Sport Wellington Active Download Newsletter
Kia ora koutou
I hope this finds you well rested after the recent downtime and you have had a chance to re-charge
your batteries.
Of interest to all teachers who teach Health and Physical Education is the release of the National
Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA) in Health and Physical Education 2013, this used
to be known as NEMP. You can find all this rich data, 167 pages of data, graphs, tasks interviews and
findings, on the Education Counts website.
The study included a nationally representative sample of approximately 800 students at year 4 and
year 8 from 100 schools at each level. The study was made up of a one to one interview and
performance activities across the 4 strands and the 7 Key Areas of Learning and a critical thinking
scale that was developed to probe the student’s ability to think critically across a range of contexts.
Three teachers at each year level from each of the schools were invited to respond to a
questionnaire about their confidence in teaching health and physical education, learning
opportunities provided for students and professional support they receive for teaching.
Principals were also invited to respond to a questionnaire about the priority learning areas within
the school and the arrangements for teaching the focus learning areas.
SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS
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PE had a higher priority in school teaching programmes than health. PE was ranked 7th at
year 4 and 8th at year 8. Heath was ranked 11th at year 4 and 11th at year 8 (out of 17
aspects of learning areas).
95% of students at year 4 were achieving at Level 2 of the New Zealand Curriculum.
Only 50% of students at year 8 were achieving at Level 4 of the New Zealand Curriculum.
There was considerable variation in performance at year 4 and year 8 as well as a level of
overlap between the year levels.
NZ/European, Māori and Pasifika students showed the same amount of progress from
Year 4 to Year 8.
On average girls and boys performed equally well at both year 4 and year 8.
School decile and student ethnicity were associated with performance and were interrelated factors. High decile schools were strongly associated with higher performance.
Students in the sample showed a greater improvement in strategic action skills involving
games (Rippa Tag and Rua Tapawhā) from year 4 to year 8 than in movement skills.
There was a broad understanding that well-being in the Hauora model included physical,
mental/emotional and social dimensions but very few described the spiritual dimension.
Seek out the 29th June New Zealand Education Gazette. Lift out for a more detailed summary of
results and some examples of the tasks, for example the interview task Fair Play and the example of
performance and interview task: Rua Tapawhā.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
 A major concern is that only 50% of year 8 are achieving at Level 4 of the NZC. We need to
develop a greater understanding of what the NZC is asking of us as teachers for our teaching
and learning programmes, particularly at level 3 and 4.
 The decile variation with high decile schools being strongly associated with performance
needs a closer look at, when you consider the amount of outside support that has been on
offer.
 Over 2/3rds of the teachers have received professional development in Health and Physical
Education in the last two years, citing external providers as a source of support for
classroom teaching. We need to thoroughly critique this support in terms of whether it is
really aiding us to provide quality teaching and learning programmes that meet the needs of
our students and the intentions of the New Zealand Curriculum at the appropriate levels.
 This is a good opportunity to look closely at our teaching and learning programmes.
Enjoy using the data to ascertain and identify where your students are really at and what both your
next steps and your students are.
WATCH OUT FOR THE UPCOMING PENZ PLD OPPORTUNITY
References:
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/nmssa/nmssa-health-and-physicaleducation-2013
http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/ VOLUME 94 ISSUE 11. 29 JUNE 2015
Till next time – have a great term three.
Ngā mihi
Libby
Libby Paterson
Subject Adviser
Physical Education New Zealand
Email: libby@penz.org.nz |Direct Line: 063069563 | Cellphone: 0274463 058