Health and Physical Education

• Health and Human Development
• Physical Education

When selecting your Health and physical Education study for VCE, please consider the following points: 

1. Well-established habits of regular study in the subject provide the basis for selection of Health and Human Development and Physical Education at VCE.
2. You should have a strong desire to further your knowledge in this area of study. Taking an interest in a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity is an advantage.
3.  The practical component of physical education is not as consistent as previous years with the subject. 
4. Camps and excursions are a compulsory component of Outdoor Education.  If students do not attend these compulsory activities they may receive a Not Satisfactory for an outcome or preclude themselves from completing the subject in year 12.

Health and Human Development

Student testimonial

Letishia Jong- HHD includes learning about the healthcare system, I thought that the subject would help me navigate the system as an independent adult.  HHD is a Pre-requisite for the courses I was considering.  Also, I enjoy health because we learn very relevant topics that are applicable to our lives. Not only does this make HHD more interesting but it also makes it easier to learn as you are able to relate it back to what you already know and experience. Furthermore, we learn about both individual health and population health as well as Australian health and global health so it is very engaging.  You need to be very specific in your answers and need a certain structure for certain questions in order to get full marks.  You have good time management so that you can finish with time to spare to check over your answers in assessments.  You need to keep up with the content and stay ahead because it is easy to fall behind especially since a lot of information is covered each lesson. Also make use of all the resources provided to you. One of the most important things to do is to complete as many practice SACs as you can before a SAC so that you are formatting and answering your answers properly.

Description

VCE Health and Human Development takes a broad and multidimensional approach to defining and understanding health and wellbeing. Students investigate the World Health Organization’s definition and other interpretations of health and wellbeing. For the purposes of this study, students consider wellbeing to be an implicit element of health. Wellbeing is a complex combination of all dimensions of health, characterised by an equilibrium in which the individual feels happy, healthy, capable and engaged.

Unit 1: Understanding health and wellbeing

This unit looks at health and wellbeing as a concept with varied and evolving perspectives and definitions. It takes the view that health and wellbeing are subject to a wide range of contexts and interpretations, with different meanings for different people. As a foundation to the understanding of health, students should investigate the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition and also explore other interpretations. Wellbeing is a complex combination of all dimensions of health, characterised by an equilibrium in which the individual feels happy, healthy, capable and engaged. For the purposes of this study, students should consider wellbeing to be an implicit element of health.

Unit 2: Managing health and development

This unit investigates transitions in health and wellbeing, and development, from lifespan and societal perspectives. Students look at changes and expectations that are part of the progression from youth to adulthood. This unit promotes the application of health literacy skills through an examination of adulthood as a time of increasing independence and responsibility, involving the establishment of long-term relationships, possible considerations of parenthood and management of health-related milestones and changes.

Unit 3: Australia’s health in a globalised world

This unit looks at health, wellbeing and illness as multidimensional, dynamic and subject to different interpretations and contexts. Students begin to explore health and wellbeing as a global concept and to take a broader approach to inquiry. As they consider the benefits of optimal health and wellbeing and its importance as an individual and a collective resource, their thinking extends to health as a universal right. Students look at the fundamental conditions required for health improvement, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). They use this knowledge as background to their analysis and evaluation of variations in the health status of Australians. Area of Study 2 focuses on health promotion and improvements in population health over time. Students look at various public health approaches and the interdependence of different models as they research health improvements and evaluate successful programs. While the emphasis is on the Australian health system, the progression of change in public health approaches should be seen within a global context.

Unit 4: Health and human development in a global context

This unit examines health and wellbeing, and human development in a global context. Students use data to investigate health status and burden of disease in different countries, exploring factors that contribute to health inequalities between and within countries, including the physical, social and economic conditions in which people live. Students build their understanding of health in a global context through examining changes in burden of disease over time and studying the key concepts of sustainability and human development. They consider the health implications of increased globalisation and worldwide trends relating to climate change, digital technologies, world trade and the mass movement of people. Area of Study 2 looks at global action to improve health and wellbeing and human development, focusing on the United Nations’ (UN’s) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the work of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Assessment:

Percentage contributions to the study score in VCE HHD for Units 3 and 4 are as follows:

• Unit 3 School Assessed Coursework:  25%
• Unit 4 School Assessed Coursework:  25%
• End of year examination: 50%

Physical Education

Description

VCE Physical Education explores the complex interrelationships between anatomical, biomechanical, physiological and skill acquisition principles to understand their role in producing and refining movement, and examines behavioural, psychological, environmental and sociocultural influences on performance and participation in physical activity. The assimilation of theoretical understanding and practice is central to the study of VCE Physical Education. Students participate in practical activities to examine the core concepts that underpin movement and that influence performance and participation in physical activity, sport and exercise.

Unit 1: The human body in motion

In this unit students explore how the musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory systems work together to produce movement. Through practical activities students explore the relationships between the body systems and physical activity, sport and exercise, and how the systems adapt and adjust to the demands of the activity. Students investigate the role and function of the main structures in each system and how they respond to physical activity, sport and exercise. They explore how the capacity and functioning of each system acts as an enabler or barrier to movement and participation in physical activity.

