BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary Years)

Active Schools

Explore the issues surrounding Physical Education and its role in the health and activity agenda. Consideration of personal and social barriers and facilitators within and outside the school environment will also be given.

Developing Professional and Academic Skills

This module aims to help you make the transition between UK qualifications levels three and four (Year One at university) by improving intellectual and academic skills, which will support you throughout your programme. As part of the developing professional skills you will focus on issues surrounding employability and developing graduate employability skills.

Foundations of Movement and Principles of Games

Explore the teaching of games with a developmental focus as you learn to break down simple skills into key components to help children learn and understand.

Fundamental Movement Skills and Child Development

This module aims to develop your knowledge of fundamental movement skills (FMS) and child maturation. Emphasis will be placed on how Physical Education teachers and sport coaches facilitate developmentally appropriate pedagogy.

Knowledge and Understanding of Individual Activities (Aesthetics)

This module aims to analyse in detail movement related to gymnastics and dance.

You will explore gymnastics in its broadest sense within elements identified as Formal, Educational, Sporting and Rhythmic.

You will use the application of biomechanical principles, including Laban technique as you explore the evaluation of gymnastic and dance performance.

Principles of Play Through Invasion Games

You will participate in a range of practical sessions that will examine attacking and defensive principles of play, as you analyse the technical and tactical aspects of performance within their application within invasion games.

Professional Issues in Teaching and Coaching

This module aims to address contemporary topics relating to the professional issues surrounding teaching and coaching whilst exploring and debating current developments in both professions.

The Enquiring Practitioner

While learning the technical components involved in the teaching and coaching of specific skills, you will also be introduced to fundamental biomechanical principles which impact performance.

The module will apply research and enquiry to real-life lived experiences that are associated with your potential future career paths.

Critical Issues in Sport and Physical Education

This develops your understanding of the place of sport and physical education in society.

It is designed to build analytical engagement in evaluating the relationship between sport and physical education from a sociological perspective. Its focus centres on the examination of the influences experienced by different communities of participants in the fields.

The module includes reference to the impact this has on physical activity as a cultural practice in society. You will consider the evolving meaning that these cultural forms have in our society, making particular reference to health agendas, elite performance and professional practice.

Fundamentals of Human Physiology

This module will allow you to examine how key systems such as the musculoskeletal system, the cardio-vascular system, and the respiratory system affect human performance. Specific attention is paid to energy metabolism in the context of the exercising human across the breadth of the energy spectrum.

Muscles and Movement – Anatomy in Motion

This module serves as an introduction to the basic concepts of anatomy and biomechanics as they relate to human movement and performance in sport and exercise. You will be shown how such concepts can be practically investigated and will illustrate the integrative nature of anatomy and biomechanics.

Pedagogical Skills in Track & Field Athletics and Swimming

This module aims to provide you with an opportunity to develop your knowledge, understanding, and personal performance of track and field athletics events and swimming strokes. You may have the opportunity to apply your knowledge and understanding of technical aspects, by planning and leading small group sessions.

Pedagogy for Activity

This module aims to further your understanding as to the ‘why’ surrounding physical activity through Physical Education. You will develop your knowledge and personal philosophy as to what you believe you want to deliver, how, and why, in accordance with school and Governmental policies.

Pedagogy of Outdoor and Adventurous Activities

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of Outdoor and Adventurous Activities at KS3/KS4.

Through theoretical, practical, and residential experiences, the module provides you with an understanding of the activities that are implicit to the programme and an appreciation of the principles that underpin outdoor learning more generically.

Purposeful Practice for Games-Based Physical Education

You will participate in a range of practical sessions that will explore different types of practice and have the opportunity to design practices for developing technical, tactical, and/or physical aspects of games-based performance.

Reflection: Developing Your Teaching and Coaching

This module aims to provide an opportunity to select and develop specialist areas of interest.

You will be required to develop skills in introspection, reflection, and reflective practice drawing upon theoretical concepts relating to pedagogy of sport and education.

