Why a Conference proposing the important role of Physical Education in the future?

The recent World Economic Forum (2008) called for employers to be proactive in the prevention of non-communicable diseases in their workforce.  A significant contributor in the development of a healthy workforce is a reliable pool of employees who are health and physically educated, suitably receptive to and aware of healthy lifestyle practices even before becoming employed.

While Health and Physical Education (HPE) is often wrongly stereotyped as “doing sport”, creating meaningful HPE learning environments is clearly more that assisting in the creation of elite athletes.  The ultimate aim of physical educators is to graduate students who: do appropriate habitual physical activity, have acquired a set of physical skills, have developed holistic and positive emotional attitudes and possess evidence based knowledge which serves as the framework for inspiring active citizenry. 

As a response to a worldwide move to the development of healthier people, Australia currently has a strong momentum for an expanded and more unified role for HPE within a potential national Curriculum.  Other countries have engaged in such a process and much can be learned from their experiences of the process.  We are proud to announce what we believe will be a truly landmark conference that will draw on experts from Australia and around the world to address and lead workshops on topics such as future-oriented curriculum and appropriate and authentic physical education teaching styles.  The Conference will also include a Summit on Health and Physical Education in the Oceania region.  International HPE academics with research interests in learner centered pedagogy and curriculum, national and state education department curriculum policy officers and key teachers/Heads of Department will converge on Brisbane in July 2009.

Keynote speakers and distinguished leaders to attend the conference will include;

Professor Sara Ashworth.  Co-author of The Spectrum of PE Styles of Teaching. USA
Professor Keith Davids.   Dynamics of Skill Acquisition, QUT, Brisbane Australia
Dr Tim Hopper. Associate Professor, University of Victoria, Melbourne.
Professor Doune Macdonald.  Curriculum reform Specialist Univ. of Queensland
Associate Professor Dawn Penny.  Uni. of Tasmania, International Curriculum Australia
Dr. Duarte Araujo.  Coaching and Teacher Educator  Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal
Mr. Richard Smith. Coaching Manager New Zealand Academy of Sport (South Island)
Associate Professor John Saunders.   Australian Catholic University, Victoria Australia
Dr. Rick Shuttleworth. Skill Acquisition Specialist Australian Institute of Sport

For more information about the conference dinner, please visit the registration page.

What's so special about Brisbane? Our warm heart and laid-back attitude. The irresistible sense of freedom and relaxation. The endless days of clear blue skies. And the fact that as soon as that morning seminar is over you’ll want to be out in that sunshine experiencing all that we have to offer! From hand-feeding wild dolphins and snuggling up with koalas to early morning river kayaking and inner-city cliff climbing – it’s all here and it’s going to put a very big smile on your face.

Brisbane has many fabulous things to do and see, from the South Bank Parklands to the Gabba Cricket Ground, to the Queensland Cultural Centre.

Both the Sunshine and Gold Coasts are a short 1 hour drive away, offering a relaxed contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city.

For more information on what Brisbane can offer, please visit: http://www.ourbrisbane.com/

The conference will be held at the Queensland University of Technology's Kelvin Grove Campus. For a map of the campus, please click here.