Comparative Analysis of the Physical Education and Health Curriculum Standards between China and United States from the Perspective of Key Competencies

With the increasing world multipolarization, economic globalization, cultural diversity and social informatization, all countries in the world have adopted key competencies as an important part of education research. As a programmatic document of physical education in the new century, physical education and health curriculum standards play an important role in the demonstration and promotion of quality education. The purpose of this study was to compare the Chinese and United States (US) high school physical education and health curriculum standards from the perspective of key competencies. Using literature review, this study compared the high school physical education and health curriculum standards between China and US with five aspects: curriculum nature and concept, curriculum objectives, curriculum content, academic quality, and learning evaluation. The key competencies connotation of physical education and health curriculum standards in China and US are relatively consistent, both of which centered on improving and maintaining students\u27 health and well-being, and were multidimensional including aspects of sports ability, sports cognition, healthy life, social behavior, emotional attitude and values; The standards structure of physical education and health curriculum in China appeared to be more complete (with specific focus on sports skills), the content scope was more detailed, the learning objectives needed to be more specific, the learning requirements were clear, but the learning evaluation still needed to be further enriched; The structure of the US physical education curriculum standards was relatively loose, had clear and multi-level learning goals, high learning requirements, operable evaluation content, with curriculum content focus on cultivating students\u27 lifelong sports habits. We should firmly implement the guiding ideology of health first, adhere to the core quality of physical education, and emphasize the parallel relationship among sports ability, healthy behavior and physical education morality. However, we should not blindly pursue the average development in the specific teaching process. China should pay attention to the evaluation of physical education learning, further enrich its content, especially the evaluation methods and means of students\u27 internal performance. We should correctly grasp the principle of tightening and relaxing when dealing with the key competencies, and attach importance to the on-the-job training of front-line physical education teachers

International Experience and Inspiration of Online Physical Education in America Under the Crisis of Public Health Emergencies

In recent decades, the frequent occurrence of public health crises has brought great challenges to teaching school physical education (PE). This study aims to improve the quality of PE online courses in China and provide effective support for PE teachers to carry out online teaching by learning from the experiences of how to effectively conduct online physical education in America when schools are closed. This study reviewed the relevant policy documents and literature of online physical education courses in America, including theoretical and practical studies. Furthermore, available data stemming from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with eleven PE teachers were presented. Teachers discussed the difficulties faced by Chinese PE teachers in online physical education. Strategies to promote online physical education in the United States include: macro-level: establishing a comprehensive theoretical and practical database for teachers; medium-level: providing online HPE course teaching cases and guidance; and micro-level: Providing a teaching resource package that can be used directly by teachers. Features of the American approach to promote online physical education include: providing systematic online physical education curriculum theory and practical foundation; providing continuous resources and technical support; and establishing an extensive cooperation network; Providing specific guidance for PE teachers. The focus of this research was to provide solutions to the problems encountered by Chinese PE teachers in teaching online physical education. However, there were two limitations. First, we provided a limited literature review on online physical education in the United States. The second limitation is that this study did not fully show the difficulties faced by PE teachers in carrying out online physical education in China, which needs a further investigation. PE teachers pointed out that they received little support for teaching online physical education courses, neither in theory nor in practices. In the future, it is suggested that China need to establish a systematic online physical education guidance system. In the process of online physical education, we should pay more attention to the cultivation of students\u27 health literacy, accelerate the transformation of physical education concept of physical and mental health in China, and strengthen the ability of PE teachers to design the online teaching content

A123: Research Progress and Review of Key Competencies of Physical Education Curriculum in China

