Definition of physical literacy

Whitehead, Margaret

doi:10.4324/9780203702697-2

Cited by 80 publications

(178 citation statements)

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“…A growing body of literature calls for learning in physical education to be authentic, relevant to learners and holistic in nature (Brown, 2013;Haerens et al, 2011;Kirk, 2010;Stolz, 2013). Contributing to this debate is the concept of physical literacy (Dudley, 2015;Jurbula, 2015;Whitehead, 2001Whitehead, , 2010Whitehead, , 2013, which Whitehead defines as 'the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life' (Whitehead, 2016). Physical literacy is recognised in literature, research and policy as an outcome of physical education (Hardman, 2011;Talbot, 2007).…”

Section: Physical Education and Physical Literacymentioning

confidence: 99%

Laying the foundations for physical literacy in Wales: the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of physical literacy

Wainwright

Goodway

Whitehead

et al. 2018

Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy

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Background: The Foundation Phase in Wales is a play-based curriculum for pupils aged three to seven years old. Children learn through more holistic areas of learning in place of traditional subjects. As such, the subject of physical education in its traditional form no longer exists for pupils under the age of seven in Wales. In light of the role of physical education in developing physical literacy and in particular the importance of this age group for laying the foundations of movement for lifelong engagement in physical activity the disappearance of physical education from the curriculum could be deemed to be a concern. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the Foundation Phase as a naturalistic intervention and examine its contribution to the development of physical literacy. Participants and setting: Participants included year one pupils (N=49) aged five and six from two schools in contrasting locations. A smaller group within each class was selected through purposive sampling for the repeated measures assessments (N=18). Research design and methods: A complementarity mixed-method design combined quantitative and qualitative methods to study the Foundation Phase as a naturalistic intervention. Quantitative data were generated with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 administered to the sample group of children from both schools as a quasi-repeated measure, the physical competence subscale of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance and the Leuven Involvement Scale for Young Children. Qualitative data were generated throughout the study from analysis of video and field notes through participant observation. Data from the mixed methods were analysed through complementarity to give a rich insight into pupils' progress and experiences in relation to physical literacy. Results: Overall analysis of the data from TGMD-2 showed significant improvements in the Gross Motor Quotient and Locomotor skills from T1 to T3, but no significant improvement in object control. Data from qualitative methods were analysed to explore processes that may account for these findings. Video and field notes complement the quantitative data highlighting that children were developing their locomotor skills in many aspects of their learning. Observations using the Leuven Involvement Scale indicated that children had high levels of involvement in their learning and apparent in video and field notes was pupils' motivation for movement. Paired sample t-tests (N=18) conducted on the Harter and Pike perceived physical competence six item score subscales (T1 and T3) indicated a significant difference in the mean perceived physical competence scores on the six-item scale between T1and T3. Qualitative data explored pupils' confidence for movement in many areas of learning. Conclusion: The combination of quantitative and qualitative data indicates that the Foundation Phase is an early childhood curriculum that lays the foundations of physical literacy with the exception of aspects of the physical competence, sp...

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Section: Physical Education and Physical Literacymentioning

confidence: 99%

Laying the foundations for physical literacy in Wales: the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of physical literacy

Wainwright

Goodway

Whitehead

et al. 2018

Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy

Self Cite

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“…However, in a previous systematic review of definitions of physical literacy, 70% of the papers endorsed the concept raised by Whitehead [ 7 ], which was also adopted by The International Physical Literacy Association. As applied to each individual, a widely adopted physical literacy can be described as the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engaging in physical activities for life [ 8 ]. Physical literacy covers physical, cognitive, and affective domains, which has encouraged cooperation in the operationalization of physical literacy and the implementation of promotional programs, especially among the younger generation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to [ 21 ], the measurement of physical literacy mainly depends on how we define it. The definition of physical literacy that we are using is the Whiteheadian concept [ 8 ] (p. 8), which includes physical, cognitive, and affective domains, with four core elements (i.e., physical competence, motivation, confidence, knowledge, and understanding). Therefore, an optimal measurement design for older adults should be a holistic approach including all the core elements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurements of Older Adults’ Physical Competence under the Concept of Physical Literacy: A Scoping Review