Unit 2: Physical activity, sport and society 

This unit develops students’ understanding of physical activity, sport and society from a participatory perspective. Students are introduced to types of physical activity and the role participation in physical activity and sedentary behaviour plays in their own health and wellbeing as well as in other people’s lives in different population groups. 

Through a series of practical activities, students experience and explore different types of physical activity promoted in their own and different population groups. They gain an appreciation of the level of physical activity required for health benefits. Students investigate how participation in physical activity varies across the lifespan. They explore a range of factors that influence and facilitate participation in regular physical activity. They collect data to determine perceived enablers of and barriers to physical activity and the ways in which opportunities for participation in physical activity can be extended in various communities, social, cultural and environmental contexts. Students investigate individual and population-based consequences of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour. 

Unit 3: Movement skills and energy for physical activity 

This unit introduces students to the biomechanical and skill acquisition principles used to analyse human movement skills and energy production from a physiological perspective. Students use a variety of tools and techniques to analyse movement skills and apply biomechanical and skill acquisition principles to improve and refine movement in physical activity, sport and exercise. They use practical activities to demonstrate how correct application of these principles can lead to improved performance in physical activity and sport.

Unit 4: Training to improve performance 

In this unit students analyse movement skills from a physiological, psychological and sociocultural perspective, and apply relevant training principles and methods to improve performance within physical activity at an individual, club and elite level. Improvements in performance, in particular fitness, depend on the ability of the individual and/ or coach to gain, apply and evaluate knowledge and understanding of training. Students analyse skill frequencies, movement patterns, heart rates and work to rest ratios to determine the requirements of an activity. Students consider the physiological, psychological and sociological requirements of training to design and evaluate an effective training program.

Assessment:

Percentage contributions to the study score in VCE PE for Units 3 and 4 are as follows:

• Unit 3 School Assessed Coursework:  25%
• Unit 4 School Assessed Coursework:  25%
• End of year examination:   50%

Outdoor and Environmental Studies

Unit 1: Connections with outdoor environments

This unit examines some of the ways in which Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples understand and relate to nature through experiencing outdoor environments. The focus is on individuals and their personal responses to experiencing outdoor environments.

Students are provided with the opportunity to explore the many ways in which nature is understood and perceived. Students develop a clear understanding of the range of motivations for interacting with outdoor environments, the factors that affect an individual’s access to experiencing outdoor environments and how they connect with outdoor environments.

Through outdoor experiences, students develop practical skills and knowledge to help them act sustainably in outdoor environments. Students understand the links between practical experiences and theoretical investigations, gaining insight into a variety of responses to, and relationships with, nature.

Unit 2: Discovering outdoor environments

This unit focuses on the different ways to understand outdoor environments and the impact of humans on outdoor environments.

In this unit students study the effects of natural changes and impacts of land management practices on the sustainability of outdoor environments by examining a number of case studies of specific outdoor environments, including areas where there is evidence of human intervention.

Students develop the practical skills required to minimise the impact of humans on outdoor environments. They comprehend a range of vocational perspectives that inform human use of outdoor environments. Through reflecting upon their experiences of outdoor environments, students make comparisons between outdoor environments, as well as develop theoretical knowledge about natural environments.

Unit 3: Relationships with outdoor environments

The focus of this unit is the ecological, historical and social contexts of relationships between humans and outdoor environments in Australia. Case studies of a range of impacts on outdoor environments are examined in the context of the changing nature of human relationships with outdoor environments in Australia over 60,000 years.

Students consider several factors that influence relationships with outdoor environments. They also examine the dynamic nature of relationships between humans and their environment.

Students are involved in multiple experiences in outdoor environments, including in areas where there is evidence of human interaction. Through these practical experiences, students make comparisons between, and reflect upon, outdoor environments, as well as develop theoretical knowledge and skills about specific outdoor environments.

Students undertake an independent investigation into the changing relationships with, and sustainability of, at least two different visited outdoor environments across both Units 3 and 4, which is assessed in Unit 4, Outcome 3.

Unit 4: Unit 4: Sustainable outdoor environments

In this unit students explore the sustainable use and management of outdoor environments. They observe and assess the health of outdoor environments and consider the importance of this health for the future of Australian outdoor environments and the Australian population.

Students examine the importance of the sustainability of human relationships with outdoor environments and the urgent need to balance human needs and the needs of outdoor environments. They investigate current acts and conventions as well as management strategies for achieving and maintaining healthy and sustainable Australian outdoor environments in contemporary Australian society.

Students engage in multiple related experiences in outdoor environments, conducting an ongoing investigation into the health of, and care for, these places. They learn and apply the practical skills and knowledge required to sustain healthy outdoor environments and evaluate the strategies and actions they employ. Through these practical experiences, students reflect upon outdoor environments and make comparisons between them by applying theoretical knowledge developed about outdoor environments.

As global citizens, students investigate how individuals and community members take action towards promoting sustainable and healthy outdoor environments and describe possible solutions to threats facing outdoor environments and their sustainability.

Students undertake an independent investigation into the changing relationships with, and sustainability of, at least two different visited outdoor environments across both Units 3 and 4, which is assessed in Unit 4, Outcome 3.

Assessment:

Percentage contributions to the study score in VCE Outdoor & Environmental Studies for Units 3 and 4 are as follows:

• Unit 3 School Assessed Coursework:  20%
• Unit 4 School Assessed Coursework:  30%
• End of year examination:   50%