Purpose: The introduction of the Opinions on Comprehensively Deepening Curriculum Reform and Implementing the Fundamental Task of Establishing Virtues and Cultivating People marked the initiation of comprehensive curriculum reform across all disciplines in our country, with a particular emphasis on key competencies. Among these competencies, those integral to the Physical Education (PE) curriculum have garnered increasing attention from scholars. Building upon this foundation, this paper systematically reviews and analyzes pertinent research on the key competencies within the PE curriculum. The exploration covers the development process, current research hotspots, and future prospects in this field, aiming to serve as a reference for future research on key competencies within the PE curriculum in our country. Methods: Employing CNKI as the database, the search keywords included key competencies of PE curriculum, key competencies of PE and health, key competencies of students\u27 PE, and key competencies of PE teachers. Literature sources were sourced from SCI, SSCI, and the Peking University Core. A total of 130 relevant literatures were identified and subsequently analyzed using CiteSpace software. Results: The key competencies of PE curriculum have experienced three stages of development. The two research peaks are in 2018 and 2022, which’s closely related to Compulsory Education Curriculum Standards for PE and Health(2022) and High School Curriculum Standards for PE and Health(2017) in recent years. The promulgation of physical education (PE) curriculum standards in basic education not only provides a guiding framework for schools in the future but also serves as a crucial foundation for scholars to conduct in-depth research. The exploration of key competencies within the PE curriculum encompasses various aspects, including its fundamental meaning, constituent elements, training mechanisms, evaluation systems, developmental challenges, and practical approaches. Given that the key competencies of the PE curriculum are still in the early stages of development, they draw inspiration from the commendable experiences of foreign PE curricula. Furthermore, the assessment and training mechanisms and systems for these key competencies remain imperfect, and empirical research in this domain is still insufficient. Conclusion: It remains essential to explore the theoretical foundations of key competencies within the PE curriculum from diverse perspectives to ensure their firm establishment. Simultaneously, there is a commitment to prioritize the development of key competencies among PE teachers. Innovative approaches, such as cultivating models and evaluation systems for key competencies tailored to students at different levels or for PE teachers, will be implemented to facilitate further empirical research. This effort aims to genuinely achieve the vision of creating sports-oriented individuals and collectively build a promising future for school physical education

Review on the Application of Information Technology in Physical Education Curriculum and Teaching

The importance of information technology guiding the development of physical education is reflected in every field of physical education curriculum and teaching. However, due to China\u27s late start in this field, the relevant literature is relatively confusion, lack of systematic arrangement and summary, which is not conducive to future research. The purpose of this study was to provide reference for further research in this field, and to lay a theoretical foundation for improving the level of physical education curriculum and teaching in our schools and the formation of students\u27 good physical and mental health. In this scoping review study, we used the following keywords: “information technology”, AND “physical education curriculum” AND “physical education teaching” AND/OR “applications” for the literature search via the CNKI. Through the method of literature and content analysis, this paper mainly analyzes the current situation and problems of the application of information technology in physical education curriculum and teaching. At present, especially in rural areas, the construction of extracurricular exercise information platform in schools in China still has great limitations and imperfections. In addition, part of the physical exercise APP is not perfect, people in the physical exercise is easy to be misled, resulting in sports injury. China\u27s physical education teaching management covers a lot of content, the lack of school talents, the implementation is relatively difficult. The integration of information technology and physical education teaching methods has been a hot topic since the 1980s today. However, schools in China have not shown good results in the implementation, and teachers\u27 teaching ideas, teaching creativity and professional knowledge are the main restraining factors. The mainly factors that affect the construction of online physical education curriculum and teaching resources in China include low utilization rate of the platform, weak computer ability of teachers, weak innovation ability, backward thinking, and unclear objectives of the platform construction. The development of information technology accelerates the reform of physical education. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the nature and goal of physical education curriculum, and give full play to the role of information technology in curriculum construction and teaching under the guidance of advanced educational science theory. At the same time, the government, schools and society should coordinate efforts to address these problems

Social Media-Based Professional Development of Physical Education Teachers in China

