PDHPE skills
Use the skills for empowerment to explore values and attitudes in regards to PDHPE concepts.
The PDHPE K-10 syllabus provides an opportunity for students to develop, strengthen and refine skills across three domains:
- self-management (S)
- interpersonal (I)
- movement (M).
Students should be provided with an opportunity to develop PDHPE skills from each domain across each year of learning. The skills identified in each content strand complement the content and are a suggested focus when delivering the content.
Teachers can also identify further opportunities where these skills can be embedded to enhance the teaching and learning outcomes and content. Schools have the flexibility to address each domain in a manner that reflects their own context, for the needs of their students and within their own policy requirements.
It should be noted that students require practice to develop each individual skill in different contexts for learning. For example, a student needs practise to develop and use assertiveness in bullying situations but also needs practise to develop and use assertiveness in drug-related situations or road related situations or relationship-related situations.
We cannot assume that a student who demonstrates a skill in one situation or context can therefore apply or transfer that interpersonal, self-management or movement skill to another similar or different situation or context.
Transfer is enhanced when learning takes place in multiple contexts. In the skills-based approach, this occurs when students have the opportunity to practise one skill (the focus of the learning) within multiple health topics (the topics are the different contexts).
For students to have the confidence and competence to develop, refine and apply skills, we first must take the time to teach them about the skill, demonstrate how the skill looks in action, and provide opportunities for practice and feedback. Provide practice opportunities within one skill but with different health, safety, and wellbeing topics. This will facilitate positive transfer across a variety of situations and settings.