Physical Education

Curriculum

From principles of health to fitness and leisure activities to motor and developmental learning, you will explore a variety of courses as a physical education major at the University of Mount Union. You will also study human movement and exercise, along with anatomy and physiology, building skills to prepare you for a field in physical education.

Through our program, you will learn about:

• A variety of physical activities
• Designing instructional programming
• Establishing and maintaining an effective learning environment
• Assessing and evaluating instructional programs 
  
  

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

• Demonstrate understanding of physical education content and disciplinary concepts related to the development of a physically educated person.
• Demonstrate understanding of how individuals learn and develop and can provide opportunities that support students’ physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
• Demonstrate understanding of how individuals differ in their approaches to learning, and create appropriate instruction adapted to these differences.
• Demonstrate an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior by creating safe learning environments that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
• Demonstrate effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to enhance learning and engagement in physical activity settings.
• Plan and implement a variety of developmentally appropriate instructional strategies to develop physically educated individuals, based on state and national (NASPE K-12) standards.
• Demonstrate an understanding of assessment and use it to foster physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of students in physical activity.
• Demonstrate reflective practices and evaluate the effects of their actions on others (e.g., students, parents/guardians, fellow professionals), and seek opportunities to grow professionally.
• Demonstrate the ability to use information technology to enhance learning and to enhance personal and professional productivity.
• Demonstrate the ability to foster relationships with colleagues, parents/guardians, and community agencies to support students' growth and well-being.

Experiential Learning

Students who choose to major in physical education at the University Mount Union will have ample opportunities to observe and teach in the classroom within a variety of educational settings. Whether you want to be a teacher, coach, administrator or professor, Mount Union will put you on the fast track to finding a rewarding career, equipped with all of the necessary skills, knowledge and experience. 

FIELD EXPERIENCES

Field experiences provide you with the opportunity to go out into classrooms and gain practical experience, which is critical to a successful career in middle childhood education after graduation. The University of Mount Union’s CAEP accredited Teacher Education Program candidates gain more than 600 hours of experience in real classroom settings, observing, assisting and teaching by the time they graduate. Because of these field experiences, you will have the opportunity to discover what does and does not work in a classroom setting as well as apply strategies learned in your courses and find out what will be your best practices. 

Participation in Alliance City School's Navigators Program is another opportunity for physical education majors to gain hands-on experiences as a teacher. The Navigators Program is an after school program at Alliance Middle School, in which education majors from Mount Union are actively involved as paid teachers and/or volunteers.

Mount Union students can also take advantage of our clinical exchange programs. Students can broaden their horizons by choosing a clinical placement through the Chicago Semester Program or at a Native American reservation school.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS 

Students in Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) is a student led organization that provides those interested in health education and physical education with development opportunities to enhance skills, knowledge, and professional growth.  SHAPE is open to any UMU student with an interest in health and/or physical education to promote active and healthy lifestyles. 

Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is an international honorary for education majors. KDP was founded in 1911 and promotes excellence in and recognizes outstanding contributions to education. Members of KDP exemplify worthy education ideals, express an intention of continuing in the field of education and show evidence of leadership abilities. 

Student National Education Association (SNEA) is a student-led organization on Mount Union’s campus, and is open specifically for education majors.

Careers

In today’s society, teaching youth at an early age about the benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise can have profound effects on their individual health and the overall well-being of our nation.  Child obesity is a growing epidemic, making knowledgeable and caring physical educators more important than ever.

Our physical education degree requirements are designed to prepare you to meet state teaching licensure standards for physical education in pre-kindergarten through grade 12.  Endorsed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Ohio Department of Education, Mount Union’s program will prepare you for a rewarding and challenging career.