Who's Who:
People in Physical Education History

Matching - U.S. Leaders and their Contributions - (Please note that although Matching items are used in this study guide, the real Praxis PE Content Knowledge Exam is exclusively multiple choice.)

Matching - World Leaders and their Contributions - (Please note that although Matching items are used in this study guide, the real Praxis PE Content Knowledge Exam is exclusively multiple choice.)

Identify These Educational Philosophers and Theorists - (Please note that although Identification items are used in this study guide, the real Praxis PE Content Knowledge Exam is exclusively multiple choice.)

21. John Dewey - A major leader in the "progressive movement" in education, Dewey sought social change through child-centered education. He is best known for Democracy and Education, which was published in 1916. Dewey's concepts included teaching the whole child and believed that the physical and mental could not be separated. He believed that education had social goals and outcomes. He included physical education in this role and he followed a philosophy sometimes called the "learn by doing" method of education. He was convinced that play was important in education because if a child enjoyed an activity he or she would become more involved which would lead to greater learning. Dewey's ideas have become the basic educational tenets of the educational philosophy of pragmatism. In pragmatism, problem solving (experience) is a basic educational tool, with ultimate judgments made in terms of developing the whole person - mind, body and soul.
     
22. Joseph Bloom - Bloom is best know for the "taxonomy of educational objectives" or "Bloom's Taxonomy" is a way to classify the objectives of education into a hierarchical list of more exact types. According to his model, the objectives of education fall into three broad areas or "domains": cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains.
     
23. John Locke - The Englishman is associated with the philosophy of realism. Locke used the popular phrase "a sound mind in a sound body" which was originated by a Roman writer, Juvenal. Locke believed that the mind a body were separate and that ideas came from personal experiences, or more precisely reflection or thought about personal experiences. He saw exercise as way way to develop health and saw dance as method of developing grace. Recreation, according to Locke was a useful and beneficial break from day-to-day activities. Realism thus believes that knowledge is best gained through the senses - by observation and experience.
     
24. Jean-Jacques Rousseau - The Frenchman Rousseau considered people good by nature, but corrupted by so-called civilization. The purpose of education, according to Rousseau was to develop all the child's abilities freely, as nature intended. Educators were to avoid anything that might hamper this natural development. In Rousseau's view, nature was the primary teacher and the job of the "tutor" was to be a guiding force. In Rousseau's naturalism, a child could not be taught by logic, because his or her logical processes were not developed enough to have common sense. Rousseau regarded play as important, it was both healthful and educational. However, it should not be forced and compulsion was to be avoided in all areas of education.
     
25. Jean Piaget - The emphasis on cognitive development over the years may be the result of Piaget's work. Piaget developed his data by observing his own children. He used a question and answer system too gain insight into how children think. The result was the most detailed and widely accepted excepted explanation of children's cognitive development. Piaget's theory consists of four sequential stages, the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations and formal operation stages. You should be able to identify each of these stages and the abilities that a child in each stage would display. A textbook on child development or educational psychology should be helpful in learning more about Piaget's theory of cognitive development.
     
26. Abraham Maslow - Maslow introduced a hierarchy of needs that identified certain basic necessities - food, shelter, water, safety, belongingness, love, and positive sense of self - that had to be realized before a higher need for self-actualization could be addressed. Self-actualization is one's motivation to reach his or her potential. Self-actualization is a life-long process. If you are not familiar with Maslow's work you should be able find out more in an educational psychology text.