Backwards Mapping & Scaffolding: Building Lifelong Learners in Physical Education

As PE teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand, our mahi goes far beyond teaching sports and fitness. We're in a unique position to guide ākonga through learning that supports their overall Hauora and prepares them for a lifelong relationship with physical activity. To do this effectively, we need to be intentional about how we plan and deliver our programmes. That’s where backwards mapping and scaffolding come in.

Think of backwards mapping like planning a road trip. We start by knowing our destination—the learning outcomes we want our students to achieve. What do our ākonga need to be successful beyond our PE programmes? Are they working towards university entrance? Do they have more vocational aspirations? What non-negotiables do we want them to know before they leave school? Does their passion lie in the sciences, the practical hands-on or in the outdoors? From there, we work backwards to map out how we’ll help them to get there.

In the context of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), this means identifying the achievement objectives in Health and Physical Education (HPE), then designing high-quality teaching and learning experiences that support students in reaching those goals.

Our teaching aligns with the four key strands of the HPE learning area: Personal Health and Physical Development, Movement Concepts and Motor Skills, Relationships with Other People, and Healthy Communities and Environments. So, if we want our students to understand how concepts like biomechanics or motor learning influence performance, we plan a progression throughout their years of programmes that gradually builds their understanding and skills over time. This facilitates growth in knowledge and understanding, and provides opportunities to explore this learning through a wide range of contexts.

Scaffolding is all about giving students the right level of support as they learn something new. Just like a scaffold supports a building while it’s being constructed, we help our students take on new challenges by breaking them down into manageable steps. We also acknowledge that not everyone starts on the same level, has access to the same equipment, or has the same ability to build buildings.

In PE, this might mean starting with simplified versions of a game or movement, using differentiated learning, or providing tools like visual cues and verbal prompts. It also means creating culturally relevant and inclusive contexts so every student feels connected and confident.

When introducing team strategies, for example, we can start with small-sided or modified games and then build up to full gameplay. Along the way, we help students connect their learning to real-world ideas—like leadership, communication, and the values behind different types of games—drawing on sociocultural principles.

Importantly, scaffolding learning experiences helps us ensure that even if a student doesn’t choose to continue with Senior PE, they still finish their junior years with a well-rounded understanding and as a complete ‘graduate’ of the HPE curriculum. They leave with confidence, key competencies, a love for moving, and the tools to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing, skills they’ll use for life.

A rich PE programme doesn’t just focus on how to move—it explores why we move, how our bodies work, and what physical activity means in different cultures and communities. This means weaving together biophysical and sociocultural principles as well as being culturally responsive in our teaching and learning. The biophysical aspects include things like anatomy, motor skill learning, methods and principles of training, exercise physiology, and sports psychology. The sociocultural lens lets us explore equity, identity, inclusivity, power relationships, or social responsibility.

When we backwards map and scaffold with these ideas in mind, we help students see physical education as something much bigger than sport or fitness. It becomes a space for personal growth, cultural connection, and critical thinking. It becomes relevant, localised and places the learners' needs and interests at the forefront of our purpose. It allows ākonga to find their personalised movement meanings and why that matters in their life.

A great example is teaching traditional Ngā taonga Tākaro. These activities offer a chance to learn movement patterns (biomechanics and functional anatomy) while also engaging with te ao Māori and valuing tikanga. It’s learning that honours the science and the connection behind the movement.

The NZC is all about putting learners at the centre. It encourages us to create learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, and meaningful. Backwards mapping and scaffolding let us do just that by helping us plan purposeful programmes that connect to our students' lives, interests, and cultural backgrounds.

This approach also ensures we’re authentically building the key competencies—like deep thinking, participating, and relating to others—that our ākonga need not just in PE, but across all areas of life. Whether they’re setting goals, working in a team, or reflecting on their learning and who they are, our students become more capable and confident when their learning is scaffolded in the right way.

At the heart of a strong PE programme is thoughtful planning and a genuine commitment to our students’ growth. Backwards mapping and scaffolding aren’t just teaching strategies—they’re how we show our ākonga that we believe in their potential. With these tools, we create learning that’s inclusive, challenging, and lasting. Most importantly, we help shape young people who value movement not just in school, but throughout their lives.

"What do our ākonga need to be successful beyond our PE programmes?"

"It encourages us to create learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, and meaningful."