Developing an intelligent body – what does it mean to be physically educated?

Abstract

This research is ‘in motion’ moving forwards in its investigation about learning through movement, towards the question: ‘what does it mean to be physically educated?’ This article is a mid-way report which describesthe ground covered so far and maps the path ahead for the researcher. From rich philosophical territory concerning body-mind, meaning and intelligence, this qualitative inquiry started with questionnaires and is proceeding to physical ‘mobile methods’ – interviews on the move, to explore facets of thinking about intelligence as may be exercised through the body, while a person is exercising.
A high degree of researcher reflexivity is a central feature of this work, to grapple with (i) challenging philosophical concepts, (ii) qualitative methodology and (iii) analysing the data in a quest for meaning. As the project has gathered momentum, the researcher’s positionality with these three areas are critiqued, including his own readjustment to what a concept of ‘research’
might be, beyond the shadows which Westernised concepts of ‘science’ have traditionally, and sometimes unhelpfully cast. In closing, it is hoped this grounded philosophical study might inform some reasoning and practices in Physical Education and Outdoor Education to engage the body in learning activities that promote becoming and being, physically educated.