Overview
This unit develops understanding of the concepts and rationale underpinning Health and Physical Education as a learning area in primary schools and other educational and care settings. You will use your knowledge and understanding of the connectedness between physical activity, fitness, wellbeing and learning, to plan, organise and evaluate a physical activity and motor development program for children. Investigation of the interaction between individuals and groups and their socio-cultural and economic environments forms the basis for critical reflection on the role of schools and education and care settings in promoting individual and community health. An understanding of social issues that impact on the health and wellbeing of children and families is emphasised through the development of an educational resource that promotes family and community health and social and mental wellness. You will identify strategies that support your own wellbeing as members of the teaching profession. Throughout this unit, you will reflect on how learning and wellbeing are inextricably linked and how a learner’s individual, school and community experiences can significantly impact on their wellbeing.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student evaluation
Engage with forum postings
Engage with forum postings to continue the teachings within the unit.
- Plan and evaluate developmentally appropriate experiences that promote physical activity, play and the acquisition of fine and gross motor and fundamental movement skills of varying abilities and characteristics
- Manage the assessment of risk and organisation of safe, inclusive physical activities
- Match learning goals, teaching strategies and resources to knowledge of child development
- Plan and justify health and wellbeing promotion strategies that are underpinned by analysis of contemporary research and support children and families from diverse groups
- Engage in research to evaluate and enhance education for health and wellbeing in educational settings
- Evaluate and justify the role of education in influencing personal and community health and wellbeing.
Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to demonstrate the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas of:
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
2.2 Content selection and organisation
3.1 Establish challenging learning goals
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
3.4 Select and use resources
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs
4.1 Support student participation
4.2 Manage classroom activities
4.4 Maintain student safety
5.1 Assess student learning
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||
| 2 - Group Work - 50% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||||
| 4 - Research | ||||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||||
| 8 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
e.killion@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Topic 1: Introduction to HPE - National and International policies
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Topic 2: The focus on health and physical activity in curriculum documents and frameworks
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Topic 3: Motor skill acquisition Play and games as a source of physical and social learning and development
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Topic 4: Strategies for supporting the development of fundamental movement skills
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Topic 5: Safe teaching practices in HPE Assessment of risk in physical and play environments
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Topic 6: Inclusive practices in HPE
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Non-teaching Week
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Topic 7: Health Literacy and personal development. How can information about the health practice of children and their families be collected?
and
Topic 8: 21st Century Health Issues
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 04 May 2026Module/Topic
Topic 9: Health promotion and the responsibility of educational professionals
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 11 May 2026Module/Topic
Topic 10: Health, physical activity and social outcomes. The interrelated nature of social, emotion and physical development in childhood.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
You are to plan a sequence of no more than 4 learning experiences (THESE ARE NOT LESSON PLANS) suitable for developing the fundamental movement skills of children. Your sequence of learning experiences must be based on the physical and social developmental characteristics of children described in the Early Years Learning Framework or the learning outcomes in the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education. Early childhood students must plan 2 learning experiences that link to the Early Years Learning Framework and 2 learning experiences that link to the Australian Curriculum (F-2).
The learning experiences should be designed to promote/enhance stability or balance, locomotor and object control skills (e.g. walking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, throwing, catching, kicking, etc.) In addition, the learning experiences must show how learners will be engaged in game-based social activities that promote positive attitudes to physical fitness and safe, fair play.
The learning experience sequence should include a risk assessment of the physical environment for implementation of the sequence and planned use of equipment for the safety and stage of development of the group of learners. The planned risk assessment must show evidence of knowledge of legislative requirements around health and safety pertaining to the delivery of a program of learning experiences for young children.
Drawing on your knowledge of the fundamental movement skills that you have identified as the focus for your planned learning experiences, you are required to also create a checklist of skills for your designed sequence. This checklist will help you to make judgments about learner capability with the chosen movement skills. You will also draw on information contained in the requirements of the content descriptors and achievement standards for the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education. This does not require you to create a criteria sheet/rubric but instead it is simply a checklist for the sequence.
You may use any format of your own design that allows all task expectations to be demonstrated but should avoid the use of a formal lesson plan structure/template. Examples of formats will be shown in lectures.
