Moral Education Within Physical Education

Moral Education Within Physical Education

 

The primary purpose of physical education is and should always be moral education. As addressed by Clifford and Feezell¹,when the nature of sport is derived and one becomes a coach, they take on the role of a moral educator. Sport and physical education, while they differ in initial structure and setting, both promote physical activity that provides participants with an opportunity to practice and create good character. Physical education, just like sport, encompasses a variety of physically and mentally demanding activities and exercises that teach people, primarily the youth, to efficiently control their body and mind to accomplish and excel in the instructed activity.

Health benefits aside, P.E. is nothing more than a freely chosen, unnecessary and nonessential activity. It is INTRINSIC; unless physical education is more geared towards installing traits of respect, organization, discipline, cooperation and more. All of these values/virtues fall under the category of moral education, and if moral education continues to be viewed as a nonessential attribute of physical education, society will continue to view physical education as a discipline that the public school system can do without. The primary purpose of physical education is and should continue to be moral education.

 

¹Clifford, C., & Feezell, R. M. (2010). Sport and character: Reclaiming the principles of sportsmanship. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.