Traditional Tae Kwon Do : a curriculum innovation for elementary physical education.

Abstract

Since American educators are considered surrogate parents in the area of moral education and discipline, there is a continual search for innovative programs that positively influence behavior and attitudes in today's children. The problem of this dissertation was to justify just such an innovative program: the inclusion of traditional Tae Kwon Do as a component in a quality elementary physical education curriculum.

To set the stage, the Review of Literature was divided into six areas relating to traditional martial arts instruction: A Futuristic Curriculum and At-Risk Students; Eastern and Western Philosophies of Activity; Aggression and Juvenile Delinquency; Self-Esteem and Therapeutic Intervention; Components of a Quality Physical Education Program; and Components of a Quality Martial Arts Program.

There were four purposes of this study. First, the researcher sought to prepare a document for physical educators showing a correlation between the elements of a quality elementary physical education curriculum and those of a traditional Tae Kwon Do curriculum. Second, opinions of physical educators concerning the use of traditional Tae Kwon Do as an educational tool were obtained through a survey. Third, suggestions for inclusion of historical, philosophical, and cultural elements in a traditional Tae Kwon Do curriculum for elementary physical education were made. Fourth, a basic traditional Tae Kwon Do curriculum guide was formulated. This curriculum guide consists of the following: The History and Historical Chronology of Tae Kwon Do; Philosophical Principles of Traditional Tae Kwon Do; Techniques, Methodology, and Procedures in Traditional Tae Kwon Do; and Cognitive Activities.