In a concluding section, clearly outline within no more than 500 words how your learning experience sequence contributes to:
- A strengths-based approach that encourages the confidence, participation and competence of learners at different stages of physical development
- Opportunities for practice of fundamental movement skills and appropriate levels of challenge for learners with a diverse range of ability levels
- Strategies and resources used to organise participation in the activities, monitor safety and environmental considerations, and meet the social and emotional needs of young children by encouraging appropriate levels of enjoyment, autonomy, risk-taking and creative application of movement skills for learners of both genders.
AI Assessment Scale: Level 2
You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity.
Please note: The 72-Hour grace period applies to this assessment task
If you need longer than 72 hours, you'll still need to use the normal Assessment Extension System process.
Week 6 Tuesday (14 Apr 2026) 11:45 pm AEST
Feedback on this assessment response will be provided in sufficient time to allow for academic support and advice as necessary to inform student responses to the next assessment task.
- Application of knowledge of children’s physical, motor and skill development and growth, maturation and readiness as determinants of planned physical activity
- Understanding of the relationship between physical activity and health, well-being, social and psychological development
- Knowledge of the aims, content, structure, teaching strategies, principles and practices of curriculum documents and frameworks for physical learning
- Application of strategies for the management, assessment of risk and organisation of safe inclusive physical activity evidence in risk assessment and design of learning experiences
- Evidence of understanding the legislative requirements for delivery of a series of learning experiences for children
- Alignment of learning goals and selection of resources to knowledge of child development
- Strategies for evaluating and improving teaching programs
- Effective, scholarly and professional communication in accordance with accepted academic conventions APA 7th
Learning Outcomes Assessed - Plan and evaluate developmentally appropriate experiences that promote physical activity, play and the acquisition of fundamental movement skills for children of varying abilities and characteristics
- Manage the assessment of risk and the organisation of safe, inclusive physical activities
- Match learning goals, teaching strategies and resources to knowledge of child development
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Practised/Assessed in this task
1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 5.1
- Plan and evaluate developmentally appropriate experiences that promote physical activity, play and the acquisition of fine and gross motor and fundamental movement skills of varying abilities and characteristics
- Manage the assessment of risk and organisation of safe, inclusive physical activities
- Match learning goals, teaching strategies and resources to knowledge of child development
2 Group Work
You will complete this task in small groups (of no more than five) to show your understanding of the social construction of health and the factors that affect health and/or levels of physical activity or wellbeing for children and families in contemporary Australian society.
Your group must research an aspect of social change or a social issue that affects the health of children and families including those from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. To support the research focus, you are required to frame an inquiry question with reference to the Health and Physical Education curriculum proposition of developing health literacy.
Your research should show evidence of your group’s ability to apply health literacy at a critical level by selecting and critically analysing health information in order to take action to promote personal and community health and wellbeing.
Use your research to design a multimedia health promotion package that focuses on the chosen issue and that can be used to inform and persuade a specific target group or community to adopt positive personal health practices. The multimedia package should include at least three resources aimed at health promotion and you are encouraged to explore multiple possibilities for development of these resources (e.g. posters, radio or television advertisements, brochures or activity packages for children, parents or communities, newsletters, community displays, etc).
Each group member must submit an individual reflection of 250-300 words outlining:
- your contribution to the group’s research and planning
- the impact of your inquiry and planning on your own personal attitudes to adopting lifelong healthy behaviours
- any new understandings you have gained about the role of education and care professionals in promoting healthy lifestyle
AI Assessment Scale: Level 2
You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity.
Please note: The 72-Hour grace period applies to this assessment task
If you need longer than 72 hours, you'll still need to use the normal Assessment Extension System process.
Week 10 Monday (18 May 2026) 11:45 pm AEST
Feedback on this final assessment response will be provided following moderation and prior to the date of certification of grades.
- Development of resources and materials that promote positive attitudes to health that show evidence of the application of research synthesis
- Use of communication strategies and resources that consider the information needs and diverse social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds of children and families
- Ability to make connections to and critically reflect on the personal and professional roles of educators in health promotion
- Use of authoritative sources to justify decision-making
- Effective, scholarly and professional communication in accordance with accepted academic conventions APA 7th
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Practised/Assessed in this task
1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.4, 3.6, 4.4, 6.2
- Plan and justify health and wellbeing promotion strategies that are underpinned by analysis of contemporary research and support children and families from diverse groups
- Engage in research to evaluate and enhance education for health and wellbeing in educational settings
- Evaluate and justify the role of education in influencing personal and community health and wellbeing.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
