In the 19th century, with the spread of nationalism movement, the power and capital on which the state was based changed, and man replaced the land. Mechanization and industrialization accelerated imperialism, and the application of the emphasis on competition in nature to social spheres in the theory of evolution became a means to legitimize…

During the 1960s and 1970s, "traditional" secondary educational systems in various Western European countries made way for comprehensive education curricula. In contrast to the reforms within the "intellectual" subjects, the field of physical education (PE) remained largely underexposed in research. This study focuses on PE…

The growing competitiveness of modern sport means that children, from very early ages, are increasingly submitted to intensive training programmes. These programmes are problematic for young athletes not only because their developing bodies are particularly susceptible to different kinds of injuries, but because athletes are also particularly…

Objective: A lack of movement in adolescence is a pressing issue for modern society. Physical education at school can have a major influence on the movement habits of adolescents, since it can offer curriculum that gives students ideas for leisure time while entertaining them and also respecting physical fitness goals. The aim of this work is to…

Gymnastic judges have the difficult task of evaluating highly complex skills. My purpose in the current study was to examine evidence that judges use their sensorimotor experiences to enhance their perceptual judgments. In a video test, 58 judges rated 31 gymnasts performing a balance beam skill. I compared decision quality between judges who…

The purpose of the current study was to investigate Division I athletes' prior sport participation and athletes' perceptions regarding sport specialization. Athletes (N = 1041) completed self-report surveys and indicated that participation in their collegiate sport began around nine years of age (M = 9.10, SD = 3.83). Athletes played a large…

This study analyses opinions of primary school pupils and secondary school students (boys and girls) on physical education classes in Slovakia. The survey was conducted in 21 Slovak towns with 6959 respondents -- 3606 primary school pupils and 3353 secondary school students. Average age of boys from primary schools was 14.32 years ± 0.35 years and…

Research Findings: A quasi-experiment was undertaken to test the effect of Montessori practical life activities on kindergarten children's fine motor development and hand dominance over an 8-month period. Participants were 50 children age 5 in 4 Montessori schools and 50 students age 5 in a kindergarten program in a high-performing suburban…

Finding an enjoyable, exciting, and engaging activity for gifted students can be a challenging balancing act. While parents want their children to become active and involved, they may face setbacks as they try to find the right fit, with some gifted children grappling with poor fine and gross motor abilities. While a high percentage of gifted…

Historically, gymnastics has served an essential role in physical education and the development of physical fitness. Participating in gymnastics-related activities can improve the physical and motor fitness of children of all ages and can make significant contributions to the goals of physical education. This article describes the importance of…

Several studies demonstrate that Sport Education (SE) supports the development of an authentic sport experience. However, the 'messiness' attached to the reality of effectively enacting SE is less prominent in the literature. The aim of this study is therefore to capture the complexity, tensions and struggles (for both lecturers and undergraduate…

This study analyses the opinions of male and female teachers of Physical and Sport Education in the 264 elementary schools from the Central Slovak Region (n = 507, 257 female teachers and 250 male teachers) on the popularity of teaching the sports games thematic unit. These opinions were collected and analysed by questionnaire survey during the…

Virtually all current physical education curriculum guides and textbooks include sections on learner outcomes based on the national standards for physical education, which often refer to gymnastics skills. Gymnastics is a perfect venue for teaching movement concepts, developing and maintaining overall body fitness, fostering personal and social…

With the advent of modern states, a mandatory relationship and interaction emerged between compulsory education, military service, and the practices of citizenship. Producing a loyal citizen required a disciplined, central, and compulsory education. In the nineteenth century when greatness was linked to armament, education was considered a vital…

This article takes a reflective stance on the development of practice in scaffolding and mediating for creativity and potentially better performance in gymnastics. The pedagogical approach outlined illustrates how an experienced practitioner can adopt mediational (rather than meddling) and scaffolding techniques to focus on supporting the…