ORELA Physical Education (NT506) key terms

The motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding that let a person value and take responsibility for lifelong participation in physical activity. It is the broad outcome physical educators aim to build.

Basic locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative actions such as running, balancing, throwing, and catching. They are the building blocks for more complex sport and activity skills and are typically emphasized in elementary physical education.

Movements that transport the body from one place to another, such as walking, running, hopping, skipping, jumping, galloping, and sliding. They form one of the three categories of fundamental movement skills.

Movements performed in place without traveling, such as bending, twisting, turning, swinging, pushing, pulling, and balancing. Also called stability or axial movements, they are one category of fundamental movement skills.

Fundamental movement skills that involve handling or controlling an object, such as throwing, catching, kicking, striking, dribbling, and volleying. They are central to games and sport units in physical education.

Visually following a moving object, such as a ball or a partner, to anticipate its path and time a response. It is a perceptual skill that supports catching, striking, and defensive play.

Abilities that combine sensory information, such as sight and hearing, with body movement to produce coordinated action. Examples include hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and balance, which underpin skill learning in physical education.

Understanding of one's body parts, their positions, and how they move through space. It is a component of movement concepts and helps students refine form and control in physical activities.

Knowledge of where the body moves in relation to objects, other people, and boundaries, including direction, level, pathway, and range. It supports safe movement and effective use of space in games and dance.

The immediate area around a person that moves with them, as opposed to general space shared with others. Teaching students to respect personal space supports safety and self-control during movement activities.

The shared area within a boundary through which students travel while avoiding others. Movement in general space requires students to monitor their own path and adjust speed and direction to prevent collisions.

The components of fitness associated with good health and reduced disease risk: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Physical education programs aim to develop and maintain these components.

Components of fitness that support performance in sport and movement: agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed. Unlike health-related components, these are not directly tied to disease prevention.

The ability of the heart, blood vessels, and lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles during sustained activity. It is often developed through moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise such as jogging, cycling, or swimming.

The maximum force a muscle or muscle group can produce in a single effort. It is developed through resistance training with heavier loads and lower repetitions relative to muscular endurance work.

The ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform repeated contractions over time without undue fatigue. It is developed through resistance activities using lighter loads and higher repetitions.

The range of motion available at a joint or group of joints. It is improved through stretching and is a health-related fitness component important for posture and injury prevention.

The relative proportions of fat mass and fat-free mass, such as muscle, bone, and water, in the body. It is a health-related fitness component and is often estimated in schools using BMI or skinfold measures.

The ability to change direction quickly and accurately while maintaining control. It is a skill-related fitness component trained through drills such as zigzag runs, shuttle runs, and cone courses.

The ability to exert force quickly, combining strength and speed. It is a skill-related fitness component developed through jumping, throwing, and other explosive movements.

The ability to move the body or a body part from one point to another in the shortest possible time. It is a skill-related fitness component trained with sprinting and short, high-intensity efforts.

A framework for designing exercise programs using four variables: frequency, intensity, time, and type. Teachers use it to explain how often, how hard, how long, and what kind of activity students should do.

A heart rate range that corresponds to moderate to vigorous exercise intensity, often calculated from a percentage of maximum heart rate. It helps students monitor effort and understand aerobic training.

The training principle that the body adapts only when workload is gradually increased beyond current demands. Teachers apply it by increasing time, repetitions, or resistance as students become fitter.

The training principle that adaptations are specific to the type of exercise performed. For example, distance running improves endurance more than it improves upper-body strength.

A stretch in which a position is held for a period of time, typically 15 to 30 seconds, without bouncing. It is generally used after activity or in dedicated flexibility work rather than as a pre-activity warm-up.

Controlled movement through a joint's range of motion, such as leg swings or arm circles, performed before activity to prepare muscles. It raises body temperature and mimics sport-specific movement patterns.

A brief period of light activity and movement preparation before the main lesson or workout. It raises body temperature, increases blood flow, and reduces injury risk, and is typically followed by skill instruction.

Gradual reduction of activity at the end of exercise, often including light movement and stretching. It helps heart rate return toward resting levels and supports recovery after vigorous effort.

Exercise of moderate intensity sustained long enough that the body uses oxygen to produce energy, such as jogging or swimming. It is the primary means of building cardiorespiratory endurance.

Short, high-intensity effort in which energy is produced without relying on oxygen, such as sprinting or heavy lifting. It builds power and speed but cannot be sustained for long periods.

The process by which a person acquires and refines movement skills through practice and experience. It informs how teachers sequence instruction, give feedback, and design practice opportunities.

The progression from cognitive, where a learner thinks through each step, to associative, where performance becomes more consistent, to autonomous, where the skill is performed with little conscious attention. Teachers adjust cues and practice accordingly.

Information given to a learner about performance, either intrinsic from the senses or extrinsic from a teacher or peer. Specific, timely feedback helps students correct errors and refine movement.

Ongoing assessment during instruction that informs teaching and learning, such as observation checklists, peer feedback, or exit tickets. It contrasts with summative assessment, which evaluates learning at the end of a unit.

Assessment administered at the end of a unit or course to measure achievement of learning goals, such as a skills test or written exam. Results are typically used for grading and reporting.

A scoring guide that lists criteria and describes levels of performance for a task. In physical education, rubrics make qualitative judgments about skill and behavior more consistent and transparent to students.

Adjusting content, process, or product to meet varied learner needs, such as modifying equipment size, rules, or task complexity. In physical education it allows students of different abilities to participate successfully in the same lesson.

The practice of ensuring all students, including those with disabilities, participate meaningfully in physical education with appropriate supports and modifications. It is a legal and ethical obligation in public schools.

Specially designed physical education instruction for students with disabilities, delivered through modified activities, equipment, or environments. It may be provided in general or separate settings depending on student needs.

A legally required written plan for a student receiving special education services that states goals, services, and accommodations. Physical education may be addressed in it when the student needs adapted instruction.

Changing an activity's rules, equipment, space, or grouping to match learner needs and keep participation high. It is a core strategy for inclusion and differentiation in physical education.