In recent years, social media has played an important role in the professional development（PD）of physical education (PE) teachers (Jeffrey P. Carpenter & Stephen Harvey, 2020). There is a wealth of research on the professional development of PE teachers, but few relevant studies examined social media-based PDs. The purpose of this study was to specifically explore the research interests and changes in the PD of PE teachers in social media, and to explore the potential research space in this field. In this literature review, we followed three steps to conduct literature search. We used the following keywords: “social media”, OR “Wechat/Weibo”, AND “physical educators” or “PE teachers”, AND/OR “professional development” or “PD” for the literature search via the libraries resources of a large university in Shanghai, China. The search was limited to scholarly peer-reviewed journals. Then we cross-checked the bibliographies of the articles identified through direct library search to locate any missed articles. We next conducted direct searches in PubMed, Scilit, and ResearchGate with the same keywords. Inclusion criteria included: (a) the study must be from the perspective of social media; (b) the main results must involve teachers’ PD or related variables. A total of 56 highly relevant articles were retrieved and then saved to a data processing computer. The research team summarized and reported below several thematic findings. The main aspects of researches for social-media related PD of PE teachers were summarized including relevant concepts, connotation characteristics, theoretical basis, current development status, relevant factors, existing problems and corresponding strategies. The efficient communication and interaction as an important function of social media has attracted extensive attention and induced discussion in academic circles, where the topics mainly focus on the construction of identity, knowledge sharing, etc. Many related studies have continued examining the PD of individual teachers but are not specific to the reality of PE teacher groups, so the combination with the specific implementation of relevant theories on PE teacher groups needs more attention in related work. Social media can fill some of the gaps in PE teachers’ traditional PD community. It is necessary to conduct more comprehensive theoretical and empirical studies on social media-based PDs for PE teachers. The findings from this literature review shed light on the integration of resources needed to promote and thrive social media-based PD opportunities for PE teachers

Experimental Study on Effects of Physical Exercise Function Training on Physical Health of Primary School Students

Recently, the physical health problems of children in China have attracted extensive attention. The education department has issued a notice on further strengthening the physical health management of primary and secondary schools. Many studies have shown that physical exercise function training has unique advantages in promoting the healthy development of students\u27 physique and is unaffected by venues or weather. This study aims to explore and verify the intervention effect of physical exercise function training on students’ physical health indicators, including physical shape, function, and quality. It also intends to practically explore the improvement of students\u27 physical health status and expand their physical education and health curriculum. Sixty-four elementary school students were selected to participate in the experiment: 32 were in the experimental group and 32 in the control group. The experiment was conducted three times a week for 10 weeks. The experimental group performed physical exercise function training teaching. The control group underwent routine PE teaching. Before and after the experiment, the compulsory indexes of Grade 4 in the national physical health standard for students (revised in 2014) were selected for the test, including height, weight, vital capacity, 50m running, sitting forward flexion, 1-minute rope skipping, and 1-minute sit-ups. Body shape, physical function, and physical quality of the two groups were measured and analyzed. Independent sample t-tests showed that there was no significant difference in body shape, physical function, and physical quality between the two groups before the experiment, and no statistically significant difference in body shape between the experimental and control groups after the experiment (p \u3e 0.05). The tests also showed that the physical function of the experimental group improved significantly compared to the control group after the experiment (t lung capacity = -2.346, p = 0.022). The experimental group improved significantly more than the control group in the 50m running, 1-minute rope skipping, and 1-minute sit-ups (t 50m running = -2.192, p = 0.032; t 1-minute rope skipping = 2.071, p = 0.043; t 1-minute sit ups = 2.035, p = 0.046). No statistically significant difference was found in sitting forward flexion between the experimental and control groups after the experiment (t sitting forward flexion = 1.555, p = 0.125). The exercise intervention has no effects on improving primary school students’ body shape. However, it has a significant effect on improving their physical function, and their vital capacity is significantly enhanced. The intervention effectively improved students’ 50m running, 1-minute rope skipping, and 1-minute sit-ups performance. In the control group, the physical health levels were slightly improved in routine physical education teaching. Therefore, designing a special physical exercise function training program is reasonable for improving the physical health of primary school students

Research on the Problems and Optimization Paths of Sports Event Governance in China

The State Sports General Administration issued Some opinions on promoting the reform of sports event approval system on December 30, 2014, clearly canceling the right of approval of mass sports events. Based on this, the community has reflected well, and the quantity and quality of sports events have been significantly improved, but this change has also increased the difficulty of sports event governance. This paper aims to summarize the problems existing in the governance of sports events and the corresponding optimization paths and provides suggestions for the healthy development of sports event. The literature was searched using a keyword “sports event governance” in CNKI. A total of 32 documents were retrieved. Based on the combination of literature content and certain expansion, thirty documents were included in this review. The research progress of sports event governance is expounded from the aspects of concept definition, background of sports event governance, problems existing in sports event governance, and the optimization paths of sports event in China. The problems in the governance of sports event in China include: (a) The power and responsibility of government departments are unclear; (b)The market system is not perfect and the market regulation function is weakened; (c) There lacks materialization of sports social organizations; (d) There are problems in the distribution of benefits among relevant departments, market players, and sports social organizations. The optimization paths of sports event governance include: (a) Clearing government \u27 s power and responsibility in sports event governance; (b) Improving the market mechanism to enhance the main regulatory capacity; (c) Establishing new supervision mechanism between government and society. The decentralization at the government level has greatly promoted the enthusiasm of social organizations to host sports event, but the new order will always be accompanied by some chaos at the early stage. There are some problems at the government level, the market level, and the social sports organization level. The solutions to these problems are still at the research stage. For example, the optimization schemes of various subjects mentioned in this paper have been gradually studied and summarized

