Physical Education

Changing Philosophy of Physical Education

Contrary to the Puritan philosophy, early physical education in colonial America was strongly influenced by muscular Christianity that believed physical fitness and athleticism can facilitate the achievement of moral, religious, and mental growth. It provided confirmation that physical training and competition were desirable activities for boys and young men. During the first half of the twentieth century, physical education revolved around the philosophy of “education through the physical,” with a root in progressive education theory. This “new” physical education stressed a child-centered curriculum that encouraged natural play and promoted a body-mind link. Human movement philosophy was introduced to America in the 1950s from England. It was quickly integrated into physical education programs in America since it was believed to be scientifically superior to the “education through the physical” philosophy. Human-movementbased curriculum promotes the development of full potential for movement in humans through body [Page 757]awareness, space awareness, and development of movements and sport skills. Humanistic physical education was the next phase, which was fueled in part by the turmoil in collegiate and professional sports in the 1960s and 1970s. The humanistic approach was characterized by emphasizing cooperation and personal development, promoting enjoyment of sport activities, and criticizing the abuse of athletes. Since the 1950s, America has been a nation is facing a dramatic increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases (i.e., cancers and cardiovascular diseases) that are believed to be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. As a result, a wellness movement has taken a center role in physical education. It focuses on promoting an active lifestyle for everyone in America, which has shown to prevent diseases and increase longevity. With a lack of physical activity as one of the leading indicators of national health in Healthy People 2010, physical education as a profession and discipline will play a crucial role in the enhancement of the well-being in America for decades to come.

Origin and Formation of Physical Education in American Colleges and Universities

Physical education was introduced to America in the form of “medical gymnastics” from Europe in the late eighteenth century with two dominant systems: Swiss and German. It was a very stringent and vigorous form of physical training for the purpose of restoration of health and/or development of the body. It was different from today's Olympic gymnastics. Two primary goals of early physical education programs were to provide physical training to schoolboys and collegeage men and to train “gymnastic teachers.” Training of physical education teachers took place in private normal schools in the 1880s and 1890s, mostly through summer programs. The 4-year teacher preparation programs did not start until the turn of the twentieth century. The first five universities were Harvard University, Oberlin College, Stanford University, the University of California, and the University of Nebraska. Teachers College of Columbia University awarded the first master's degree in physical education in 1910 and started the first doctoral program in physical education in 1924. In less than 7 years, the Normal College of the American Gymnastic Union, Wellesley College, the University of Southern California, and the University of Oregon also started offering graduate coursework in physical education. Today, most states have their own certification program for physical education teachers in public schools. The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) is the leading organization of professionals in physical education and other related areas and is responsible for providing leadership in guiding the profession.

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