Tracking Physical Literacy in Aotearoa New Zealand: concerns of narrowed curriculum and colonisation

ABSTRACT

The concept of physical literacy (PL) has increasingly drawn global interest from practitioners, academics and policymakers within the fields of sport, health and physical education. Its value and appeal appear to lie in its potential to help refocus attention on the importance of human physicality and movement in enabling individuals to flourish and lead fulfilling lives Whitehead, M. (Ed.). (2010). Physical literacy: Through the life-course. International studies in physical education and youth sport. Routledge. In this sense, it overlaps with the aims of physical education (PE) and has increasingly been seen as having an influence on future curriculum development in many Western countries. In our view, there is a need to critically question this influence, particularly in the sense that the concept is not just redefining the nomenclature of the subject area; but also its nature, focus and outcomes. This need to critically question has also become more prevalent as neoliberal technocratic agendas have pushed for clearer measures of the impact associated with government expenditure, increased individual responsibility for health outcomes and the subsequent development of measurement tools and standards. The concern here, particularly for a country like Aotearoa New Zealand, is that the current curriculum risks becoming colonised by a concept, that fails to adequately address its national values, cultural identity and broad educative aspirations.

KEYWORDS:

• Physical education
• physical literacy
• curriculum
• Indigenous perspectives
• healthism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Aotearoa is the original Māori (indigenous people) name for New Zealand.

2 Tamariki and whānau are te reo Māori words for children and family, respectively.

3 It is important to acknowledge that we have not undertaken this analysis as it relates to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (Ministry of Education, 2008), which is the national curriculum for Māori Medium Schools.

4 The indigenous Māori world view to New Zealand acknowledges the interrelationship of all living & non-living things. It encapsulates Māori language, protocols and customs.

5 The Key Areas of Learning are: mental health, sexuality education, food and nutrition, body care and physical safety, physical activity, sport studies, and outdoor education.

6 Rangatahi is the te reo Māori word for youth.

7 For more on this, please read Culpan (1998, 2004, 2011) and Culpan and Bruce (2007).

8 The structure and content of the NZC can be retrieved here: https://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/

9 Taha tinana is the physical element of hauora.

10 Experts or spiritual leaders

11 The deleterious effects of focussing on test-centric logics of practice has had on the nature of curriculum planning (the sequencing and scaffolding of learning) as a practice is discussed by Hardy (2015a, 2015b).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Susannah Ruth Stevens

Susannah Stevens (Susie) is a lecturer in the school of Teacher Education at the University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is the President and Board Chair of Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ), Education lead for a cardiovascular centre for research excellence (HHANZ CoRE), Co-director of the New Zealand Centre for Olympic Studies (NZCOS), a member of The Foundation for Global Community Health, and the Strategic Lead for the Canterbury Knowledge Commons. Her research interests focus on well-being, physical education pedagogy and the joy of movement, where she amalgamates pedagogical, sociological and philosophical concepts.

Alan Ovens

Alan Ovens is an Associate Professor in Physical Education in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of Auckland. His research investigates the complex nature of educational practice in Health and Physical Education, the methodologies for researching complexity, and how this can be enacted in teacher education practices. This includes a focus on humanist themes (oriented around critical pedagogy and self-study methodology) as well as a contemporary focus on postmodern themes (oriented around complexity, new materialism and future-oriented digital pedagogies).

Jeremy William Hapeta

Jeremy Hapeta is a Physical Education Lecturer, but is currently on secondment as the Research Development Advisor – Māori, at Massey University. Previously, a fully registered teacher, Jeremy taught in primary, intermediate and High schools. He also played top-level rugby in NZ and professionally in Japan and France. He also coached in Italy and NZ. His research interests include: Kaupapa Māori methodology, Sport for Development; Team Culture; Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) and Games Sense pedagogy. He also serves on two Academic Reference groups for Sport New Zealand.

Kirsten Petrie

Kirsten Petrie is an Associate Professor, in Te Huataki Waiora School of Health at The University of Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand. She has published and presented widely on health and physical education in primary schools on matters relating to teacher development, curriculum and policy, and the impact of external providers. She was co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of Primary Physical Education (Griggs and Petrie, 2017). Her research demonstrates a commitment to collaborative participatory action research with colleagues in university and school settings, with a view to actively creating policy and practice to enhance learning for all.