§-Physical Education syllabus

Physical Education syllabus, dot point by dot point

Every dot point in the VIC Physical Education study design, in syllabus order, with a focused answer for each. Open any dot point for the answer, exam-style questions and links to related points.

Unit 1: The Human Body in Motion

Unit overview →

How does the musculoskeletal system work to produce movement?

Structure and function of the musculoskeletal system; types of muscle, muscle contractions (concentric, eccentric, isometric), joint types, fibre types (slow-twitch and fast-twitch)

7 min read →

Unit 2: Physical Activity, Sport and Society

Unit overview →

What are the relationships between physical activity, sport, health and society?

Sociocultural influences on physical activity participation in Australia: gender, socioeconomic status, cultural background, geographic location, age, disability

7 min read →

Unit 3: Movement Skills and Energy for Physical Activity

Unit overview →

How does the body produce energy?

Acute physiological responses to exercise across the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems, including the mechanisms that drive each response and how the response scales with exercise intensity and duration

9 min read →

The three energy systems (ATP-PC, anaerobic glycolysis, aerobic) - characteristics of each, the interplay during physical activity, fuels used, by-products and fatigue mechanisms

8 min read →

How are movement skills improved?

Practice methods and schedules (massed, distributed, blocked, random, whole, part, variable) and the design of practice that matches the learner's stage of skill acquisition, the skill classification, and the goal of the practice session

9 min read →

Stages of skill acquisition (cognitive, associative, autonomous), feedback (intrinsic, extrinsic, knowledge of performance, knowledge of results, concurrent, delayed), and practice (massed, distributed, whole, part) - characteristics, application, and adaptation across the stages

7 min read →

Classification of movement skills along the open-closed, gross-fine, discrete-serial-continuous and fundamental-sport-specific continua, and how classification informs the way a coach designs feedback and practice for a named skill

9 min read →

How are movement skills improved through biomechanical analysis?

Apply biomechanical principles (Newton's laws, levers, projectile motion, fluid mechanics) to analyse human movement skills and identify how technique changes can improve performance

9 min read →

Unit 4: Training to improve physical performance and health

Unit overview →

How is training implemented effectively to improve fitness?

Recovery strategies (active recovery, passive recovery, hydration, nutrition, sleep, cold water immersion, compression, massage), the physiological basis for each, and how a coach selects recovery strategies appropriate to the energy systems used and the demands of the training session

10 min read →

Training methods (continuous, fartlek, interval, high-intensity interval training, resistance, plyometric, flexibility and circuit), the fitness component each method targets, the protocol for prescribing each, and the situations in which each method is appropriate

10 min read →

How do chronic adaptations to training enhance performance, and how do we evaluate training program effectiveness?

Investigate chronic physiological adaptations to training across cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular and metabolic systems, and apply evaluation methods to judge program effectiveness against measurable performance outcomes

9 min read →

What are the foundations of an effective training program?

Principles of training: frequency, intensity, time, type (FITT), progressive overload, specificity, individuality, reversibility, variety, training thresholds, maintenance, periodisation

8 min read →

How do integrated movement experiences synthesise skill acquisition, biomechanics, energy systems and training?

Integrate theory and practice through a chosen movement experience, using primary data to demonstrate the interrelationships between skill acquisition, biomechanics, energy production and training, and the impacts on performance

9 min read →