13

Physical education activities are no panacea by which the ills
of a weak character may be automatically cured. The content of the curriculum
can be made to present the possibility of such education, but this con-
tent must be made to function, educationally, by skillful teaching. To
see that this curriculum educates, there are a number of items which mst
be emphasized.

To insure learning, there mst be interest on the part of the student
in the activities used, With few exceptions, even boys and girls who state
that they “hate gym" confess that they would like to be able to do these
activities, and that if they were able to do them, they would thoroughly
enjoy participating in them. The major reason they are not interested is
that they do not possess the requisite skills, Interest is probably dis-~
tributed normally. There will be a few who can never be made to enjoy
participation in physical education activities. ‘Phere is evidence (data
from Chinese university students) to show that skill in games is dis~«
tributed with a close approximation to normalty. Some are motor geniuses,
and some are motor morons, If the same individual happens to be near the
small end of the interest distribution, and also at the small end of the
skill distribution, it is most probable that little can be done to help him,
The same problem is presented in mental education in those who fall by
the wayside in spite of all that our best school systems can do for them.
i+ has been demonstrated however, that the curve can be moved over towards
the right with skillful teaching coupled with a scientific curriculum. To
accomplish this, the following things, among others, must be emphasized;

1. The immediate, definite objective which is before the eyes of the
pupil should be one which he feels to be a worthwhile one. The pupil is sel-
dom interested in piece-meal activities from which he sees nothing ahead.
The formal type of calisthenics is seldom interesting, though the person-
ality of a clever teacher cannot infrequently make it bearable, especially
to those who, like some groups of adults, seek improved health as the
primary objective. If the pupil sees that in his massed work there is a
definite, pedagogical progress being made in the skills of the activities
which he desires to learn, as athletic games, track and field, combative
activities, or (especially in the case of girls) dancing,experience has
show that he will be interested and will work to attain that ond, if the
dosage is not too large. But he must know that objective and appreciate it,
The teacher mst see that his progression is sound and the purpose clear,

2. Teaching mst be intelligible - the pupil must know the specific
ends that both he and the teacher are seeking, and be able to tell the
direction of the expected or accomplished improvement. In addition to
skillful teaching, there should be standardized, objective tests of proven
validity to measure performance; standards of attainment should be established
for each activity used, and these correlated with a real curriculum as
definitely taught and definitely required as are the corresponding ones in
mental education.

3. The progression of the curriculum should be perfected to the degree
that the most rapid possible progress may be made by the student, and so
that only skills relevant to the physical education desired shall be
learned, skills without clashing psycho-motor associations. "Ecclectic"
systems are usually guilty of transgressing this requirement. Learning
competitive skills and forming competitive associations involve double
waste.