Sociocultural Perspective in ACARA HPE Curriculum: An Evaluation

This essay delves into the sociocultural perspective (SCP) and its crucial role in Health and Physical Education (HPE), particularly concerning the health benefits of physical activity (HBPA) for children in middle-upper and primary years (4-6 years). The essay defines the SCP, emphasizing its influence on behavior and mental processes within social and cultural contexts. It explores the SCP's impact on HBPA, highlighting how sociocultural factors, such as environment and peer pressure, affect children's health habits and physical activity levels. The essay then identifies relevant areas within the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) HPE curriculum, specifically focusing on the health strands of personal, social, and community health. Furthermore, it synthesizes and evaluates the ACARA HPE proposition based on educational outcomes, critical inquiries, valuing movements, health literacy, and a strength-based approach. The analysis draws upon current sources to provide a comprehensive understanding of the SCP's significance in promoting health and wellbeing in HPE.

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY 0
SOCIO CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE IN HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
AUSTRALIA
[DATE]
[Company name]
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Introduction
This essay will reflect the meaning of the socio-cultural perspective along with
synthesizing and evaluating its importance and significance in health, physical education and
teaching areas it will further throw emphasize on the effect of SCP (sociocultural perspective) on
Health Benefits of the Physical Activities) HBPA on the children of Middle-upper and the
primary years i.e. of 4-6 years of age. In the next section, the sociocultural perspective will be
used to identify the areas of ACARA (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting
Authority) HPE (Health and Physical Education) curriculum which is associated with the health
strands i.e. the personal, social and health of the community. Lastly, the ACARA HPE
proposition will be drawn out based on the educational outcomes, critical inquiries, valuing
movements, health literacy, and the strength-based approach. All these clarifications will be
evaluated and synthesized based on the ingredients which are of high quality and wide range
with relevant and current sources.
Meaning of sociocultural perspective
The sociocultural perspective is that theory which is implemented for psychological
fields and is used to describe the awareness regarding the circumstances which are surrounding
the individual and how their behaviors are affected by their surroundings, social and cultural
factors(Cliff, Wright, & Clarke, 2009). Catherine A Sanderson in the year 2010 described the
sociocultural perspective as a perspective that describes the behavior and mental process of the
people which can be processed as in the part of their contact with their society and culture, which
includes race, gender, and nationality. SCP and HPE has a great influence in the teaching
process, where the teachers makes the students aware of their health and wellbeing methods

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which can be attained through proper and regular exercises. Thus good HBPA must be practiced
in all the schools with adequate means (Varea, 2018).
Psychologists defines sociocultural perspective as an approach for understanding the
reasons behind the behavior of an individual (Dörnyei , MacIntyre , & Henry , 2014). The SCP
seeks to understand the behavior and personality of the humans by testing the rules of the social
groups and the subgroups in which an individual is a member. These are those rules which are
often not found in a written form, as it is present directly in the actions of the persons.
The practicing teacher and HPE literature sates that the emergence of SCP and changes in
the associated curriculum like critical inquiry and pedagogy are associated with each other.
Educators and critical teaching highlighted the entrance of a sociocultural perspective as a
compound security and said that the sociocultural perspective is a way investigating health and
physical issues and that perception which reads and understands the contents of HPE (Varea,
2018). The term social in the sociocultural perspective is associated with the power and the
social relations and the factors of economy and politics as well as the overriding and the
secondary groups. Whereas the term culture is related to ways of thinking and acting in a
common way or via similar perspectives i.e. the beliefs, values, morals, and behaviors. This
might be found in contrast from one culture to another and sometimes it may also differ within
one culture. The meaning of sociocultural practices in HPE is the position of a person within a
community and it affects the socio-economic status of an individual and also their religions along
with the whole broad banner of their health concepts. Critical thinking is related to that process
of reasoning or solving the problem and sociocultural instructions which includes curious
assumptions and inequalities for examining the social relations from various viewpoints (Cliff,
Wright, & Clarke, 2009).

