Embodied Learning and Physical Literacy: A Daoist Interpretation of Peer-Teaching in Primary Physical Education

Abstract

There has been a growing focus in contemporary physical education on movement-based learning strategies that are broader than the acquisition of movement skills and performance-based instruction. In this context, embodied learning and physical literacy have emerged as topics of interest because of their emphasis on experiential involvement, relational engagement, and holistic child development. At the same time, there has been a resurgence of interest in other philosophical approaches that can enhance current teaching and learning that are grounded in different educational practices and less driven by the pressure to perform. The paper will explore the concept of peer-teaching and motor-based physical literacy in primary physical education from a Daoist philosophical perspective. The paper draws on concepts such as Dao, Wu Wei, Ziran, harmony and non-coercive development to examine conceptual connections between the Daoist philosophy and contemporary perspectives on the learning of embodied movement. The interpretation of peer-teaching as a relational and adaptive educational process suggests that it can be used to assist cooperation, movement exploration, embodied awareness and intrinsic engagement for children. The research is conceptual and interpretive, and is not an attempt to test the Daoist philosophy in an experiment. Rather, it provides a basis for interdisciplinary discussion of Daoist studies, embodiment theory, and physical education scholarship. The analysis indicates that the concept of Daoism can be used as a meaningful interpretative lens to understand embodied learning and physical literacy in the current context of primary physical education.