IPLA at the National Institute of Education, Sri Lanka

By Nigel Green, Chair of IPLA

Nigel Green and Amit Malik were invited to provide training related to physical literacy and pedagogical practices in Colombo Sri Lanka. On the first day, training was provided for experienced teachers, which saw them understand physical literacy through practical engagement activities such as the paper activity and the dance activity. These involved the teachers in being creative, solving problems, communicating, working collaboratively, including everyone, being active and generally enjoying themselves. Nigel and Amit then unpicked the concept of physical literacy in relation to the activities they had engaged in.

Following on from this the teachers were asked to reflect on their unique life experiences so far in relation to engagement in physical activity and who or what had impacted on them through their life journey.

The teachers were then introduced to a range of pedagogical approaches, drawing from Mosston and Ashworth’s Spectrum of Teaching styles. This practical engagement allowed them to appreciate how the different styles could impact on individuals from a physical literacy perspective i.e. physical (moving), affective (feeling, motivation, confidence), cognitive (knowing, understanding, thinking) and a social perspective (connecting, communicating, collaborating).

The teachers thoroughly enjoyed the session and were keen for IPLA to provide more sessions for their colleagues. The main contact at the National Institute of Education was also keen for IPLA to be involved in their PE curriculum development, so further talks will be had in the future.