i4peadmin posted on November 15, 2009 19:37
Goal setting is an important skill to develop in students; it provides feedback, serves as motivation and improves performance. Within physical education, it is most common for physical educators to support students in developing goals associated with health-related fitness. The goals are often identified based on students’ performance on health-related fitness assessments (aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition). These pre-assessments serve as a foundation from which students should develop an understanding of:
- Why health-related fitness is important
- What is being measured
- What factors influence performance on the assessments
- How to develop health-related fitness
Health-related fitness assessments, such as the FitnessGram, are only an indicator of future health risk and are an isolated measurement of fitness. The promotion and development of health-related fitness requires physical educators to use an integrated approach that is founded upon research based methodologies and the principles of training. More often than not, physical educators resort to a simplistic approach to developing fitness by teaching to the test. The importance of each individual assessment does not lie in the improvement of the individual assessments; it is to screen future health risks and identify the need for change in behavior. Although many of the assessments and scoring criterion that teachers use are scientifically based, it is important to consider what the results are indicative of, and how we go about creating change in behaviors. Developing this understanding is essential to creating motivation in students that will result in behavioral changes. Motivation comes from “real life” applications of knowledge in which students are able to develop a value system—what is important and why it’s important. In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to teaching to the assessment.
There are two different types of goals that one can set: performance and behavioral. A performance goal will reflect the traits that are being developed in an individual: fitness or skill levels. Behavioral goals are related to a change in physical activity patterns (choices). When developing goals with students, fitness assessments should be used to determine the areas of health-related fitness that need improvement. The number of push-ups, curl-ups, pacer laps, or mile time should not define the goal; the goal should be specific to types of activities that they can participate in that would support the development of all musculature in the upper body, lower body, core, etc. If we choose the more simplistic method, we are putting our students at risk of developing muscular imbalances because we are not using agonist and antagonist muscles. In addition, physical educators and students should be aware of the factors that influence an individual’s performance on the assessments.
Although many physical educators may say that the most important thing about goal setting is to set one, I believe that it is more important to take the time to support students in developing the right one. The process of goal setting will support students in the development of the following skills:
- identifying opportunities for physical activity within the home and/or community
- developing strategies to maintain regular physical activity
- developing a support system that will help overcome obstacles
Individual goals should reflect the current fitness levels of students, individual physical activity preferences, physical limitations, and psychological readiness to engage in regular physical activity. It is important to remember that there are “costs” that are associated with exercise: fatigue, soreness, etc. These “costs” may be a motivator or a deterrent depending upon the individual. In addition, there are other benefits of working toward a goal that are delayed: increased fitness levels, improved appearance, etc. The amount of time that it takes for each individual to experience improvement varies significantly from one student to the next.
Using an effective goal setting process called SMART Goal Setting allows students to clearly define goals that are meaningful to them as an individual. SMART is an acronym that stands for:
Specific—The goal should be a behavioral goal that reflects a change specific change what do you want to accomplish? How will you accomplish it? Why is it an important goal?
Measureable—How can you track your continued success in working toward your goal?
Attainable— What is your plan of action? What is your attitude toward the goal?, What are your current abilities or personality traits that will support you in working toward the goal?
Realistic—Are you willing and able to do this: sufficient amount of time, resources, and support?
Timely—Set an end date to accomplish goal revise and edit goal when you reach the date.
SMART Goal Setting focuses on the process of what we as physical educators want students to accomplish (behavioral changes) rather than just the end product. What students get by achieving their goals is not as important as what they become by achieving their goals. It is important to remember that each student comes from a different background and has different experiences. Where each student is today is not as important as the direction that they are moving in—a lifestyle where daily physical activity is a habit.