ESHE 307

ESHE 307
Theory and Practice of Movement Concepts and Skill Themes

1. Catalog Entry

ESHE 307
Theory and Practice of Movement Concepts and Skill Themes

Credit hours (3)

This course prepares teacher candidates to teach physical education to children ages 4–15. It emphasizes skill themes, movement concepts, and age-appropriate instruction through games, gymnastics, and cooperative activities. Students study childhood motor development and effective strategies for working with young learners. The course complements ESHE 380: Methods of Teaching Elementary Physical Education.

2. Detailed Description of Course

1. Movement Concepts
   
   1. Space Awareness
      
      1. Location
      2. Directions
      3. Levels
      4. Pathways
      5.  Extensions
   2. Effort
      
      1. Time
      2. Force
      3. Flow
   3. Relationships
      
      1. Shapes
      2. Actions
2. Introduction to Skills
   
   1. Traveling
   2. Jumping and Landing
      
      1. Distance
      2. Height
   3. Balancing
   4. Transferring Weight, Rolling
   5. Kicking and Punting
   6. Throwing
      
      1. Underhand
      2. Overhand
   7. Catching
   8. Volleying
   9. Dribbling
   10. Rackets and Paddles
   11. Striking with Long Implements
3. Skill Theme Units
4. Integrated Activities
5. Instant Activities
6. Educational Gymnastics
7. Cooperative Activities

Basic Terminology (Paired Terms)

1. Development vs. Maturation
2. Gross vs. Fine Motor Skills
3. Open vs. Closed skills
4. Process vs. Product
5. Discrete, Serial, and Continuous skills
6. Cephalocaudal vs. Proximodistal

Theoretical Models

1. Phases and Stages of Development
   
   1. Reflexive
   2. Rudimentary
   3. Fundamental
   4. Specialized

Fundamental Aspects of Movement

1. Locomotor skills
2. Stability skills
3. Manipulative skills

Childhood Growth and Development

1. Psychomotor, cognitive, and affective developmental characteristics of early and later childhood

Content Development in Physical Education

1. Task progressions
2. Game stages

 

3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

A variety of instructional methods including instructor-led activity clinics, lecture, small-group work, and team- and peer-teaching opportunities with the course instructor will help teacher candidates understand the philosophy and practical aspects of implementing a Skill Theme/Movement Concepts curricular model in physical education.

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course

As a result of successfully completing this course, each teacher candidate will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competent motor skill performance in a variety of physical activities; (SHAPE/NASPE 1 & 2; Praxis II HPE)
2. Identify specific movement concepts and skill themes typically used in the physical education curricula; (VDOE HPE 6; Praxis II HPE)
3. Demonstrate appropriate participation in activity clinics taught by peers and/or course instructor;
4. Demonstrate the use of internet websites such as PE Central to gather appropriate content relevant to peer-teaching an assigned activity;  
5. Create a professional resource handbook that will include the following content:
   
   1. Instant Activities,
   2. Movement Concepts,
   3. Skill Themes,
   4. Cooperative Activities,
   5. Integrated Activities, and
   6. Educational Gymnastics using activities presented during the entirety of the course;
6. Teach assigned movement concepts, skill themes or related activities using appropriate task progressions, playing strategies, key performance cues, and safety concepts; (VDOE HPE 6; SHAPE/NASPE 1 & 2; InTASC 8)
7.  Acquire, apply, and evaluate movement concepts and strategies to respond confidently, competently, and creatively in a variety of physical activity settings. (VSOLs)
8. Define the physically educated person and developmental physical education;
9. Identify the six elements of developmental change and how these principles should guide curriculum, instruction, and assessment in physical education;
10. Identify the three domains of developmental physical education;
11. Distinguish between maturational change and developmental change;
12. Identify basic terminology and concepts from theoretical perspectives, such as motor learning and cognitive, social, perceptual development, which study the processes that underlie changes in movement behavior;
13. Identify and describe contextual variables of the task (all goal-oriented human movement and characteristics of equipment and task demands) that influence play behaviors, motor skill acquisition, and adaptive movements;
14. Identify and describe contextual variables of the mover (cognitive, physical, social, perceptual, gender, genetics, age, and disability) that influence play behaviors, motor skill acquisition, and adaptive movements;
15. Identify and describe contextual variables of the environment (settings such as home, school, teaching behaviors, etc.) that influence play behaviors, motor skill acquisition, and adaptive movements;
16. Design and utilize educational technology to facilitate learning, of motor development issues and information;
17. Utilize movement concepts to modify skill themes in providing developmentally appropriate physical education lesson activities.

 

5. Assessment Measures

Assessment measures may include one or more of the following methods:
    1) Class participation in instructor and peer-taught lessons
    2) Quizzes
    3) Creation of professional resources handbook
    4) Final exam

6. Other Course Information

None

Review and Approval

December, 2016

January 5, 2026