You will agree a suitable programme of work within a professional context of your choice which will involve you immersing yourselves in the culture and practices of this working environment.

Striking and Fielding: Net and Wall Games

While learning the technical components involved in the teaching and coaching of specific skills, you will also be introduced to fundamental biomechanical principles which impact performance.

The Enquiring Practitioner 2

This module seeks to develop your knowledge and understanding from the Enquiring Practitioner 1 and help prepare you for your final year dissertation. You will conceive of, plan and execute small-scale research.

The aim of this “dress rehearsal” is to develop your appreciation of the project management aspect of the research process.

Understanding and Managing Individual Differences

Build on your understanding of effective teaching and coaching by understanding and applying principles of equality and inclusive practice.

Working With Individuals

This module focuses on the multi-faceted process of the coach-athlete and teacher-pupil relationship. Drawing on contemporary psychological research which places this relationship at the centre of athlete and pupil development.

This module will explore the sources, nature, and synthesis of sports specific and psychological theory and its application in the development of sporting competence in athletes and pupils.

Active Schools: Mental Health and Wellbeing

The module aims to analyse the contribution of sport and physical activity to mental health and wellbeing. The influence of the role of teachers/coaches and pedagogical practice on the growing and developing brain will be examined.

Biomechanics in Sport and Exercise

The biomechanical principles underpinning performance in a range of sports will be considered in relation to practical performance of sport. The module content will include analysis methodologies and research, which has enhanced biomechanics knowledge of sports performance.

The biomechanics analysis and evaluation of selected sport and exercise activities will be considered e.g. golf, football, tennis, high jump, long jump, javelin, discus, gymnastics, cycling, swimming.

Classroom Pedagogy

This module will use a series of lectures and workshops to explore curricula employed in classroom teaching such as

• the National Curriculum
• GCSE PE
• BTEC Sport
• A-level PE

to consider how schemes of work and lesson plans are developed for delivery in school and college classrooms.

Factors Enhancing Performance

This module explores the multidisciplinary nature of sports performance.

Having identified the demands placed on the athlete, you will examine ways of enhancing performance by integrating some well-established principles of psychology, biomechanics and physiology.

You will look to critically examine different methods that can be used to enhance performance, while also considering methods of assessment and monitoring, and the role of the sports coach in this process.

Off-Site Education Trips for Outdoor Learning

This module aims to use a residential experience at an outdoor centre to explore the application of different OAA teaching methods to fulfil a range of pupil needs. You will build upon your understanding of what outdoor learning is and its uses; therefore, facilitating a critical evaluation of the process and output of residential experiences.

Planning and Monitoring of Training and Performance

A focus on planning and monitoring training of athletes and how a programme of physiological support can be used to enhance performance.

You will engage in current literature identifying the physiological demands of the athletes chosen sport, key measures of physical fitness, and how we can enhance them.

An athlete’s ability to focus on training to gain maximal physiological adaptations, and relax in competition can represent the difference in making the podium or winning major tournaments.

Practical Applications in Coaching and Teaching

This module aims to provide you with blended learning opportunities via university-based work that develops and enhances depth of knowledge when working practically with performers. It is aimed to run concurrently with the Practical Pedagogy (Placement) module so that you can apply theory to the practical coaching and teaching environments within your micro sessions and placement context.

Practical Pedagogy (Placement)

An opportunity to experience a placement within a practical setting. This module aims to develop and refine pedagogical skills so that you can enhance pupil/performer progress and learning within a practical environment.

Teaching Approaches and Behaviours in Invasion Games

You will have the opportunity to lead practical sessions with a focus on a particular teaching approach.

You will need to critically reflect on the different teaching approaches and how the pedagogical behaviours influence performance and learning within these approaches.

Working With Teams

This module focuses on the requirements of effective coaching delivery within groups and teams. It will critically analyse and address the knowledge and skills necessary to work with groups of athletes across key coaching contexts. You will understand how to assess the needs of a group, and the individuals within, and address this in your planning and delivery.