Characteristics and International Enlightenment of Adolescent Physical Literacy Cultivation in Wales

School education has focused on the fields of students’ literacy instead of specific subjects. The cultivation of physical literacy (PL) is gaining more and more attention in western countries, but few studies on this topic were found in China. The purpose of this research was to unfold the experience of Welsh adolescent PL and to provide enlightenment to China. This study analyzed the cultivation of Welsh adolescents’ PL through literature, logical analysis, and semi-structured interviews with eleven experts. The constant comparative method was used to analyze interview transcripts for common themes. During analysis, triangulation, negative case checks, member checks, and an extensive peer review were used. The findings revealed a) reasons that accelerating the development of adolescent PL in Wales include the national health crisis, inequalities in the health rights caused by the gap between rich and poor, and the changes of school physical education values. b) The strategies to cultivate Welsh adolescents’ PL include (1) following the law of physical and mental development of adolescents to strengthen the continuity of the training process; (2) supporting the development of adolescents’ motor skills with the efforts of schools, communities, and families; (3) emphasizing the peer effects of students with excellent PL; (4) providing financial support and opportunities for poor students to participate in sports activities. c) Successful experiences in promoting adolescents’ PL in Welsh schools are (1) taking physical education as the national core curriculum; (2) adopting comprehensive interdisciplinary learning instead of traditional school specific subjects; (3) establishing positive play-based learning environment. This study shows that Wales has gained a lot of experience and success in developing PL among young people, thus can shed light to the development of PL in Chinese adolescents. In the future, China should develop strategies for vulnerable groups’ PL, integrate PL cultivation into the school physical education curriculum, and support subject integration for students’ PL. School, community, and family should strengthen their cooperation to develop adolescents’ PL

A Review of Research on the Potential Value and Realistic Dilemma for Homework in Physical Education

Homework in physical education (PE) has become a central strategy of educational reform movements (Novak & Lynott, 2015). A Chinese policy called “the Double Reduction” provides an opportunity for the implementation of PE homework. There are abundant studies about homework in subjects like English, Math, Science, etc., but relatively few studies have been devoted specifically to PE homework. The primary purpose of this study was to analyze the value and dilemma of PE homework, with the goal of identifying the major contributions to the research knowledge base. We followed three parts to conduct the review: a) literature was searched using the following keywords: “PE homework”, OR “active homework”, AND “the value and dilemma”, AND/OR “homework in physical education” or “activity-based homework”; b) A document analysis was conducted regarding the Chinese policy related to homework in PE, including homework’s guidelines, composition system, and cultivation path, etc.; c) A total of 34 highly relevant articles were selected. The main value and dilemma of PE homework were summarized as follows: a) The PE homework appears to be an effective way of promoting policy implementation and renewal, providing a well-rounded approach to help students achieve educational goal, improving youth physical & mental health, and increasing communications with family members. b) The current PE homework has failed to realize the foregoing values due to some difficulties, including the lack of family exercise atmosphere, the absence of community organizations, and the huge amount of negative news in social media. c) Only three studies provided coping strategies to deal with the dilemma from a Social System Theory perspective, such as strengthening institutional construction, building a multivariate framework, shaping the paradigm, integrating online platform, and developing an assessment system. Most studies focused on the micro level about “the value and dilemma of homework implementation” without consideration of the other key factors from macro level. Based on the literature reviewed, a comprehensive theoretical model for PE homework is proposed to provide guidance for future research endeavors and facilitate implementation of the guidelines