Huang

Sum

Yang

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Physical literacy, especially in the fields of physical education and public health, has been gaining global interest in recent years. Applying an appropriate method to measure physical competence under the concept of physical literacy for older adults aligns with the goal of healthy aging. In this scoping review, we reflected on previous empirical studies regarding the measurements of physical competence among older adults holistically and systematically to identify and analyze gaps in the topic of “physical literacy” among older adults as a precursor to a systematic review. We searched five databases using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for Protocols guidelines: (1) SPORTDiscus; (2) PubMed; (3) Scopus; (4) ScienceDirect; and (5) Web of Science. There were 29 studies included in our thematic analysis. Through our review, we found that 73% of the mean age of the participants comprised older baby boomers who were from 65–74 years old as aging continues. Therefore, more effort should be made in developing physical literacy for older adults with the goal of health promotion. Our results showed that most studies adopted both self-reported and objective measures, in which objective measures were widely embraced by scholars in the measurement, while self-reported measures were encouraged to be included in the assessment as well. Using assessment tools to measure a combination of actual physical competence and perceived physical competence is recommended in the measurement of physical competence, especially in older adults. In addition, other elements of physical literacy should be taken into account when measuring physical competency in older adults. For future implementation, when framing the model to chart physical literacy for older adults, it is important to review the definition again and adopt a holistic measurement system including every aspect of physical literacy.

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“…This study summarized and compared nationally representative data concerning participation in PE classes among 170,354 adolescents, which adds to previous cross-national research on participation in PE classes [ 4 , 25 , 29 ] by including a greater number of countries from different income levels and from six world regions, as well as by quantifying sex, age, country income and region disparities. Regardless of the argument for PE being more philosophical, pedagogical or political, no foreseen present or future of PE [ 21 , 22 , 33 ] can be achieved without knowing the PE participation time where students strive to achieve psychosocioeducational outcomes and health benefits through their educational programmes. From comparing and analysing participation in PE, all stakeholders can engage in deep and meaningful discussions about the reasons and possible solutions for present and recurrent challenges, which is our aim in this discussion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparative Study of Participation in Physical Education Classes among 170,347 Adolescents from 54 Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries

Martins

Marques

Henriques‐Neto

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Given the need for comparative research on the participation of adolescents in physical education (PE) classes as a privileged space for physical activity (PA) promotion, this study sought to estimate, analyse and compare the prevalence of participation in PE classes among adolescents from 54 countries and to examine sex, age, country income and world regions disparities. Data from the Global Students Health Survey (2010–2015) were used, comprising 170,347 adolescents (90,305 girls, aged 13–17 years) from nationally representative samples of 54 countries—of which 7 are low-income, 23 lower-middle-income, 14 upper-middle-income and 10 high-income—and six world regions. The weighted percentages of adolescents participating in PE classes (never, 1–2 days/week, 3–4 days/week, 5 or more days/week) were estimated along 95% confidence intervals and compared across sex, age, country income, region, and country. Most adolescents reported to participate in PE on 1–2 days/week (55.2%), but almost 20% of adolescents reported never participating in PE. Girls, compared to boys, presented a lower prevalence for participating ≥5 days/week (girls 16.8%, boys 20.0%). The prevalence of participating in PE on ≥3 days/week was higher among adolescents aged 13–14 years when compared to adolescents aged 15–17 years (boys: 30.9% vs. 24.6%; girls: 26.1% vs. 18.2%). Concerning the countries’ income, the prevalence of never participating in PE was higher in high-income countries, and participating on ≥3 days/week was higher in low-income countries, but further research is recommended. The findings suggest that national, regional and worldwide data highlight the importance of improving participation in PE, particularly for girls and older adolescents. An improved and continued monitoring of PE policies and their actual implementation is needed worldwide.

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Definition of physical literacy

Cited by 80 publications

References 0 publications

Laying the foundations for physical literacy in Wales: the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of physical literacy

Laying the foundations for physical literacy in Wales: the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of physical literacy

Measurements of Older Adults’ Physical Competence under the Concept of Physical Literacy: A Scoping Review

A Comparative Study of Participation in Physical Education Classes among 170,347 Adolescents from 54 Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries

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