International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme » Physical and Health Education

Physical and Health Education

Nature of Physical and Health Education
MYP physical and health education aims to empower students to understand and appreciate the value of being physically active and develop the motivation for making healthy life choices. To this end, physical and health education courses foster the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes that will contribute to a student’s balanced and healthy lifestyle. Through opportunities for active learning, courses in this subject group embody and promote the holistic nature of well-being. Students engaged in physical and health education will explore a variety of concepts that help foster an awareness of physical development and health perspectives, empowering them to make informed decisions and promoting positive social interaction.

Physical and health education focuses on both learning about and learning through physical activity. Both dimensions help students to develop approaches to learning (ATL) skills across the curriculum. Physical and health education contributes a unique perspective to the development of the attributes of the IB learner profile, promoting the health of individuals and communities.

Through physical and health education, students can learn to appreciate and respect the ideas of others, and develop effective collaboration and communication skills. This subject area also offers many opportunities to build positive interpersonal relationships that can help students to develop a sense of social responsibility. At their best, physical and health education courses develop the enjoyment, engagement and confidence in physical activity that students need in order to achieve and maintain a balanced, healthy life.

Physical activity and health are of central importance to human identity and global communities. They create meaningful connections among people, nations, cultures and the natural world, and they offer a range of opportunities to build intercultural understanding and greater appreciation for our common humanity.

 

Aims

The aims of all MYP subjects state what a teacher may expect to teach and what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience.

The aims of MYP physical and health education are to encourage and enable students to:

  • use inquiry to explore physical and health education concepts
  • participate effectively in a variety of contexts
  • understand the value of physical activity
  • achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle
  • collaborate and communicate effectively
  • build positive relationships and demonstrate social responsibility
  • reflect on their learning experiences.
 
IBMYP Courses
PE Lifetime Fitness
Health Strategies
Health: Today and Tomorrow
PE Lifetime Activities