Proposed Curricular Enhancement of the BPED Program: A Development Study

Abstract

Bachelor of Physical Education curriculum as instructed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED): necessary subjects should include sports, dance, and movement education. However, it is often limited to the rich cultural heritage integrated in ASEAN traditional games, which offer significant cultural and educational value. Thus, the purpose of this study is to enhance the Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd) program through Southeast Asian traditional games integration into the curriculum. Through purposive sampling, the study looked at curriculum guides, course syllabi, and instructional policies from a few chosen HEIs in Laoag City using a qualitative research design, specifically document analysis. Finding gaps and suggesting a topic that integrates traidtional ASEAN games were the objectives. ASEAN traditional games integration in the curriculum can promote cultural preservation and achieve the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2025.  In addition, future BPEd educators can be equipped with necessary knowledge and skills regarding multicultural awareness that are substantial when teaching a wider range of physical activities to students with multifaceted profiles. The proposed curriculum enhancement of the Bachelor of Physical Education program presents a subject with a well-structured syllabus that is designed to engage students in the historical, social, and, most important, cultural significance of ASEAN traditional games, responding to the need to appreciate and preserve this diverse cultural heritage.