weights. In a separate room there's a Zumba class, nearby a spinning class, and in the pool a water aerobics group. What great diversity in interests! Research tells us that people engage in activities they enjoy and in which they find personal satisfaction (Zahariadis & Biddle, 2000). Gym owners clearly understand that in order to attract members they have to offer what people want. PE programs and teachers may not have the resources, facilities, or personnel to offer the same variety of activities private gyms but we have to think beyond the same traditional activities we've offered for years. We need to ask ourselves "What can we do differently?"

It won't necessarily be easier to introduce more variety in your classes and give more decisions to your students, but I encourage you to give it a shot and see what happens. Assessments will have to be individual and will have to be crafted to determine success of individual students, not norm referenced but more student created. Consider "flipping" the classroom. For example, have your students learn the cognitive components of health related fitness outside of class, or if they are interested in "crossfit" point them to some resources, or have them go online to find a workout they can do in class. If they are interested in basketball have them research a fitness regimen to meet specific demands of the sport, or better yet find a fitness plan a star player is using and have them modify it to meet their goals. Teachers in learner designed and learner-initiated lessons must take on very different roles. You will be managing a class doing a number if different skills or activities. You will have to set parameters about what can and cannot be done. Students will have to understand these expectations. And finally you will need to be clear on space, safety, and equipment limitations.

In summary, to move our profession forward I encourage you to challenge yourself and your students with learner designed or learner initiated learning activities. Have your students take ownership of their skill and fitness development. I write this fully aware of the increased pressure of common core state standards, student learning outcomes, or whatever external measures or initiatives now influencing your teaching and content. But as you plan, focus on the positive outcomes rather than the obstacles. In fact, other than safety, let these obstacles happen and see what happens. Let students come up with solutions.

Implementing a HOPE curriculum will take some rethinking for those of us in physical education. The lessons and units will have to be much more student centered. Students may be doing a wider variety of activities. Try it for one month or a week and see how it works. The future of public school physical education may depend on it.

References:
Mosston, M. & Ashworth, S. (1994). Teaching Physical Education. New York: Macmillan.

Mosston, M. & Ashworth, S. (2008). Teaching Physical Education (1st Online Edition). http://www.spectrumofteachingstyles.org/ebook

Sara Ashworth SaraAshworth@sepctrumoofteachingstyles.org.

Zahariadis, P. N., & Biddle, S. J. H. (2000) Goal Orientations and Participation Motives in Physical Education and Sport: Their Relationships in English Schoolchildren. Athletic Insight: The Online Journal of Sport Psychology, 2(1).

Metzler, M. W., McKenzie, T., van der Mars, H., Barrett-Williams, S. L., & Ellis, R. (2013a) Health Optimizing Physical Education (HOPE): A New Curriculum for School Programs Part 1: Establishing the Need and Describing the Model. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 84(4), 41.

Metzler, M. W., McKenzie, T., van der Mars, H., Barrett-Williams, S. L., & Ellis, R. (2013b) Health Optimizing Physical Education (HOPE): A New Curriculum for School Programs Part 2: Teacher Knowledge and Collaboration. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 84(5), 25.

Biography: Martin Donahue is an Assistant Professor in the Physical Education Department at Slippery Rock University. He received his B.S. at Castleton State College with concentrations in Teacher Education and Athletic Training. Dr. Donahue continued his education by receiving his M.S. in Athletic Training at Indiana State University. Traveling further west to New Mexico State University, he completed his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Critical Pedagogy. Dr. Donahue is certified in Athletic Training. He is also certified in K-12 Physical Education and General Science in Texas.

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