Reflections on meaningful physical education

Four physical education scholars have been an influence on my thinking about meaningful physical education. Here, I briefly outline the key ideas of each that have influenced me. Then, I look at what I understand they have in common and how the ideas are connected into significance for the ohysical education teacher.

Eleanor Metheny suggested human movement as a symbolic language. Metheny argued that movement is a uniquely human way of knowing, feeling, and expressing meaning that cannot be captured by verbal language alone. Just as spoken words symbolise abstract ideas, physical actions symbolise personal feelings, relationships to the environment, and social interactions. The "meaning" comes from the internal, subjective experience of the mover (kinaesthetic perception), not just the outcome of a skill. Sports, gymnastics, dance, and fitness. are culturally developed "movement forms" that allow individuals to explore existential concepts like space, force, time, gravity, and human connection. She described moving from 1-D (training the mind) and 2-D (mind-body connection) into a 3-D educational approach that includes emotional and personal significance via movement. Metheny answers ‘what’ movement is: a non-verbal mode of human thought and communication and her work encouraged educators to help students interpret and reflect on the felt experience of movement so that it be meaningful

Metheny, E. (1965). Connotations of movement in sport and dance: A collection of speeches about sport and dance as significant forms of human behavior. W. C. Brown Company.

Metheny, E. (1961). The unique meaning inherent in human movement. Physical Educator, 18(1), 3.

Metheny, E. (1968). Movement and meaning. McGraw-Hill.

Daryl Siedentop located the primary source of meaning in physical education in the concept of play. Rather than viewing physical education strictly through a "utilitarian" lens, where movement is merely a tool to improve physical fitness, character, or social efficiency, Siedentop argued that movement experiences carry intrinsic, subjective meaning when a person is genuinely at play. The role of physical education is to develop students' ability to play, expanding their capacity to access meaningful movement experiences.

Siedentop, D. (1972, 1976). Physical education: Introductory analysis. W. C. Brown Company Publishers.

Peter Arnold argued that movement is a distinct, rational, and rich mode of human understanding. Rather than treating movement merely as a vehicle for health or a collection of isolated motor techniques, Arnold insisted that physical education derives its meaning from its unique ability to integrate knowing, doing, and feeling through human action. He asserted that practical mastery in movement is an authentic form of rational cognition that deserves equal status alongside verbal or mathematical intelligence in the school curriculum. Arnold’s most enduring contribution to sport pedagogy and physical education is his conceptual framework dividing movement into three interconnected dimensions: education in movement; education about movement; education through movement.

Arnold, P. J. (1979). Meaning in movement, sport and physical education. Heinemann Education

 (1979). Intellectualism, physical education, and self-actualization. Quest, 31(1), 87-96.

Arnold, P. J. (1988). Education, movement, and the rationality of practical knowledge. Quest, 40(2), 115-125.

Scott Kretchmar argued that human movement is at its best when it moves beyond being a mere "duty" or external health instrument to become a deeply personal, intrinsic pursuit. The concept of the Playground framed his explanation of movement as an intrinsic space of delight, exploration, and self-expression. Meaningful physical education lives in the playground. Kretchmar asserted that "duty-based" justifications for physical education (e.g., "exercise is good for your heart") rarely motivate lifelong participation. Instead, physical educators must cultivate "delight" - an absorbing, joyful connection to physical movement that makes it a permanent part of a person's life world. The purpose of physical education is to help young people find personal "anchors"- activities that resonate with one's identity and life story.

Kretchmar, R. S. (2000). Moving and being moved: Implications for practice. Quest, 52(3), 260-272.

Kretchmar, R. S. (2005). Practical philosophy of sport and physical activity. Human Kinetics.

I suggest that Eleanor Metheny, Peter Arnold, Daryl Siedentop, and Scott Kretchmar share a core philosophical foundation: they all reject utilitarian instrumentalism and view physical movement as an inherently valuable, humanising form of experience.

All four oppose justifying physical education solely through health-based, or fitness outcomes. They argue that when physical education is treated strictly as an instrument for health or fitness, the intrinsic value of movement itself is erased. 

They view physical movement as an embodied, intelligent, and rational act; whether expressed as non-verbal symbolism (Metheny), embodied knowing/know-how (Arnold), play (Siedentop), or narrative identity construction (Kretchmar). From a teaching standpoint, all four argue that physical educators must cultivate personal resonance and competence rather than mindless drill-and-practice.  Because, a student who experiences deep personal meaning in movement is far more likely to develop a lifelong attachment to physical culture and through this physical activity as a way of being.

Drawing on the work of the four physical educators, Physical Education is a meaning-centred, embodied discipline.

-          * Cultivate body awareness and non-verbal expression [Metheny]

-         * Integrate practical know-how (In), social growth (Through), and learning-to-learn (About) [Arnold]

-         * Immerse learners in persistent, authentic play roles [Siedentop]

-          * Anchor movement to individual identity and delight [Kretchmar]

Our work (Hyndman & Pill, 2018) exploring meaningful physical education through a Gestaltism lens offers a theoretical “bridge” to connect the ideas of Metheny, Arnold, Siedentop, and Kretchmar (Figure1). Gestalt psychology centres on the premise that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" and that humans perceive objects, movement, and experiences as integrated, meaningful wholes rather than isolated fragments. Applied to physical education, we argued that physical education becomes meaningful when a student experiences a movement context as an indivisible, coherent whole, and this is where perception, action, emotion, and environment merge into a form of embodied sense making.

Pill, S., & Hyndman, B. (2018). Gestalt psychological principles in developing meaningful understanding of games and sport in physical education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 37(4), 322-329. [available here]

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