Health literacies: pedagogies and understandings of bodies

Abstract

The development of health literacies, in relation to health, well-being, safety and physical activity, is a key pillar of the ‘Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education’. Implications, therefore, arise for teachers of health and physical education (HPE) and their pedagogical practices. These practices of HPE inform ways of thinking, the acquisition of dispositions and constitution of subjectivities. They also impact on student success and positioning in relation to societal and cultural assumptions. We argue that bodies, including how they move, are exercised, nourished, represented and understood, should be central to pedagogies for developing health literacies. In this paper, we use interview and media excerpts to explore pedagogical practices and understandings in relation to bodies. We attempt to analyse practices of the body as they relate to health literacies. In arguing for socially critical pedagogical practices around bodies, we highlight the need to develop critical health literacies that disrupt common sense readings of ‘acceptable’ and ‘desirable’ bodies as lean, youthful and able-bodied. We conclude by identifying implications for pre-service teacher and in-service teacher education around the development of socially critical pedagogical practices and health literacies.

Keywords:

• health literacies
• pedagogical practices
• health and physical education

Notes on contributors

Alison Wrench, PhD, is a lecturer in Health and Physical Education in the School of Education at the University of South Australia. Her research interests include socially critical pedagogies, identity work and gender issues related to health and physical education, sport and physical activity more generally. Recent research projects include interrelationships between teacher subjectivities and pedagogical practices, and the significance of embodiment and the affective domain to teacher and student subjectivities and inclusive pedagogical practices for disadvantaged students.

Robyne Garrett, PhD, is a lecturer in physical education, dance and methodology in the School of Education at the University of South Australia. Her research interests include gender, critical pedagogies, embodiment and dance. Current projects include new pedagogies in HPE for disadvantaged students, well-being of non-traditional university students and embodied pedagogies. Her teaching focuses on supporting student teachers to develop and implement critical and embodied pedagogies.

Notes

1. The Age is a broadsheet newspaper, published in Melbourne, with a readership base across Australia. The Age seeks to present strong analysis of domestic and international news.

2. The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper with a circulation across Australia. It is part of the News Media group.

3. The Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education is a national curriculum framework from Kindergarten to Year 12. This curriculum encompasses two interrelated content strands of Personal, social and community health and Movement and physical activity. Learning experiences could be delivered through discrete and/or integrated physical education and health education. In secondary schools, aspects of this curriculum can also be delivered through Outdoor Education and Home economics.