Affective Education and P.E.
What Is Affective Education? Briefly stated, "affective education" is defined as teaching in the affective domain. Affective education places the focus on student attitudes, interests, appreciations, values, and emotional sets. The goal is to reduce student alienation by increasing self-esteem and self-concept (Hellison, 1991).The affective domain is a term derived from Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives. This taxonomy includes the cognitive domain and the psychomotor domain. The cognitive domain involves intellectual capacity and knowledge acquisition. The psychomotor domain includes the body kinesthetic. The affective domain includes values, attitudes, feelings, self-concept and self-esteem (Jewett, Bain, and Ennis, 1985). Affective Education and the Physical Educator Our current understanding from physical education research shows the absolute importance of connecting affective educational strategies with all teaching, but especially with the teaching of physical education. Today, more than ever before, children are lacking in affective areas. Self-esteem, self-concept, personal feelings, self-identity, and values are the responsibility, in part, of the educator.As educational reform becomes central to our school systems around the country, the demands on teachers are greater than ever. Included in this is the role of the physical education teacher. Much of educational reform has been founded on the theories of social cognition and concepts of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1989). Classrooms are becoming more open to the unique character of our students. Situated learning theory (Lave, 1991) and distributed cognition theories (Salomon, 1993) have generated a new paradigm of school instruction. Characteristics of this new paradigm include: heterogeneous groupings of students, mainstreaming, cooperative learning, authenic activities, and alternative assessments, to name a few. As the needs of students change, teaching methods and curriculum change with it as an ongoing dynamic. And, as we enter the 21st century, personal values, social interaction, problem solving, coping with change, interpersonal communication, and cooperative learning will be areas which will be most valuable in a highly complex and technological time (Hertz-Lazarowitz, 1992).For the P.E. teacher, the alignment of this disciple with the affective domain is ideal.
The physical education setting, with its high levels of emotion and interaction, provides a unique opportunity to improve self-esteem, persistence, cooperation, and other personal and social qualities. Traditionally, schools have focused on cognitive skills. It was always believed that learning took place on an intellectual, rational level, not an emotional nor social level. But, as society is changing, so are educational missions. As research shows, cognitive learning cannot take place in a state of affective disorder.
A final point: As P.E. teachers, one of our expressed goals is to create in our students a motivation to be lifelong paticipants in physical activity. What better way to achieve that goal than by providing a P.E. experience that nurtures self-esteem, builds self-confidence, and provides positive social interaction?
What Is Affective Education? Briefly stated, "affective education" is defined as teaching in the affective domain. Affective education places the focus on student attitudes, interests, appreciations, values, and emotional sets. The goal is to reduce student alienation by increasing self-esteem and self-concept (Hellison, 1991).The affective domain is a term derived from Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives. This taxonomy includes the cognitive domain and the psychomotor domain. The cognitive domain involves intellectual capacity and knowledge acquisition. The psychomotor domain includes the body kinesthetic. The affective domain includes values, attitudes, feelings, self-concept and self-esteem (Jewett, Bain, and Ennis, 1985). Affective Education and the Physical Educator Our current understanding from physical education research shows the absolute importance of connecting affective educational strategies with all teaching, but especially with the teaching of physical education. Today, more than ever before, children are lacking in affective areas. Self-esteem, self-concept, personal feelings, self-identity, and values are the responsibility, in part, of the educator.As educational reform becomes central to our school systems around the country, the demands on teachers are greater than ever. Included in this is the role of the physical education teacher. Much of educational reform has been founded on the theories of social cognition and concepts of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1989). Classrooms are becoming more open to the unique character of our students. Situated learning theory (Lave, 1991) and distributed cognition theories (Salomon, 1993) have generated a new paradigm of school instruction. Characteristics of this new paradigm include: heterogeneous groupings of students, mainstreaming, cooperative learning, authenic activities, and alternative assessments, to name a few. As the needs of students change, teaching methods and curriculum change with it as an ongoing dynamic. And, as we enter the 21st century, personal values, social interaction, problem solving, coping with change, interpersonal communication, and cooperative learning will be areas which will be most valuable in a highly complex and technological time (Hertz-Lazarowitz, 1992).For the P.E. teacher, the alignment of this disciple with the affective domain is ideal.
The physical education setting, with its high levels of emotion and interaction, provides a unique opportunity to improve self-esteem, persistence, cooperation, and other personal and social qualities. Traditionally, schools have focused on cognitive skills. It was always believed that learning took place on an intellectual, rational level, not an emotional nor social level. But, as society is changing, so are educational missions. As research shows, cognitive learning cannot take place in a state of affective disorder.
A final point: As P.E. teachers, one of our expressed goals is to create in our students a motivation to be lifelong paticipants in physical activity. What better way to achieve that goal than by providing a P.E. experience that nurtures self-esteem, builds self-confidence, and provides positive social interaction?