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Effect of SCP on HBPA on the children of middle-upper and primary years
The involvement in physical activity helps in reducing the risk of disease and premature
death (Quennerstedt & Larsson, 2015). It also helps in reducing the economic burden caused by
lower activities. Sociocultural perspectives are those facts or form in which lives of the people
are personified and lead in every single day. Some students can discover the important rudiments
of sociocultural accepts very fast where as some may take time. For example, when reasons were
asked to a child of middle-upper primary year in Australia behind people getting fatter is whether
they don't exercise enough or tends to eat a lot. The child responded to this question as, due to
inequitable distribution of circumstances which creates inequality where healthy eating and
exercises are beyond the limitation of getting access of the people. Thus more easily, it can be
said that people in Australia are getting fatter depends absolutely upon the background and
religion practices and also on the pressure by the peer and availability of food or exercising tools
(Bailey, et al., 2006).
The benefits of physical activities on health are as follows firstly the regular exercises can
help in controlling the weight. Secondly, it helps in combating health conditions and diseases
including the prevention of heart problems, high blood pressure, etc. Thirdly, it also improves the
mood by reducing mood swings and stress. Fourthly it boosts up people by creating high energy
in them for doing their works with more compassion and enthusiasm. It also promotes better
health and it can sometimes also become a part of the entertainment (Hill, Philpot, & Sutherland,
2018).
The teaching of SCP is really very important in school as it is helpful in enhancing the
fundamental skills in the children (Johnson & Golombek, 2016). According to Vygotsky
basically there are three themes which are identified reflecting the importance of HBPA in

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sociocultural learning perspectives. First one out of them is the development of humans from the
learning which are originated from social, historical and cultural interactions i.e. the students
tends to learn what they see happening around them. Incidents and examples of the past, society
and the culture may very well define their behavior (Hall, 2016) . Second one is the
psychological tools particularly the language, developed medias, mediations and development of
higher mental functions which can all be taken or given due consideration by explaining them
the benefits of the Physical activities (takingcharge.csh.umn.edu, 2016). Last one is the learning
which can be obtained by the proximal developments. Physical Activities has many benefits such
as it results in increasing concentration power, Makes a child healthy and keeps it away from
mostly from all the diseases. All the above three ideas are separate dealt with but share a close
relation with each other. Thus HBPA has a very special and ultimate place in the perspective of
SCP (Fallk & Dierking, 2018).
Generally, it can be said that the children are just like wet sand or clay which are used for
making pots. Their minds can be molded in the manner one wants it to become. Parents who are
considered as the first teacher of all the children, followed by the teachers in the school, peer
group the society in which a child lives plays a very important role in molding up to the behavior
of the child ( Lynch, 2014). A child learns what he/ she sees and notices happening around them.
Religion, culture, tradition behaviors, etc. Followed in a society gets easily in the brains of the
children and hence tends to copy the same with efforts (Hill, Philpot, & Sutherland, 2018).
Environment has a diverse impact on the SCP which is held important for developing the
overall behavior and habits of the child. Firstly all the child needs safety and security and thus
tries to find its attributes in the society. Secondly environment can facilitate or discourage the
children to interaction with the people. Thirdly it can Influence the behavior of the child and

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motivates it to do or make difference between rights and wrong, it reduces the level of stress on
the child. . It can also influence the mood of the child. All these things are to be taught to the
child. He she needs that much capacity that it can differentiate between right and wrong
(takingcharge.csh.umn.edu, 2016).
Physical activities help in leading a better and healthy life, without much risk rates
concerning health. Wellbeing is the most important criterion in leading a better communal life,
which can be achieved only from having and following good command on physical activities.
This habit has to be inserted in the mind of the children since their early childhood only. One of
the biggest strength of this sociocultural perspective is that it can derive out and develop the
HBPA in the lives of the young children through the experiences of the other elder people very
easily by noticing them and following them as their role models ( Lynch, 2014)..
Thus it can be said that health and physical education communicates the children millions
of ways for improving the health, safety, wellbeing. The contribution of the physical acts that are
applicable, challenging, and pleasant in diverse and varying circumstances of their own and the
others (McKenzie, & Lounsbury, 2009). Relationships are built, strengthen maintained and
properly satisfied through the adequate knowledge and skills of the Health and physical
education. It also helps them to make strong choices and take proper actions for promoting their
health, safety, and physical activity. It improves the skills and levels of understanding amongst
the students (Hill, Philpot, & Sutherland, 2018).
Hence it is the duty of a teacher to ensure that the students are getting adequate
opportunity for developing their health and convert themselves as the functional members of
society. All these could be done through the effective teaching of HBPA by using a social
cultural perspective in a very effective manner (Brown & Payne, 2009).

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Use of SCP in identifying areas of ACARA HPE curriculum associated with health strands
Importance of using the SCP in Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting
Authority (ACARA) and HPE are as follows first it evaluate and synthesis information for
protecting, enhancing and advocating one's own and others health and wellbeing, etc. secondly it
improves the use of personal, interactive, social and cognitive skills and strategies for promoting
sense of personal identity and managing relationships respectfully (Hill, Philpot, & Sutherland,
2018).. Thirdly it engages and enjoys the continuous movements based on learning involvements
and appreciate its significance. Fourthly it analyses the different changes the personal and
contextual factors shaping the understandings of and providing the opportunities for health and
physical activities locally, regionally and globally (Brown & Payne, 2009).
Basically 2 strands related with the use of SCP in identifying the areas of ACARA HPE
curriculum i.e. first is the personal, social and the community health and the second one is the
movement and physical activities. First one states that it is the duty of the community to teach or
communicate the importance of health and wellbeing which can be attained only by regular
doing of the physical activities which are beneficial in nature (Brown & Payne, 2009).
Whereas the second one focusses on undertaking suck activities which helps in understanding
the importance of fitness and physical activities which could be done through team works and
leaderships.
The preposition of ACARA HPE
Educative outcomes are considered as the agent which connects 5 prepositions i.e. the
consequences in interplay and alignment of curriculum, tutoring, and assessment as a tool of
attaining the brilliant educative outcomes. It clarifies students regarding the health and wellbeing
of themselves and the society around them by enhancing them to participate in the community

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functions held in the school (Ball, Maguire, Braun, & Hoskins, 2011). Develops sophisticated
outcomes concerning the education etc. Valuing movements provides clarification regarding the
presence of physical education (P.E) as a general program in the school, which gives importance
to personal learning through practical environments, it throws emphasis on the traditional
knowledge as well as that of the ways of teaching physical education, skills games and sports
(Broadbear & Keyser, 2000).
Health literacy was accurately defined by the World Health Organization as the ability of an
individual to achieve access, understand and utilize the information regarding the health and
services for promoting and maintaining good health. Alfrey and Brown in the year 2013 defined
health literacy as the ability to select, contact and analyze information for promoting good health
of their own and that of others (MvCuaig & Quennerstedt, 2018). In the perspective of HPE, the
health literacy is applied to all questions of health, safety and wellbeing and involvement in
physical activity and hence is found absolutely in support of sociocultural perspectives (Ball,
Maguire, Braun, & Hoskins, 2011).
The five prepositions is a set which consist of five cards which are used by the teachers ,
educators and the students of the university as a tool that which helps in understanding the
upcoming prepositions of HPE (Bailey, et al., 2006). These cards gives each of the preposition a
sharp and brief definition, where each one is supported by a strategic question set drafted
deliberately for clarifying understandings for each one of the following. Each card throws its
focus on the purpose of educations, taking up of approaches which are based on the strengths,
movement’s value, and development of health literacy and also the approach related to critical
inquiry.

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Critical Inquiry emphasis on the emergence of stronger critical thinking and combined
learning skills provided by the student-driven opportunities for solving the problems in group-
based contents, it is related to the courses of cognitive and socio-critical theories that contain
assumptions and unequal powers for tentative social relations from all incorporating opinions. It
is consistent with the experimental learning. It allows the social, cultural, scientific and political
appraisals that influence health and the living conditions. It discovers matters like
comprehensiveness, power, inequalities, etc. and develops tools for improving their own and the
wellbeing of society (Bailey, et al., 2006).
Strength-based approach emphasis supporting and promoting personal and communal
strengths and advance the knowledge, understanding, and skills that are required to make
improvements that are healthy and safe (Bailey, et al., 2006).
Conclusion
Thus to conclude it can be said that the ACARA's vision over the HPE has a very wide
scope over its curriculum and the enforcements and covers all the relevant points such as the
educative outcome i.e. providing world-class education which can set up enough knowledge,
understandings, and skills needed for leading a healthy and a prosperous life and working stage
Thus SCP is very important to be taught in every classroom by the well trained teachers so that
each child may develop a habit of performing physical activities by understanding their benefits.
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